Anything and everything about Palau!

[marpacifica]

I was just in Palau 2 weeks ago, my second time there. I definitely agree with hitting Blue Corner a few times. Make sure you go out there in the morning (to avoid the crowds) on an incoming tide (for lots of fish action), though, or you won't see many sharks. There used to be a huge napolean wrasse there I've heard called Snaggletooth b/c he (all large ones are male) had some bone damage to his lower lip, but he's not there anymore and another one has taken his spot in the pecking order. When I was there the Napoleans were mating -- lots of the females swimming alongside the huge male in the midwater column above the reef, with dozens of triggerfish following them trying to eat the eggs. I didn't get any photos of that, but did take photos around some other divesites. Check out this thread in the photography forum for photos.

http://www.scubaboard.com/t52638.html

German Channel visibility was about 20 meters/65 feet. Lots of turtles, scorpionfish, barracuda, but no really big fish or mantas when I was there.

If you want to try out the local food, try the restaurant in the Penthouse Hotel, just behind the main street in town, or try Yano's, a self-serve lunch place on the main street next to the "big" shopping center.

 

[anemone]

But ehm...who ever it is in the picture: doesn't holding a Wrass damage the protective layer on their skin? :06: [/FONT][/QUOTE]

yeah..that's what i'm thinking too...leave nothing but bubbles

 

[Pauline]

....and take nothing but pictures (lots of them)....

 

[CA Diver]

I agree. I was not on that trip with them. They should not touch the wrass, but just enjoy it.

 

[ColdH2Odvr]

We’ve been back from Palau for about five hours now, what a great trip. We went once before in March of 2000. Jellyfish lake is open again, other than that I’m not sure how or if the life has changed all that much.

We spent two weeks diving with Sam’s, they rule. You won’t get near as much diving in as you would on a live-aboard (two dives/day) but we really enjoyed our time on the island too.

I can’t say enough good things about our guides Naun and Jr. our group had a wide range of abilities which they accommodated excellently (if you or your group are jerks please request someone else).

If you’re planning to go to Yap, you may be delayed a while as they were pounded by Sudal. We spent several days in Yap on our last visit, good diving with wonderful people. They could probably use the business more now than ever; you can get more info here http://www.mantaray.com/main/news.html.

Back to diving in Palau: Blue corner is defiantly worth doing, we did it twice on this trip Pay attention on this dive, the currents can kick your butt (we found ourselves in a nice little down current coming off the wall at then end of the first dive). Turtle Cove was a new dive for us on this trip and a lot of fun. Start off with a very small hole that kicks you out onto a beautiful wall, we had mild current at first with a nice blast around the point. Turtles, skates, nudibranchs, sharks, etc. Chandelier caverns is worth doing once, spend some time outside when you’re done, there are a ton of mandarin fish hiding in the shallows, we also saw crocodile fish and a young moray in one of the barrels. We didn’t get to Blue Hole this trip (Sudal drove some serious waves our way) but I thought it was spectacular last trip.

Food: Go to the Taj! If you like Indian quisine, go to the Taj, if not go anyway. My wife and I were devout avoiders of anything curry and are now complete converts. Just go. The sashimi at the Reef (where Kramers used to be) is to die for.

We stayed at PPR, not the way to do Palau on a budget but damn what a treat.

Water temp hung about 86 deg. I love my drysuit but I could get used to diving in shorts! At one point we hit a surface layer coming off the top of a reef of 90 deg (grin).

Pics from the first trip are here: www.rockisland.com/~dgrove. Pics from this trip will take a while.

Happily starting to peel,

Dave

 

[Pauline]

Thanks a lot for all that info!
I'm really getting buzzed now!

Did you do any trips on the islands? Anything I shouldn't miss?

 

[wandernsoul]

You should check out the aquarium on Palau. It's around in the area where Fish n Fins is, just ask someone at the shop where you're diving, or where you're staying. Nicely done aquarium.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Thanks a lot for all that info!
I'm really getting buzzed now!

Did you do any trips on the islands? Anything I shouldn't miss?

Something that I recall as somber but rewarding. If you have a chance, talk to Fish & Fins about diving Pelelieu. Then, if possible, prior to your trip read up in your World War II history about the invasion of Pelelieu.

We dove the invasion beach in the morning, then had a nearly 3 hour surface interval on the island. We were given a tour of the battlefields that including climbing up Bloody Nose Ridge, one of the highest ridgelines on the island. There was war debris on the bottom diving the invasion beach, but it was stunning to see the rifles, tanks, machineguns, etc. still sticking up from the soil, trees growing up through armored vehicles, etc. All the Japanese howitzers are still in the caves, all the ammunition is stacked further behind them. There is a dark simple monument to the thousands of lives lost on Pelelieu in a matter of days. The dying there was unbelievable. I was in the Marines when I was there. The mute evidence of the ferocity of the fighting and carnage simply left behind is awe inspiring. You'll feel like you are walking in a time capsule, across this preserved battlefield. Its as if in the aftermath the exhausted forces simply left everything in place, boarded their ships, and left. If you know what happened there, if you're aware of what took place, it can't fail to touch you. If you visit the monument, take a minute to remember all those who went to Pelelieu and never went home.

I don't recall much about my second dive. But that is one surface interval that will stick with me for a lifetime.

Regards,

Doc

 

[Pauline]

I'm sure it did.
Thank you for sharing it with me and everybody else.

 

[marpacifica]

Pauline,

I would recommend the Peleliu battlefield tour, also. I didn't go on my first time there when it was offered as a surface interval -- I didn't bring the $20 cash for the tour. Someone offered to loan me the money but I declined. I regretted it. Everyone came back from the tour humbled and brigh-eyed. I think there's just one guide for that tour, a gay Palauan whose family owns much of the land the sites are on. He's quite a character, entertaining and informative.

Also, if you can book a flight that arrives or leaves in the daytime, take that rather than the night flight out of Guam on Continental. There's a Continental flight that leaves the Philippines in the morning and gets into Koror in the early afternoon -- it does a slow fly-by over the rock islands. Best views are from the left side of the plane (any of the seats "A", preferably behind the wing (seat 18A or above) for a more unobstructed view). But if you can swing Biz class, that's a pretty good view, also seat A.

There may be direct flights out of Taipei but I'm not familiar with them.

Dang, now I want to return to Palau!