Trip Report: Diving Palau

For many years, Palau held a top spot on my must-dive wish list. My chance came in March of 2025, and it didn't disappoint. Here are some of my thoughts and notes from that trip. Learn more about diving in Palua, Micronesia.

The first thing to know is that Palau takes conservation seriously. On arrival, we were asked to sign the Palau Pledge, a document created by local children that asks visitors to “tread lightly, act kindly and explore lightly” to protect the environment for future generations. Palau created the world's first shark sanctuary and established a marine preserve that covers nearly 200,000 square miles of the ocean.

As we discovered on our first dives, these commitments are paying off. The coral reefs were dense and healthy, with no signs of bleaching, disease or other damage, The marine life was amazing and varied, and we enjoyed diving the WWII wrecks and learning the history behind them.

The Palau diving roster includes drifts, walls, wrecks, spawning aggregations, underwater caves, blue holes, shark dives and shallow macro sites. Three dives top the list, and I remember them as some of my all-time favorites.

This had to be my favorite dive ever. The corner is a triangular rock terrace that juts out from the reef slope. The site is washed by nutrient-rich tidal currents that attract swirling schools of barracuda and jacks, rays, bumphead parrotfish, Napoleon wrasses, green and hawksbill turtles, Giant trevallies and sharks. The reef sharks are the consistent stars of the show, and there's a possibility of seeing hammerhead, tiger and bull sharks.

Divers can linger to take in the energy of the site by hooking in. Profiles begin with an up-current drop and a drift to the ledge to deploy a reef hook tether. This allows you to hold position in the current without swimming, and hooks are set in a secure, non-living piece of the seabed to avoid any damage to the corals. Just being hooked on the ledge and enjoying the show and the incredible diversity of marine life was something I’ll never forget.

Diving with manta rays at German Cut is one of Palau's A-list experiences. This man-made channel through the barrier reef exchanges plankton-rich waters that draw the rays, and they come not only for the nutritional slurry but also for parasite removal at cleaning stations located at the mouth of the channel. We found lots of sharks, turtles and big schools of jacks, trevallies and snappers, plus beautiful hard and soft corals.

There were no mantas on the day we visited the site in mid-March. A dive master from Sam’s Tours told me that November to early March is prime manta season, so we may have been a bit late, or maybe it was just one of those days. Mantas would have been the icing on the cake, but it was still an amazing adventure.

Anyone who likes drift dives will love Ulong Channel. It's best dove on an incoming tide, which pulls clear ocean waters into the lagoon through the narrow pass. You start with a drop outside the cut and spend the first part of the dive gliding over a seabed that holds a menagerie of macro subjects. As you get close to the channel entrance you’ll be joined by grey reef and white-tip sharks, large schools of barracudas, jacks, snappers, groupers, coral trout, spotted eagle rays and turtles.

The site's shallow depth allows plenty of bottom time to set a reef hook and take in the marine life  action. Things get even more interesting when you unhook and are carried into the channel to glide between tall walls encrusted with all types of hard and soft corals, including one of the largest known patches of lettuce coral. It's nature's equivalent of a theme park ride, and it was one of my most memorable dives ever.

We spent five nights at Palau Pacific Resort, which is an absolutely beautiful property where you feel like you are in a rainforest with birds chirping and colorful flowers everywhere. The property is spread out enough so that no space ever feels crowded. You can’t beat what it has to offer: tennis courts, hiking trails, a gorgeous white-sand beach, a fantastic house reef for snorkeling/diving, a spa, infinity pool with Jacuzzi, activity center, gym, large gift shop, fish ponds, an orchid nursery and a new nature center.

Palau Pacific Resort offers both upscale and casual dining options, along with a beachside BBQ, beer garden, snack bar and options for private dining experiences. Shuttle buses and taxis provide access to the shops and restaurants of downtown Koror's shops and restaurants, some of which provide a free pickup service. We took advantage of this service for a fabulous meal and ocean views at Elilai Seaside Dining, which is Palau's top-rated restaurant.

We spend the second half of our vacation at Palau Royal Resort. This property is located on the main road, close to both Sam's Tours and Fish n Fins dive operation, and less than a mile from downtown. Rooms offer harbor, garden and ocean views, and the grounds include a palm-lined crescent of white sand beach, spa, gym, tennis courts, and a waterfront pool and bar. The rooms are modern and well-maintained, the staff was hospitable and accommodating and the restaurant served an enticing mix of international and Asian menus.

We were impressed by the service and friendliness of the staff at Sam’s Tours.  The dive center has everything you could want, including warm showers, WiFi access, an expansive photo and video center and an on-site restaurant and cafe. Nitrox is provided at no additional cost, and you are welcome to make unlimited shore dives on their house reef. Because Palau's top dive sites are well to the south, dive operators prefer small, fast boats, which has the advantage of limiting group size.

It's typically a 45–60-minute boat ride to the sites through the scenery of the Rock Islands. Between dives, you may spend surface intervals on a deserted beach. Boats leave around 9 am and return between 2 and 3 pm. A third afternoon dive may be offered to a closer site such as one of the many war wrecks found in these waters. Sam's also offers guided kayak excursions to the Rock Islands and land tours of historic sites.

Fish 'n fins is Palau's other top-ranked dive operation. In business since 1993, the dive center sits within a small bay on one of the Rock Islands, with a house reef that includes a small WWII wreck and resident mandarin fish. House reef dives are free to customers. A fleet of 11 outboard-powered speedboats in the 30-foot range are fitted with forward-facing seats, dry boxes and sun protection. The center includes changing, storage and shower facilities, a boutique and a dockside restaurant.  Divers are provided with free Nitrox and can choose between 10-, 12- and 15-liter tanks.  Fish 'n Fins also supports technical divers and rebreather divers.

If you are ready to plan your own Palau dream dive vacation, be sure to contact me or one of my fellow Caradonna agents. We can create the ideal itinerary, have the latest word on specials and promotions, and can build the most convent and cost-effective stay & dive packages. This experience was shared by our Caradonna Senior Agent Kim Mackey.