by Eirin FondalIn mid March, 15 excited divers from Pro Dive went to explore the underwater world of Palau-Micronesia. Awaiting us was a magical place with adrenalin filled dives over big drop-offs, hosting a wealth of marine biodiversity. Schools of Barracuda and Trevally hovered around us, whilst Whitetip Reef Sharks circled with curiosity.
Situated North west of Papua New Guinea, in the middle of the vast blue Pacific is the Republic of Palau. This small island nation is renowned for having some of the most pristine reefs in the world. The Blue Hole and German Channel are just some of the dive sites Palau is famous for. These however, were only an introduction as to what Palau had in store for us. The Virgin Blue Hole and Ulong Channel amazed us with their beautiful Cabbage corals (as big as buses!) and Nudibranchs of all different sizes and colours. We even sighted a brightly coloured group of Leaf Scorpionfish.
During our last days we went to snorkel one of the “Jelly fish lakes”. These lakes are home to millions of jellies, the big, the small and even tiny cute ones. It was a great experience. Kayaking through a hidden network of marine lakes, tunnels, caverns, mangrove channels and tropical beaches, guided by professionals from Sam’s Tours we discovered that Palau is just as amazing above the surface as below. The guides were very knowledgeable and expressed such passion and pride for the natural wonders of their community in a way I have never experienced. Some of the group went on a Helicopter tour to see Palau from the air. Not only did they get some fantastic photos of the famous rocky islands, but they also saw a family of four Dugongs and a Manta with a wingspan over 5 meters!I will never forget how Palau, Sam’s tours staff and my fellow divers made this a memorable experience, one I can’t wait to do again. It should be on everyone’s “places to dive before you die” list.
