Diving Palau: what you need to know before you go

With the recently introduced Qantas flights, direct from Brisbane to Koror in 5.5 hours, it’s never been easier – or cheaper – to get to Palau.

These flights depart Brisbane early afternoon every Saturday, flying directly to Palau, returning to Brisbane the following Sunday morning. There is a range of dive liveaboards to choose from in Palau, and some, such as Ocean Hunter III, are altering their schedules to suit the flights.

Dive/Stay Packages

Land based

The cheaper way to snorkel and dive Palau is to start with a prepaid Dive/Stay package and add to it if necessary. Dive centres in Palau include Neco Marine, Sams Tours and Fish’n Fins – we can package these centres with a wide range of accommodation. Choose from a broad selection of hotels, from Budget to Luxury. If you are travelling solo you may need to pay a single supplement. Top Tip: Dive centres will pick up from all accommodation options in Koror, and there are a few (such as the Palau Royal and The Cove) that are within walking distance.

Liveaboards

There is a decent choice of liveaboards in Palau, ranging in pricing, and style, from the traditional Phinisi-style schooner, the Palau Siren and the boutique Ocean Hunter III, to the large and luxurious Black Pearl.

Take a look at the selection of dive centres and liveaboards in the right hand column -> ->

When to Dive Palau

The visibility is pretty amazing all year round, but whilst it is often 40m+ (aside from the wreck dives) during July to Sept it can drop to around 15-20m due to heavier rains and stronger winds. Though you can dive in Palau all year round the best conditions exist between November and April.

There are exciting marine events throughout the year that happen in the lead up to full moon and new moon weeks, including mass snapper spawnings, bumphead parrot fish spawning and even Moorish idol spawning aggregations – we can help you time your trip to witness these unique events.

What can you expect to see?

If you like ‘Big Stuff’, Palau is the capital of big stuff. These fiercely protected waters are home to a healthy population of pelagic marine life – sharks, mantas – and lots of exciting sexy underwater events. It’s one of the best places in the world to dive with sharks, mantas and big schools of pelagic fish including Jacks, barracuda, snapper and bump head parrot fish.

But wait! There’s more!

For lovers of rust, Palau’s lagoons (and jungles) are littered with WWII wreckage, including a few, largely intact planes.

Sharks, sharks and more sharks…

And then there’s natural wonders like Jellyfish Lake

And the magnificent Chandelier Cave.