Diving in Palau

Central & South Pacific

4 regions

24 dive sites

Palau is a place where you really feel the ocean's power. We go for the pelagics, the sheer numbers of sharks, and those legendary drift dives. Head to Ngemelis for Blue Corner - hook in, watch the show of grey reefs and whitetips patrol, and then feel that exhilarating rush as the current picks you up. German Channel over in Peleliu is our pick for mantas, especially if you catch it during a rising tide; the visibility can be a bit variable but the encounters are consistently good. It's a year-round destination, but for calmer surface conditions and fewer divers, we lean towards the shoulder seasons, April-May or September-October.

Palau Dive Regions

4 diving areas in Palau

Ngemelis & Big Drop-off

Iconic wall dive dropping into the abyss with Napoleon wrasse, sharks, and brilliant coral. The Big Drop-off is one of Palau's most photographed sites.

Peleliu & Angaur

Peleliu and Angaur diving. This isn't for the faint of heart, but boy, do we love a good drift dive, and these channels deliver. Think serious current, the kind that whips you along, making you feel truly part of the ocean’s rhythm. It’s here you’ll find the big stuff: packs of grey reef sharks patrolling the drop-offs, barracuda swirling in massive schools, and yes, the occasional bull shark making a dramatic appearance from the blue. We’d suggest planning your dives around the tides; a good guide makes all the difference in navigating these waters safely. The visibility can be incredible, sometimes over 30 metres, letting you spot those shy Malabar groupers lurking in the deeper pockets. Our favourite site often involves a hook-in, just to hang back and watch the parade of pelagics go by, the sound of the current rushing past your ears almost deafening. This is raw, unadulterated Palau diving. It’s fast, exhilarating, and leaves you buzzing long after you’ve surfaced.

3 dive sites

Rock Islands

The Rock Islands. Just the name conjures up those iconic mushroom-shaped islets, carved by millennia of waves, standing sentinel over some truly spectacular diving. We’ve logged more than a few hours here and still find ourselves craning our necks on the surface and craning our necks underwater. It’s the sheer scale that gets you - those towering walls plummeting into the deep, often bathed in a current that’s perfect for a drift. Blue Corner is, of course, the star, and we love it for its reliable shark action. Not just a couple, but grey reefs, white-tips, sometimes even a hammerhead if you’re lucky enough to catch the right conditions. Hang on to your reef hook and watch the show. German Channel is our pick for mantas, especially during the new moon when they gather to feed and clean. You can often feel the slight temperature drop as they glide past, a cool whisper in the water. Beyond the big stuff, the walls themselves are plastered in colour, a living canvas of soft corals and anemones. Look closer, and you’ll find smaller wonders like the impossibly vibrant Marshall Dottyback or the oddly charming Crazy Fish. We always suggest an early morning dive at Ulong Channel; the light, filtering through the water, is just magical, and the currents tend to be a little calmer, offering a more relaxed drift past patrolling barracuda and snapper. Strong currents are a given in places, so be ready for that, but it’s precisely what brings in the pelagics.

21 dive sites

Ulong Channel

A famous drift dive through a channel connecting the lagoon to the open ocean. Sharks, turtles, and eagle rays patrol the current-swept passage.