Blue Corner - Rock Islands
Blue Corner. Just saying the name brings a smile to any diver who’s been lucky enough to clip in there. This isn’t a leisurely drift, it’s a full-on immersion into the pelagic highway, a proper adrenaline shot. We love the feeling of hanging on the reef hook, watching the show unfold in front of you. Schools of barracuda swirl past, sometimes so many they turn the water silver. Grey reef sharks patrol the drop-off, a constant presence, sometimes coming so close you can count their gills. What makes Blue Corner so special, for us, is that feeling of being an observer in a truly wild place. The sheer volume of fish is astounding. We’ve seen entire walls of fusiliers, so thick they momentarily block out the sun, only to part for a passing Napoleon wrasse. Look out for the Golden-girdled Coralfish darting amongst the coral, or a stealthy Twinspot Hawkfish perched, waiting. The current can be strong, often ripping, which is exactly why everything is here. It’s definitely not for beginners, and we always suggest a thorough briefing on current diving and reef hook technique before you even think about dropping in. Our favourite approach is to dive it at an incoming tide for maximum action, but be ready for a lively ride. If you're after big fish action and don't mind a bit of a workout, Blue Corner is your spot.
- Location
- Rock Islands, Palau, Central & South Pacific
- Coordinates
- 7.134322, 134.221310
Marine Protected Area: Ngemelis Island Complex
Best Time to Dive in Rock Islands
The warmest water temperatures in Rock Islands occur in October, averaging 30.0°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 28.4°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.8°C
- February: 28.4°C
- March: 28.8°C
- April: 29.3°C
- May: 29.8°C
- June: 29.9°C
- July: 29.8°C
- August: 29.7°C
- September: 29.9°C
- October: 30.0°C
- November: 29.9°C
- December: 29.6°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Rock Islands
- Big Drop Off - 20-40m (wall)
- Blue Corner (and Blue Holes)
- Blue Holes
- Chandelier Cave (cave)
- Chandelier Caves - 34m to 98m
- Chuyo Maru (wreck)
- German Channel - 21m (drift)
- Helmet Wreck - 34m to 98m (wreck)
- Iro - 16-131ft (5-40m) (wreck)
- Iro Maru Wreck Palau - 27m (wreck)
- Jake SeaPlane (wreck)
- Jellyfish Lake - Ongeim’l Tketau - 12m
- Lighthouse Channel (drift)
- Mandarinfish Lake - 16-131ft (5-40m)
- MT ARAYAT - 0m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Blue Corner
Marine Life in Rock Islands
Home to 198 recorded species including 171 reef fish, 15 sea cucumbers, 4 clams & mussels, 4 sea snails & nudibranchs, 2 starfish, 1 sea urchins.
Notable Species
- Boring Clam (Tridacna crocea) - Clams & Mussels
- Small giant clam (Tridacna maxima) - Clams & Mussels
- Black sea cucumber (Holothuria atra) - Sea Cucumbers
- Orange-lined Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus) - Reef Fish
- Pinkfish (Holothuria edulis) - Sea Cucumbers
- Saddleback Butterflyfish (Chaetodon ephippium) - Reef Fish
- Greenfish (Stichopus chloronotus) - Sea Cucumbers
- Bristle-toothed Surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus striatus) - Reef Fish
- Burrowing urchin (Echinometra mathaei) - Sea Urchins
- Bullethead Parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) - Reef Fish
- Tigerfish (Bohadschia argus) - Sea Cucumbers
- Threadfin (Chaetodon auriga) - Reef Fish
- Telescopefish (Epibulus insidiator) - Reef Fish
- Banded Goatfish (Parupeneus multifasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Kihikihi (Zanclus cornutus) - Reef Fish
- Banded maori wrasse (Cheilinus fasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Sunburst Butterflyfish (Chaetodon kleinii) - Reef Fish
- Curryfish (Stichopus vastus) - Sea Cucumbers
- Butterfly fish (Chaetodon vagabundus) - Reef Fish
- Honeycomb Grouper (Epinephelus merra) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Blue Corner
Based on average water temperature of 29.5°C, currents 13 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 30°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories