Sam's Tours - Rock Islands
The team at Sam’s Tours are the kind of people you want leading your dives in Palau. We’ve spent enough time in the Rock Islands to know that while the diving is always incredible, the right operation can make it truly seamless. Sam’s consistently delivers that. They really shine when it comes to their detailed dive briefings – not just about the site, but explaining the currents, the best places to hang out for sharks, and how to approach the specific topography. We always appreciate a good briefing, and theirs are spot on. What we love most about Sam’s is their knack for hitting the spots at exactly the right time. We’ve been on trips where we arrived at Blue Corner just as the grey reef sharks started their patrol, or found the manta rays at German Channel feeding in a gentle current, not a washing machine. Their boats are quick, their gear well-maintained, and the guides know every nook and cranny of these reefs. If you’re looking to focus purely on the diving – those exhilarating drifts, the vibrant health of the reefs, the sheer number of pelagics – Sam’s makes it easy. They’re PADI through and through, offering everything from Open Water up to Instructor level, but we think their real strength is catering to experienced divers who want to maximise their bottom time on Palau’s epic walls and channels. They’re a solid choice for a serious dive trip.
- Location
- Rock Islands, Palau, Central & South Pacific
- Coordinates
- 7.338436, 134.454380
- Phone
- +(680) 488-7267
- [email protected]
- Website
- http://www.samstours.com/
- Certification Agencies
- PADI
- Courses
- PADI Courses, Dive Master Internship, Instructor Development Course
- Equipment Rental
- yes
Dive Sites Near Sam's Tours
Sam's Tours provides access to 15 dive sites in Rock Islands.
- Big Drop Off - 20-40m (wall)
- Blue Corner
- 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)
Other Dive Centres in Rock Islands
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
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 Marine Life
- 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
Recommended Packing List for Rock Islands
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