Sand Bar - Rock Islands

Sand Bar is one of those easy-going Palau dives we always recommend for an afternoon, especially if you’ve had a couple of ripping current dives earlier in the day. It’s pretty shallow, maybe 12-15 metres at its deepest point, mostly a sprawling sand flat with scattered coral heads. What we love about Sand Bar isn’t the big pelagics – you won’t find mantas here – it’s the sheer number of small, colourful reef fish going about their business. We’re talking about dozens of iridescent rainbow wrasse darting between the staghorn corals, and the way the blunt-head parrotfish graze, leaving little puffs of sand behind them. Keep your eyes peeled for the Moorea pygmygoby – they’re tiny, maybe a centimetre long, but their bright colours really pop against the sand. We’ve spent entire dives just tracking a single Martin's cowrie inching across a coral patch, or watching rock cod patiently waiting for a meal. It’s a site for slowing down. If you’re a photographer, particularly into macro, this is a goldmine. The light is fantastic for most of the day, but we find late morning, when the sun is high, really makes the colours sing. There’s usually little to no current here, making it perfect for lingering.

Location
Rock Islands, Palau, Central & South Pacific
Coordinates
7.270770, 134.244840

Marine Protected Area: Ngerumekaol Spawning Area

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

Nearest Dive Centres to Sand Bar

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

Recommended Packing List for Sand Bar

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