Palau Siren
The Worldwide Dive and Sail team is preparing to welcome you aboard the S/Y Palau Siren, their luxury liveaboard dive boat that promises scuba divers an amazing 7- or 10-night scuba diving vacation if you travel to the beautiful island nation of Palau. Currently under construction, the S/Y Palau Siren is being built in the tradition of an Indonesian Phinisi. It will offer amazing year round scuba diving excursions, each designed to maximize your diving opportunities in Palau, named one of the Seven Wonders of the Underwater World. The S/Y Palau Siren is scheduled to launch in July 2012.
Palau’s warm waters make for an ideal marine environment, and present opportunities for an amazing variety of diving and snorkeling adventures. Located in the Pacific Ocean, Palau is some 500 miles (805 km) east of the Philippines, 900 miles (1,449 km) southwest of Guam, and 2,000 miles (3,200 km) south of Tokyo, Japan. It is made up of six main islands, and the coastline is dotted with approximately 200 other limestone rock islands.
Spectacular scenery both above and under the crystal clear water provide an abundance of photo and video opportunities. Unspoiled spectacular reefs, caves, sheer walls, and blue holes await you, all teeming with aquatic treasures such as lush, soft corals and huge anemones, jellyfish, and sharks. Adding to the diversity and thrill of your Palau adventure are remnants of World War II wrecks. Above water, white sandy beaches, rainforest foliage, waterfalls, azure lagoons, and the world-famous jelly fish lake all combine to make this an unparalleled vacation experience.
The Palau excursion will depart from Koror. Drift diving is the norm, and divers can expect to see a variety of marine life, including reef sharks, Manta Rays, Eagle Rays, Napoleon Wrasse, Batfish, and large schools of Jacks and Barracudas. The itinerary includes diving wrecks at Malakal Harbor and traveling on to the Ulong Channel, Ngerchong Island, German Channel, and Peleliu Island. The 10-night itinerary takes guests diving at the remote islands of Angaur and Badeldaob. Some of the dive sites you will visit include Blue Corner, German Channel, the Iro Wreck, and Peleliu Cut.
One of the most requested dive sites in Palau is the world famous Blue Corner dive site, with its ridge that jets out to the ocean and then drops thousands of feet to the dark blue depths. The strong, unpredictable currents make this an advanced dive. Diving to approximately 90 feet (27 m.), you will see beautiful Gorgonian Fans, Eels, Soft Corals, and Anemones along the wall. Gray Reef Sharks also cruise these waters. Large Napoleon Wrasses and Eagle Rays come to feed on the smaller fish and other marine organisms. You may also encounter White-tipped Sharks and schools of Barracuda, Black Snappers, and Jacks darting through the water. The best diving here occurs between 50 and 82 feet (15-25 m.). For the best chance to enjoy all the shark action, you will want to use a reef hook at this site.
During their occupation of Palau from 1899 to 1914 the Germans blasted and dredged through the barrier reef between islands for shipping mined phosphate to town. Today, the dive site known as German Channel funnels the incoming and outgoing tides from an inner lagoon to the ocean. At the mouth of this channel photo opportunities abound, which is home to virtually every form of marine life, including Manta Rays, Jacks, Barracudas, Trevally Fish, and Snappers. At the outside mouth of the channel there is also a cleaning station where Reef Sharks and Manta Rays gather to allow cleaner Wrasses and Butterfly Fish to do their work. Diving at the cleaning station goes to approximately 50 feet (15 m).
The Iro was a Japanese supply ship and fleet oiler that sank in 1944. Measuring 470 feet (143 m.), this ship rests upright at depths of 120 feet (40 m.). As you descend the mooring line the mounted gun, encrusted with corals and other marine life, is clearly visible. Visibility on the forward half of the wreck is usually better than it is for the aft section. While this is an easy and enjoyable dive, only those with intermediate to advanced wreck experience should penetrate the wreck. You can expect to see large Groupers and Batfish in these waters.
At the southern tip of Peleliu Island you will experience a fast paced drift dive where you will encounter a variety of large pelagic fish. Several species of Sharks as well as Barracuda, Tuna, Sweetlips, and schools of Snappers and Jacks all add to the excitement. Dropping to around 100 feet (30 m.) the vertical walls are covered with sponges and tube corals that attract Angel Fish and colorful Butterfly Fish. Look for Green and Hawksbill turtles too.
Palau has a tropical climate and is warm year round. Air temperatures can range from lows of 75°F (23.9°C) to highs of 88°F (31.1°C) with relative humidity around 82%. Water temperatures are also warm, averaging 82°F (28°C). May to October is Palau’s rainy season. Because of the number of dives you will be making each day, it is recommended that you wear a 3 mm. wetsuit. Up to four dives are scheduled each day. Qualified divers should bring their certification card and log book along with them. Scuba diving with the Worldwide Dive and Sail team is suitable for divers of all levels of experience, although Advanced Open Water diving certification may be recommended for some destinations that present strong currents. Alternate itineraries may be selected if weather conditions present unsafe or unsuitable diving conditions at your chosen dive site.
The Worldwide Dive and Sail team strives to provide scuba divers and vacationers with the safest, highest quality and most innovative liveaboard experience possible. In addition to unmatched scuba diving, guests aboard the S/Y Palau Siren will enjoy amazing photography and video opportunities, excellent accommodations, and delicious meals as part of their vacation package. Worldwide Dive and Sail dive boat excursions afford guests both safety and comfort as they travel to some of the best diving locations in Palau.
