Athletes have the Olympics. Climbers have Mt. Everest. Donald Trump has a wig (or does he?). Scuba divers have PALAU. It is the ecstasy of the diving community. If a movie fan cannot “officially” call himself a movie fan without watching The Dark Knight, then a diver cannot “officially” call himself a diver without diving in Palau. It is an archipelago of 343 islands that’s located southwest of Micronesia.

The beautiful islands of Palau

To say that Palau has a clean environment is like saying that Michael Jordan is pretty good at basketball. It is an understatement. That place is so clean; your nose pickings would be considered as “a hazardous waste to the area”. Observing the scenery of Palau will give you the impression that it remains untouched by both Mother Nature and littering, irresponsible, human beings. Just imagine, the water has a visibility of 200 feet!

Underwater Heaven

Warm water- Doesn’t that sound awesome? Imagine a tub full of water that’s heated to the perfect temperature. Palau ain’t no tub, but it contains that temperature of water, and apparently some salt as well.

You’re in that perfect water, minding your own business, and then you start gliding. You are gently swept by the ocean’s currents. The influence of the current on your body acts as your own personal tour to Palau’s wonders. It is an enjoyable tour because (1) you don’t have to walk all the way and (2) you don’t have to hear that annoying old man with the map who asks all the obvious questions. “Yes Sir, that is, indeed, a shark. No Sir, it will not swallow you alive.”

Now, you’re out there, living the diver’s dream, enjoying your current and warm water. Asking for more would make you selfish, right? Well, you don’t have to, because “more” is everywhere. Throw a giant net on the waters of Palau, hoist it up a minute later, place your catch on a giant glass tank, and you’ve got enough fish to open Marine World. If you’re net is lucky enough, you might hear Zeus one day, screaming, “Where’s the Kraken?!”

A rich variety of a multitude of underwater creatures

Places to Go. Sights to See.

Pretty much everything about Palau is worth mentioning, but there are some that are the favorites of divers. The most requested dive site in all of Palau is the Blue Corner. I’m not sure which corner exactly it can be found. The name suggests, “Blue”, but the ocean is blue, and Palau is mostly ocean. I’m sure they have tour guides for that. Yes, those tours that do involve that annoying old man with the questions.

To those who are looking for more adventures, I give you Chandelier Cave. It is a cave system that’s located near the Rock Islands. It extends a few hundred meters under the islands of Palau. Why is it called Chandelier Cave, you may ask? You see, the stalactite formations are very unique. When observed closely, their shapes represent that of, guess what, a chandelier! My common sense applauds me.

And by the way, while you’re diving; the 200 feet visibility range might cause you to notice some moss-ridden vehicles on the bottom of the ocean. No, Palau doesn’t have underwater parking spaces. They are actually some of the wrecks from World War 2.

So there you have it: Palau! Indeed, it is quite and extraordinary and mandatory place for scuba divers worldwide. An experienced diver is sure to get my point. Those who do not should head for Palau immediately and go get it.

Expedition Fleet has a promo for it’s next live aboard diving cruise in Palau.

Interested parties can check out the Palau promo HERE