Diving Palau
Palau is one of the most extraordinary diving spots in the world. Palau’s profuse, unspoiled reefs offer a wealth of marine life, coral formations and wrecks. Dives begin in knee-deep water and plunge straight down to depths of 1000 feet and more. Blue holes, huge caverns and an immense variety of rare and exotic marine species are easily accessible. Vast numbers, not found anywhere else in the world, of large pelagic predators, sharks, turtles, dolphins, and many species of migratory fish gather at a unique crossroads of three of the world’s major ocean currents. Land locked marine lakes, accessible from the sea through tunnels beneath the island’s steep shorelines, are home to rare jellyfish, anemones, and soft corals.
Best time to dive
There’s little difference between the wet and dry season, although January to March is considered the most comfortable season because of lower humidity and slightly cooler temperatures. Although visibility is slightly reduced by run-off during the July to October monsoons, the wind is also milder during this season, producing flatter seas.
Visibility
Visibility averages 100 to 200+ feet.
Water temperatures
Water temperature averages 80 to 86 °F.
Weather and climate
Palau enjoys a pleasantly warm climate all year round with an annual mean temperature of 82° degrees F. Rainfall can occur throughout the year, and the annual average is 150 inches. The average relative humidity is 82%, and although rain falls more frequently between July and October, there is still much sunshine. Typhoons are rare as Palau is located outside the typhoon zone.
Language
English, Palauan, and Japanese
Passport/Visa requirements
Proof of citizenship (passport or birth certificate) by U.S. citizens is required. Visas are not required. Non-U.S. citizens must have a valid passport. All visitors must have return travel arrangements or approval by the Chief of Immigration for an extended stay.
Currency
U.S. Dollar – Get exchange rates at http://www.xe.com/ucc/
Electrical current
Standard 110 volt and U.S. type outlets are used.
Capital
Koror
General information
The banana-shaped Palau Islands group – part of the western Caroline Islands – lies at the far western end of Micronesia in the Philippine Sea. A tightly bunched archipelago, Palau consists of the high islands of Babeldaob, Koror, Peleliu and Angaur; the low coral atolls of Kayangel and Ngeruangel; and the limestone Rock Islands, of which there are more than 200. Nearly all of the islands in the group sit inside a single barrier reef. The nation’s boundaries also encompass six small, isolated islands, collectively called the South-West Islands, which extend some 370 miles to the southwest, almost as far as Indonesia.
Map
Get a map of Palau from WorldAtlas.com.