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Blue Corner 37 Images A vertical reef wall that runs south to north parallel to Ngemelis Island. The reef then turns toward the open sea, creating a plateau at 45 to 60 feet (15 to 20 meters). The wall drops from 30 to 1000 feet (10 to 330meters) or more and is covered with large variety of giant Gorgonian sea fans, hard corals and soft corals. Massive coral heads and rocks are scattered throughout the sandy patches. The flat coral plateau on the west drops gently from 45 to 60 feet (15 to 20 meters) with colonies of cabbage corals as well as many varieties of hard and soft corals.
Most dive magazines rate the Blue Corner as the single best dive in the world. The formation of the reef, sheer walls and the large number of schooling fish make it a truly unique experience. There are three mooring buoys located along the reef. The eastern buoy, the central buoy and the western buoy. You can dive this site from two different directions, depending on the current. Generally, divers will begin the dive while their boat is moored to either the eastern or western buoy.
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Blue Hole 12 Images The Blue Holes are probably the next most popular site in Palau, after Blue Corner. The dive at the Blue Holes usually starts by swimming over the shallow reef and descending through one of the four holes on top of the reef. The cavern is large and is usually flooded with rays of light…. a spectacular sight. Each hole on the ceiling appears as if it was painted light blue and the very large opening to the west is a deep dark blue. Spend some time in the cave and enjoy the sight of it before swimming out toward Blue Corner. On your way out of the cavern, keep the wall to your left; you will pass beautiful canyons and crevices full of color and rich with marine life. At the corner hook yourself on to the reef and watch the sharks playing in the current.
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German Channel 24 Images German Channel is a cut through the western barrier reef between Ngemelis Island and the shallow reef that stretches north of Ngercheu Island (Carp Island) and was done during the German occupation (1899 to 1914) of the islands. The channel connects the inner lagoon with the open ocean. The open ocean floor, between the two islands, rises sharply from 1000' (330 m) to 120 feet (40 m) and than gradually to 30 feet (10 meters). The northern and eastern slopes that border the diving areas are covered with large variety of hard corals. The mouth of the channel has a sandy bottom spotted with numerous coral heads and coral formations.
German channel is known for Manta Rays, schooling sharks and an abundance of tropical fish. Almost every form of marine life can be seen here. Thousands of jacks will school here along with barracudas, trevaly and snappers of numerous species. The sandy bottom is home to garden eels, blind Gobies and Mantis shrimps, to name but a few. During the incoming tide Manta Rays can often be seen inside the shallow channel. In the late afternoon, the Manta's can usually be found feeding on plankton and krill at the mouth of the channel. Reef sharks are also known to come to the cleaning station at the mouth of the channel.
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Jellyfish Lake 23 Images Jellyfish Lake, or Ongeim’l Tketau as it is called in Palauan, is one of approximately 70 marine lakes scattered throughout the limestone “rock islands” of the southern portion of the main Palau archipelago. Like most marine lakes, Ongeim’l Tketau is accessible only by traversing a ridge, which separates the lake from the surrounding lagoon. The trail is short (less than 1/4 of a mile) with a relatively steep but invigorating middle section; rope guides highlight the path and provide added stability on the rocky terrain. Visitors emerge from the jungle onto a wooden dock situated in the northwest corner of the lake. The golden jellyfish (Mastigias sp.), for which the lake is famous, typically can be seen by swimming out of the channel in front of the dock and heading toward the center of the lake.
Like all of the marine lakes, Ongeim’l Tketau, can be thought of as a young lake in an old rock island. Palau’s remarkable rock islands formed millions of years ago as tectonic forces slowly pushed coral reef out of the ocean, creating land with the topographical characteristics of reefs: a complex network of high ridges and steep faces interspersed with depressions, all formed of limestone now perforated by channels and fissures. The marine lakes are the product of the porous nature of the islands in relation to height of the surrounding ocean (sea level), which, over the last 25,000 years, has changed profoundly in response to changes in the earth’s climate. During the earth’s most recent glacial period, approximately 20,000 years ago, vast amounts of water formed massive glaciers, and, consequently, sea level was 330 feet (100 m) lower than today. As climate warmed subsequently, the glaciers gradually melted returning water to the seas. Approximately 10 to 12,000 years ago, sea level reached a sufficient height to flood the channels and fissures of the rock islands, creating marine lakes in depressions within the islands. The marine lakes remain connected to the sea and, on a daily basis, the influence of sea level on the lakes can be witnessed as the tides rise and fall within the lakes in response to tidal changes in the surrounding lagoon.
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