(831) 254-5001 Wendy@snorkelingetc.com

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Palau Snorkel Adventure April 18-27, 2025

April 18, 2025 - April 27, 2025

Palau is a unique oasis, a self-contained, isolated archipelago located 900 miles southwest of Guam and 400 miles south of Yap, at the westernmost edge of Micronesia.
Palau is just  175 square miles but it’s jam packed with marine biodiversity with over 1500 species of fish and 700 corals and anemones.

The iconic Rock Islands are the backdrop for our snorkeling adventure. The dramatic mushroom-shaped limestone formations are covered in rain forest foliage. The islands are surrounded by warm, tropical water with spectacular reefs, walls and shallow wrecks, making Palau a snorkeler’s paradise.

April is an ideal ideal month to snorkel Palau.  It’s a great time to encounter schools of jacks, snappers, parrot fish, butterfly fish, moorish idols and unicorn fish. Manta Rays, turtles, sharks, giant napoleon wrasses, eagle rays and barracuda are often seen as well.

This voyage takes place during a new moon allowing us the opportunity to unique activities that only happen during this time.
Early in the morning, in a remote location, hundreds of bumphead parrot fish congregate to spawn. Males begin a display of dominance to attract as many mating partners as possible. The females gather in large numbers and then bam! The tension erupts into a climatic mating dance. No guarantees, but you’ll be in the right place at the right time to try to catch the show!

Palau is one of the few places in the world where you can safely swim in a jellyfish lake, find mandarin fish and see giant clams.
You’ll snorkel Mandarin Fish Lake, home to the gorgeous, frustratingly elusive mandarin fish. The little devils love to play hide and seek while you try to photograph them. Another highlight is a visit to Jellyfish Lake.

Jellyfish Lake is so remarkable. It’s an indescribable sensation to swim through thousands of silky-soft, stingless jellyfish.
And for a bit of fun we’ll visit Milky Way. Locals claim the white limestone mud makes you look 10 years younger.
Maybe, maybe not but it’s certainly fun to see.

ITINERARY:
Friday April 18  Upon arrival in Palau you’ll be met at the airport and transferred to the lovely and comfortable Cove Hotel.
Saturday April 19 This is a free day to enjoy exploring the town of Koror, relax around the pool, or take an optional kayak tour.
A kayak tour is a fabulous day to spend the day.  It’s an exciting educational experience with a balanced mix of paddling, snorkeling, birding, and exploring in Palau’s diverse biological environment. Group dinner this evening at 6pm.

Sunday April 20  Depart the hotel after breakfast for a fascinating tour of Babeldaob, the largest island in Palau.
Babeldaob is one of the most undeveloped populated islands in the Pacific. You’ll enjoy the beautiful countryside and a waterfall.  Archaeological highlights include the Stone Faces of Ngarchelong, the ancient Stone Monoliths, and the mysterious terraced hillsides.
The tour will bring you back to the Cove hotel in time to board the Rock Island Aggressor at 4:00pm.

The Palau Aggressor II is a steel hull catamaran that measures 106 ft. long with a 30 ft. beam. One big advantage of the Aggressor live-aboard is her shallow draft.  This vessel can cruise through the German channel while other boats must take a longer route around.  The Aggressor holds 18 passengers.

The comfortable en-suite Deluxe cabins with A/C are approx. 12′ x 8’5″ feet with a picture window facing the water.
Bedding is a lower queen bed and an upper single bed. All cabins have air conditioning, private toilets, showers, sinks, towels and hair dryers.

Meals include breakfast (cooked to order), buffet lunch and chef prepared meals at dinner, and fresh mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks. The Aggressor has several very wonderful amenities like fluffy bathrobes in the cabin, coffee delivered to your cabin in the morning and local wine and beer included with dinner.

Snorkels are made from an 18-passenger dive skiff, which is lowered into the water by a hydraulic cradle. How nifty is that!
Expect day time temps to be around 86F and water temp to be between 80-83F. A full body rash guard plus a 3mm shorty wetsuit is recommended water wear.

Monday April 21 -Saturday April 26  Your snorkel explorations will take you to the inner and outer reefs of Palau.
The day to day itinerary will be weather and tide dependent and may include Ulong Channel, German Channel, Blue Corner, Ngemelis Reef, Mandarin Fish Lake and famed Jellyfish Lake.

Snorkeling from a liveaboard allows you the privilege of dropping into prime snorkel locations first thing in the morning and right until dark.
If the mantas are barrel-rolling in the German channel at sunset, you’ll be right there and your floating home is always nearby!

During your time in the water you’ll experience a range of underwater habitats including shallow reefs, walls, wrecks and exciting channels.
A highlight of the trip will be looking for the dramatic action of a bait ball in the German Channel.
During an incoming current tons of nutrients are swept into the channel. This infusion of plankton brings in school after school of fish.
This extraordinary aggregation of small fish is bait for ocean predators. Picture a flash mob of fish!

Layers of fusiliers, black snappers, jacks and unicorn fish all swirling around obscuring your vision in the most wonderful way.
Below, graceful reef sharks happy to be invited to the dinner party.
Often mantas swoop to join the food orgy.  On previous trips we’ve seen up to seven Mantas performing an underwater ballet.
It’s poetry in motion as they glide in formation and somersault (called “barrel rolling”) near the surface.
Time will definitely be spent checking out German Channel in hopes of being fortunate enough for bait ball encounters. Channel is another vibrant channel with turtles, sharks, schools of jacks and black snappers.

Big Drop off and Blue Corner are other awesome snorkel sites where pelagics can often be seen.

Saturday April 26 The Palau Aggressor II returns to Koror in the afternoon after a long morning snorkel session.
You’ll have time to explore Koror during the afternoon and enjoy dinner in Koror.
After dinner you will return to the Aggressor for your last night on board.

Sunday April 27  After breakfast disembark the Palau Aggressor II by 8:00am.
For your convenience you are confirmed in a day room on April 27 as most flights leave late at night.

TRIP COSTS:
$5825 PER PERSON BASED ON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY.
ONE CABIN AVAILABLE!  Contact Wendy@SnorkelingEtc.com 

PRICE INCLUDES:
♦  Airport transfers on group arrival and departure days
♦  April 18-20, 2025, Two nights Rock Island view room at the Cove Hotel (upgrade to poolside room available)
♦  April 19 and April 26 Group dinners in Koror
♦  April 20, 2025. Guided cultural and nature tour of Babeldaob island.
♦  April 20-27, 2025, Seven nights aboard the Palau Aggressor II in a deluxe cabin
♦  Snorkel excursions and meals on board the Palau Aggressor II
♦  April 27, 2025 Marina View day room at the Cove hotel Koror
♦  Port and park fees of $240.00 per person

PRICE EXCLUDES:
♦  International Airfare
♦  Travel Insurance
♦  Personal Expenses
♦  Gratuities

TRIP LEADERS: Carol May and Chris Wilkinson:

Carol and Chris are recently retired science teachers. Their background in marine biology gives them a deep understanding and appreciation of the marine environment. They are certified marine mammal naturalists and have 20 years guiding and organizing multi-day outdoor expeditions.

They are passionate about snorkeling and adventure travel.  They look forward to returning to Palau, one of their favorite destinations. Since 2013, Chris and Carol traveled with Wendy and Snorkeling Etc over a dozen times. Snorkeling Etc travelers have had the privilege of having Chris and Carol as trip leaders on multiple trips throughout Indonesia.

Chris and Carol are avid and skilled photographers, especially when it comes to underwater photography. Carol’s photography has been recognized in several publications, including the journal of Wildlife photography. Chris is a devoted GoPro user with a special focus on pelagics. If you have an interest in photography their passion and skill will add an extra dimension to the trip.
They are excited to meet you and accompany you on this unforgettable adventure.
Chris and Carol live on Vancouver Island, Canada and enjoy their free time mountain biking and hiking with their two golden retrievers, Murphy and Addie.

We hope you can join this unique and incredible adventure.
For more information contact: carol.may@icloud.com or Wendy@Snorkelingetc.com 

Happy Snorkeling!

 

 

 

 

Wendy Simon/Snorkeling Etc. Inc.
CEO and fellow snorkel addict
Santa Cruz, CA.
831 254-5001
Wendy@SnorkelingEtc.com

 

Details

Start:
April 18, 2025
End:
April 27, 2025
Contact me for more information or for an application:
Wendy Simon, C.T.C.
831-254-5001
Wendy@snorkelingetc.com