(831) 254-5001 Wendy@snorkelingetc.com

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Palau Liveaboard Snorkel Adventure February 18-26, 2023

February 18, 2023 - February 26, 2023

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.

February is an ideal ideal month to snorkel Palau.  It’s mating season for the majestic manta rays and a great time to encounter schools of jacks, snappers, parrot fish, butterfly fish, moorish idols and unicorn fish. 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. We’ll be in the right place at the right time to try to catch the show!

Palau also offers lots of unique marine experiences. We’ll check out Clam City, home to giant clams.  We’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.
And of course there is famed 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:
Saturday February 18  Upon arrival in Palau you’ll be met at the airport and transferred to the lovely and comfortable Cove Hotel.
Sunday February 19  Board the Rock Island Aggressor at 4:00pm.
The Rock Island Aggressor is a steel hull catamaran that measures 106 ft. long with a 30 ft. beam. One big advantage of our live-aboard is her shallow draft. Our boat can cruise through the German channel while other boats must take a longer route around.  The Rock Island holds 18 passengers. 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 80-82F. A full body rash guard plus a 3mm shorty wetsuit is recommended water wear.

Sunday February 19 -Saturday February 25   Our snorkel explorations will take us to the inner and outer reefs of Palau.
Our 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 us the privilege of dropping into prime snorkel locations early in the morning before land-based guests leave their resort and we are free to enjoy sunset snorkels until our stomachs grumble.  Our floating home will be nearby!

During our time in the water we’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.
We’ll definitely be checking out German Channel in hopes of being fortunate enough for bait ball encounters.

Ulong 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 February 25 The Rock Island Aggressor returns to Koror in the afternoon after a long morning snorkel session.
We’ll have a group dinner at a local restaurant in the evening and then we return to the Rock Island Aggressor for our last night on board.

Sunday February 26  After breakfast disembark the Rock Island Aggressor by 8:00am.
For your convenience, you are confirmed in a day room for February 26th as most flights leave late at night.
Should you prefer, you may choose to fly onward late night of the 25th since we’ll be in port that evening.

PRICING:
DELUXE CABIN PRICING:
$4850.00 per person based on double occupancy.
$7950.00 single occupancy in a deluxe cabin.
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.

STANDARD CABIN PRICING:
$4350.00 per person based on double occupancy.
$7550.00 single occupancy in a standard cabin. 
En-suite Double cabin with A/C is a smaller cabin approx 12.6″ x 6.9″ located on the dive deck.
Bedding is a lower and upper double bed. There is a port hole window in the door looking onto the dive deck.

The Palau trip is currently sold out. To be waitlisted, please contact Wendy@SnorkelingEtc.com

PRICE INCLUDES:
♦ Airport transfers on group arrival and departure days
♦ Accommodations at the Cove Hotel in Koror on February 18, 2023
♦ 7 nights aboard the Rock Island Aggressor including snorkel excursions and meals February 19-26, 2023.
♦ Day room in at the Cove hotel Koror on February 26
♦ Port fee of $240.00 per person

PRICE EXCLUDES:
♦ International Airfare
♦ Liveaboard imposed fuel surcharge
♦ Travel Insurance
♦ Personal Expenses
♦ Gratuities

I hope you can join this awesome snorkel adventure and experience the amazing beauty of Palau!
Please contact me with any questions or to request an application.

 

 

 

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

 

Details

Start:
February 18, 2023
End:
February 26, 2023
Contact me for more information or for an application:
Wendy Simon, C.T.C.
831-254-5001
Wendy@snorkelingetc.com