We dove with Sam's Dive Tours,  a terrific outfit located in western Koror.  They picked us up at our hotel every morning at 8:30 and shuttled us to their marina.  They have an extensive amount of rental gear available and a well provisioned dive shop, though we chose to bring our own gear.  They also have an outdoor bar that offers cold beer and light meals.  The view from the marina (pictured above) is very nice.  We dove from 30 ft. dive boats that could take about 16 divers, though I don't think we ever had more than 8.  The boats are comfortable, clean and fast, going 30 knots. They're in very good condition. 

Each morning we would ride for an hour or so through the calm waters of the Rock
Islands to get to the first dive site.  The trips were a treat in an of themselves.

The Rock Islands (and just about all the islands in Palau for that matter) are like something out of a Steven Spielberg movie, rising out of the turquoise waters, covered in lush, green vegetation.  They could come off the cover of a Yes album. 

I'm not usually a big fan of long boat rides but on these I had no complaints (keep your eye out for Homer Simpson island, which is pictured below.... I guarantee you'll laugh when you see it).  

After the first dive we would take a break and have lunch, which consisted of sandwiches made to order (very good) or a Bento box (asian plate) that won rave reviews from all concerned.  Soft drinks and water were also provided.  After lunch and the surface interval we motored to the second dive site.  On most days we did a third dive.

Sam's tries to keep you with the same dive guide.  We were lucky to have Omer, a Filipino from Palawan island who kept us informed and entertained. He did a terrific job and did it with a smile. 

Jonathon, a native Palauan, drove the boat.  He also dove a few times.  He's also very funny.  He extolled the virtues of betel nut, but won few converts. 

Ocassionally we'd be joined by another driver, but Omer and  Jonathon were our primary partners in crime.

At the end of each day Omer would ask us where we wanted to dive the next day.  We didn't offer many suggestions, which in hindsight was a mistake.  Every day or two we'd have new divers join us, and Omer (really Sam's) would understandably want to start with an easy dive site that would allow the new divers to get acquainted with Palau.  We ended up visiting some dive sites 2 or 3 times, while not getting to visit some that came recommended.  Unfortunately, we didn't discover this until late in the trip when it was too late  to do much about it.  After returning we quickly rinsed our gear and either grabbed a beer or jumped in the mini-van for the ride home.

At left is a close up of a very large napolean wrasse.  It was 5 or 6 ft. long and must have weighed at least 200 lbs.  It was clearly used to being fed by divers and came to us looking for a snack.

Unfortunately, we didn't have anything for the big fellow.  He wasn't easily deterred, and ended up hanging out with us for about half an hour.

Jonathon thought the wrasse was in love with us.

At right is a spectactular nudibranch. The detail and richness of its colors were incredible.  We only saw a few nudibranchs, but the ones we saw were amazing.  The detail and coloration have to be seen to be believed.  Omer excelled at finding nudibranchs and leaf fish. Unfortunately the leaf fish tended to hang out in little corners in the reef where they were difficult to photograph. Virtually every dive brought something new.

Most of the dives were wall dives, though we visited a few holes as well.  The reefs often start at 20 ft. and often extend to 200 ft. or more.  We spent most of our time between 30 and 60 ft., and rarely ventured below 80 ft.  This lead to some very long dives.  Most of our dives lasted an hour, some up to 75 minutes.  At times we'd even surface with plenty of air left.

Sam's doesn't place restrictions on dive times, relying on you to watch your remaining air and absorbed nitrogen.  The water temperatures were in the mid 80s (F).  Most divers wore at least a shorty, though we did see guy in our group dove in a bathing suit.  We were in 3 milimeter suits and only got cold a few times, despite the fact that we were doing two to three hour long dives each day.  

At left is a pillow starfish.  I'd never come across one before.  They look like something you'd put on your couch.  This one was about ten inches across and five inches thick. We saw several types of these in Palau and a similar number in Yap. Most came in various combinations of reds and oranges.

The only thing we didn't find was what we expected to see most...... the intense currents for which Palau is reknowned.  We carried reef hooks (aluminum hooks with 6 ft. nylon ropes attacked) on our 16 dives and used them a grand total of once. 

The great majority of the time the currents were very mild to non-existent. We were told that the lack of current was driven by the phase of the moon, and that the following weeks would be more intense.

Whatever the reason, currents of even moderate size were few and far between.  We didn't see a lot of sharks and barracudas.  I suspect this was due in part to the mild currents that these large predators tend to prefer.

At right is a Clark's Anemonefish (I believe) hiding in an anemone. They have a symbiotic relationship.  The anemone provides protection to the clownfish with its stinging tentacles, while the clownfish cleans the anemone.  This anemone was unusual in that it had relatively short tentacles.  

The anemone's tentacles contain algae that give them their color. The algae utilize sunlight and carbon dioxide to create a high energy food that is then secreted to the anemone, providing an important supplementary food source.  The anemones also catch small plants and animals.

Anemones are very interesting creatures to watch...... they resemble living shag rugs, moving with the current.  They come in all sizes and several colors.  The interactions between the clowns and their anemone hosts are also very interesting.  The clowns are initially wary but become accustomed to you after a minute or two and venture out to size you up.  Some will even try to fend you off.

Some of the clown fish in Palau are enormous, easily twice the size of those I've seen in other parts of the south Pacific.  Some must have been 4 or 5 inches long.  We saw at least a few clown fish on every dive and often saw several sets.

Perhaps the biggest surprise in Palau was the large numbers of giant clams.  Some were so big they resembled small bathtubs.  Others were just a foot or two across.  

Almost all of the clams were very colorful.  Many had intricate patterns of had flourescent colors on their lips. They looked like they had been painted by a psychedelic artist.  At left is a medium sized example.  He was probably 18 inches wide.

Temperatures were consistently in the mid 70s to 80s (F) during  our stay.  Humidity was about the same.  It was always warm, though it never got hot.  We only had one bad day of rain, though we got brief showers on a few other days.  Every rainstorm brought a rainbow.  In Palau they're particularly vivid, though often short lived.  

At right is a sponge of some sort that looks like an elaborate vase.  It wouldn't look out of place in a photo layout in Better Homes and Gardens magazine. It was about two feet long and 18 inches wide.

We saw a few of this type, though this one was the most elaborate

The sunsets were something of a disappointment.  In much of the south Pacific they're stunning.... you can't help but stare in awe.  In Palau we only saw a couple of sunsets of note, largely due to the often over cast weather.  Most of the time the sun disappeared into a marine layer on the horizon.

At the end of our last day of diving we visited Jellyfish Lake, home of the sting-less jelly fish.  It's located in the Rock Islands, a fifteen minute boat ride from Koror.  The boat ties up at a pier.  A few steps away is the staircase leading to the lake.  It’s only about a ten minute hike up, but the first half of it is up a steep hill.  The steps are made of sharp coral and aren't very comfortable.  We wore our dive booties and were glad to have them.  Walking barefoot is not advised.  There's a rope handrail by the steps.  Hold on to it.  Falling wouldn't be much fun at all.

At the end of the steps is a wooden platform that extends into the lake.  We got there late in the day, when the area around the pier was covered in shade.  There weren’t many jellyfish around. 
 
As we swam out into the sunlit area, we saw jellyfish everywhere.  You see hundreds with every glance. They range in size from microscopic to seven or eight inches across.                     

At left is one of the biggest ones we sim.  As you swim along they brush against you.  The jellyfish are stingless, though one woman we met later in the trip told us she developed a nasty rash after visiting.  I suspect this was some sort of alergic reaction.

The jelly fish spend the day migrating between the deeper areas and the shallows.  About thirty feet down is an algae layer that's toxic to humans.  Some have developed bad lung and throat illnesses by coming in contact with it.  You won't have any problems if you stay shallow.

The water isn't very clear, and jelly fish are tough to focus on, so getting good pictures is difficult.  I took a dozen shots and only ended up with a couple worth showing.  Photography is probably easier earlier in the day, when there's more ambient light.

More dive pictures.