Sam’s Tours, one of Palau’s premier dive centres, is offering special wreck dives from August through October with in-depth presentations on the wrecks of Palau and their history in World War Two.
The ‘Secret Season’ is the perfect time to discover some well-protected wrecks and macro dive sites and enjoy dives off the beaten path.
For many years, the best time for diving in Palau has been promoted to be between November and May. This still holds true for the exposed outer reefs, home of pelagic species and sharks. With climate change, weather conditions have become much more unpredictable and even in the summer and early autumn months, the diving conditions can be perfect at most of Palau’s iconic dive spots. Regardless, many of the wrecks are located in the inner lagoons, closer to the city of Koror, and protected from wind and high waves, thus remaining a haven for divers.
During the ‘Secret Season’ from August through October, Sam’s Tours will be offering a weekly package that combines wreck and macro dives in the protected area of the Rock Islands and a leisurely kayak tour through the inner lagoons, nurseries for many reef fish and sharks in a pristine environment. In-depth presentations and detailed briefings on the wrecks’ history and their fate during World War Two will add to a better understanding of the dive sites and provide avoid underwater photographers with valuable tips on how to capture each wreck on lens. Historic photos complement the briefing sessions, turning each briefing into a history lesson.
Some of the dive sites included in the one-week wreck packages are the 10,000-tonne Amatsu Maru, the largest shipwreck in Micronesia and the deepest Japanese wreck in Palau; the Chuyo Maru, a medium-sized Japanese coastal freighter on which the bridge still contains the remains of the brass compass and ship’s telegraph; and Chandelier Cave, a cave system made up of five separate, connecting chambers with air pockets.
Rates start from US$1,340 per person and include seven nights’ accommodation, four days of diving with Sam’s Tours, a kayak tour, and all transfers and lunches on activity days. For buddy teams, the second diver enjoys a 35 percent discount off the diving.
