Inspired by the creatures, critters, cultures and people we’ve met along our journey, The Blue Crew wants to guide you on your pursuit, whether it be shipwrecks around the corner, lakes atop mountains, teeming reefs at 20 feet, or unexplored dive sites at 300 feet.

Join Everette & Blue Crew Divers as he guides our inaugural trip to Palau.  Your liveaboard adventure in the Pacific Ocean will take you through an oasis of a remote archipelago of some 340 islands located in the Southwest corner of Micronesia. Palau hosts an astonishing spectrum of biodiversity and life providing thrilling diving experiences and intriguing underwater landscapes. Liveaboard divers will explore famous caverns, captivating wartime wrecks, action-packed channels, and pristine coral reefs. These waters are home to over 1400 species of fish, together with countless species of sharks, manta rays, dolphins, and whale sharks.

Palau has been awarded the distinction of being the “Seventh Underwater Wonder of the World.” Positioned at the crossroads of the planet’s three major ocean currents, Palau has nutrient-dense waters bringing an overwhelming abundance of marine life and offering a staggering number of underwater venues. Underwater, you’ll discover a bit of everything, including the immense aggregations of small and large fish, coral gardens, caverns, channels, healthy reefs and WWII wrecks. 

The weather in Palau is wonderful year-round with the optimal time to visit being the dry season from October-May. Water temperatures range from 81-86°F (27-30°C) and visibility feels endless.

The signature dive site in Palau is Blue Corner, which has a constant shark parade and a thrilling current, sometimes up to 3 knots. German Channel, Ulong Channel, Peleliu Express, and Blue Hole are all globally recognized dives. You can visit these sites again and again and have completely different experiences each time. 

Palau’s sea floor is littered with WWII shipwrecks and aircraft lost in battle. The chain of islands’ proximity to Southeast Asia and Japan made it the location for several fierce battles. Today the remnants of ships, planes, tank tracks, bullets, and guns are left behind. They are coral-encrusted and an incredible sight for divers.

Important Information: For all guests whose last dive was +12 months before the trip, a refresher is mandatory, as a usual practice for liveaboard trips. 

Please note this service is not offered onboard and it must be done before embarking. Due to strong currents and other hazards you might expect while diving in Palau (especially during the Full and  New Moon) it is extremely important the guests have been in the water recently and refreshed their skills. 

Please note this is not optional. A logbook or another proof of refresher needs to be provided upon embarkation.

Although not a dive, Palau’s Jellyfish Lake is a natural phenomenon and a must-do. The land-locked saltwater lake contains two species of jellyfish that have evolved away from their stingers in the absence of predators. Snorkelers can swim among thousands of pulsating jellyfish without the worry of any pain. Special guidelines are required for snorkeling and swimming in Jellyfish Lake. No scuba diving is permitted. 

All divers must have a minimum of an Open Water Diver certification and 30 logged dives. It is recommended that divers be certified at least as Advanced Open Water Diver level and have some experience with currents.

During your trip, Black Pearl Explorer will anchor in 3 strategic places (around Malakal, Ulong Island and Omekang Island), from where the most beautiful dive sites can be reached in less than 20 minutes (40 min when diving in Peleliu). 

Check-in usually starts at 4:00 pm on the day of boarding; Transfers can be provided until midnight, as the boat will leave the harbor on the next morning. Check-out starts at 8:00 am on the day you disembark. (The boat will be back to the harbor in the afternoon on the day before disembarkation). 

Each itinerary is set on a day-by-day basis, depending on the sea conditions, the attendance at each dive site, the fish activity, and the daily logistics, according the Captain’s and Cruise Director’s discretion. Your safety is our priority. While we cannot control factors that may affect the planned itinerary, we will do our best to offer alternate solutions in order for you to get the maximum experience out of the beauty of Palau Islands. There may be up to 4 dives per diving day (3 day dives, 1 sunset/night dive – whenever possible)

• Water Temperature: 80-86 degrees Fahrenheit

• Air Temperature: 82-95 degrees Fahrenheit

• Visibility: 30-100 feet

• Current: medium to strong

• Level: Intermediate to Advanced.

• Best Time to Dive: November to April (less rain & much less wind: perfect for diving)

A diving day schedule will look as follows:

• Hot beverages and light breakfast before Dive 1 briefing.

• Dive 1.

• Breakfast and surface interval before Dive 2 briefing.

• Dive 2.

• Lunch and surface interval before Dive 3 briefing.

• Dive 3.

• Afternoon snacks and beverages, free and easy.

• Dive 4 briefing (if there is a sunset/night dive scheduled).

• Dinner and short briefing on next day’s itinerary, free and easy.

Palau is well known as one of the world’s best and most complete diving destinations. Situated only 500 miles from both the Philippines and Indonesia, and influenced by 3 major ocean currents, this set of limestone and volcanic islands are rich with a huge marine biodiversity, including many reef sharks, manta rays, tunas, barracudas, bump head parrot fishes, red snappers, napoleon wrasses, turtles, and abundant soft and hard corals. In 2009, Palau created the world’s first Shark Sanctuary and protects 600,000 square kilometers of ocean.

In Palau, you can enjoy wall diving, drop offs, drift dives and big pelagic encounters. Palau lagoon also has several WWII wrecks (ships and planes) as it was the theater of much Pacific fighting between Japanese and American forces. Dive sites in Palau will amaze all divers! Water temperature is usually warm at a range of 81-86°F (27-30°C) and a 3mm wetsuit will suffice all year. Unusually for a destination with nutrient-rich water and current, the visibility often seems endless and can reach 50m. Due to strong currents, this itinerary is best with a certification level of Advanced Open Water (or similar) with a minimum of 50 logged dives. Diving in Peleliu is weather permitted. 

Same-day transfers from/to your hotel within Koror & Malakal Islands are included in your cruise price. If you are staying overnight in Koror, please make sure that your application form has included your hotel information. If you need additional transfers from/to the airport (on Embarkation/Disembarkation days only), a fee will be collected onboard the vessel, with your final bill (please check our Onboard Charges page).

Please let us know your needs in advance and the crew can make the necessary arrangements. if you plan to spend one or several nights in a local hotel before of after the trip, please ask the hotel to provide the airport transfers.
The usual meeting points are organized as follows:  

• Airport: Guests arriving at the required airport on the check-in day will be picked up by a representative holding a sign of M/Y Black Pearl Explorer. The meeting point is at the main exit, immediately after luggage collection. 
  

• Hotel or Resort: Guests who are coming from a hotel in the city can be picked up by a representative of M/Y Black Pearl Explorer. The meeting is in the main lobby or at the reception of the hotel, usually around 4pm. However, this may be subject to additional charges and should be confirmed at least a day in advance. 

Check-in usually starts at 4:00 pm on the day of boarding; Transfers can be provided until midnight, as the boat will leave the harbor on the next morning. Check-out starts at 8:00 am on the day you disembark. (The boat will be back to the harbor in the afternoon on the day before disembarkation). 

Palau is officially the Republic of Palau. It is also historically known as Belau, Palaos, or Pelew, an island country in the western Pacific. Learn more about the country by visiting the tourism website below.

• Palau Visitors Authority 

• Palau Government’s Official Website 

• Palau International Coral Reef  Center & Marine Sanctuary 

• Round trip transfer from local hotel/airport to the boat

• 8 days / 7 nights Black Pearl®

• 23 dives, including night dives

• Accommodation, meals, snacks, and beverages

• Towels, toiletries, and cabin services

• Warm towel and drink after every dive

• Nitrox for certified Enriched Air Divers

• Around-the-clock service from a fun, experienced, and English-speaking crew

• Airfare

• Marine Park Fees: US$150 per person (paid onboard)

• Fuel Surcharge: US$200 per person (paid onboard)

• Satellite Wi-Fi: US$35 per 10GB

• Alcoholic beverages

• Crew gratuities

• Dive instruction

• Dive gear rental (other than tanks, weights and weight belts)

• Retail sales

• Airport Departure tax $50

​All divers must have current DAN diving insurance and some form of travel insurance. We recommend travel insurance through DAN (Divers Alert Network).

DAN Trip Insurance:      https://dan.org/partner/2963667/trip 

DAN Diver Insurance:   https://dan.org/partner/2963667  

DiveAssure:                    https://app.diveassure.com/#/registration/main/process/0/int/0/671/en

All deposits are non-refundable, this is why trip insurance is required. 

US Citizens can enter Palau without a visa for tourism.

Ensure your passport is in good order, has enough blank pages, is valid for at least 6 months.

They prefer USD or Euros. If you wish to make onboard payments in another currency, please check in advance of departure. Please ensure ALL bills are in good order; New, NOT worn or torn and unmarked or they will NOT be accepted. Exchange rates will be determined at the time of payment and will differ for USD100/50 bills and USD20/10 bills. Credit card payments onboard can be accepted with a 4.5% merchant fee added.

Generally, throughout the day, light clothing such as shorts and T-Shirt should be enough. Most often it is hot and sunny with fine clear blue skies. You may want to bring along a waterproof jacket just in case. You may want to bring a light sweater or jumper for the evenings; however, the temperatures tend to stay fairly warm even after the sun goes down.

We suggest you work on a basis of 5-10% of your trip price, or more if you wish to reward their excellent service, this is entirely up to you of course. (New USD bank notes or Euros preferred).

Check with your trip leader as PADI Specialty Diver course training is available. Most courses can be completed with 2-3 dives.