Dive Review of Aggressor Fleet/Palasia in
Micronesia/Palau

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Aggressor Fleet/Palasia: "Fantastic Two Weeks In Paradise", Oct, 2022, by Dean C, CO, US ( Reviewer 4 reports with 7 Helpful votes). Report 12153 has 5 Helpful votes.
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Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	When Trip was at the end of September for 2.5 weeks. Arriving a few days early, I did two back to back trips on the Palau Aggressor. The rainy season ended a few weeks before and we only had sporadic showers on two days with the rest of the days being sunny or partly cloudy. Where/Getting there Flew into Koror via Honolulu and Guam. Total travel time was ~30hrs and 5 legs one way from Colorado. United is the primary/only carrier from Guam to Koror but there are a few other options for getting to Guam. Who I travelled alone as did several other guests both weeks. Ship has 9 cabins which can house a total of 18 divers. First week there were only 10 guests and 11 the second week. Comprising mostly of Americans, there were a few other countries in the mix including the UK, Spain, France, and Germany. I like this mix from other countries as it makes for more interesting dinner conversations. Accommodations Accommodations are the same for all cabins. These were located conveniently on the diving deck. Each cabin had an ensuite bathroom. A sink/vanity is located in the main cabin space which can be a plus when rotating through the shower and getting ready. The vanity also provides extra storage space. Beds are configured in a bunk bed arrangement. The lower bed being larger and approximately queen size with the upper being slightly narrower. Since there were so few guests, I was able to have the cabin to myself for both weeks. This is a real luxury that I was not expecting. Each room had a smoke detector and no charging is allowed when the room is vacant. In an emergency, exit doors are available at either end of the hall. Also, a night watch was kept. Food Food prepared by chef Ramil and stewardess Edith was delicious and plentiful. Breakfast was made to order eggs and a different feature everyday like eggs benedict, pancakes, corn beef hash, etc. Each meal also had fresh fruits which were a hit with the passengers. Lunches were buffet style with a variety of dishes available for each meal. Snacks after the morning and afternoon dives were tasty. For dinner, guests were served the entre, fresh made bread, and desert. Wine and beer were included in the package and those not participating in the night dive could enjoy these at dinner or later after the night dive. Diving Briefings Cruise Director Star provided a thorough hour long presentation on the first day covering safety protocols, ship life, initial discussion of currents and the use of reef hooks. Before each dive a briefing was given by the lead dive master (generally this was Star or Captain Ike) for the site, routes, and special precautions. Due to the variety of sites from wrecks and caverns to strong currents and a spawning event the briefings were valuable. We boarded the ship Sunday afternoon. Most days 4 dives were offered plus night dives on 3 days for a total of 5 dives those days. On the last day, only 2 dives are offered. We left the boat Sunday morning at 8am. Since the plane didn’t depart until 1am Monday this left time for excursions and relaxing. Skiff/Elevator All diving was done from one skiff. Both Aggressor ships in Palau use an elevator to raise and lower the skiff into the water from the main ship and from here it is a speedy trip to the dive sites which are typically 5-10 minutes away. Tanks, BCs, fins, and other gear are kept on the skiff which makes diving very easy. Water temp and Clarity Water temperature was a balmy 86 degrees most dives. No need for a wetsuit as I was comfortable in trunks and a shirt. Water clarity was mostly 80-100’+ in the open water. The notable exceptions were the two wreck dives in the harbor (Iro and Hafa Adai). Here the visibility was 10-20’ or less at times. Camera Table They had a large camera table with plenty of charging stations. They also had two dedicated freshwater rinse tanks for cameras, computers, and flashlights. Corners Palau is famous for formations called corners. These are underwater plateaus with walls trailing off to the depths surrounding them. They are exposed to currents and sharks and other predators ride the current at the top of the walls. Blue Corner and Peleliu Corner are two famous ones with the later being at the junction of the Pacific Ocean and Philippine Sea. We experienced moderate current on the corners which, after hooking in, made for relaxing viewing of the wildlife cruising by 10-20 feet away. Our briefings covered the possibility of changing currents that have been strong enough to rip the masks off divers. Channels Ulong and German channels are notable for diving. German channel is a man made feature but there is a manta cleaning station and a coral garden at one end. We did indeed see a manta which is always exciting. Ulong channel is a terrific place to ride the current with sharks and eagle rays cruising nearby. It passes by the largest lettuce coral formation in the country too. More like a hill side of lettuce coral as you cruise by. The ride is pleasant and it is easy to control your direction and even stop to look at details if you are determined making it a very enjoyable dive. Caverns Chandelier Cavern is a true cavern and is a low risk intro to cave diving. There are nice formations within but it benefits from having fresh air at the surface soon after entering. The ceilings above the water are 15-20’ so there is plenty of room for divers to surface and look around. The guides made this a non-threating experience as we surfaced in three different places before returning to the entrance a slow five minute swim from the furthest point and easily visible due to the light streaming in. Other caverns such as Blue Hole and Siaes Tunnel make for interesting dives looking for critters like disco claims and rare species of dart fish. Wrecks There are many WW2 wrecks around Palau. Most of these apparently are degrading to the point of being unsafe. We did dive on the Iro, a Japanese tanker, the visibility wasn’t the best but a good dive nonetheless. We also dove on a ferry that was intentionally sunk in modern times called the Hafa Adai. It was also loaded with corals, worms, blue dragons, anemones, and their accompanying fish. Like most everywhere else in Palau, there are more beautiful and colorful tropical fish than can be mentioned. It truly is a massive aquarium. Spawning Event Different fish spawn with the phases of the moon. Our dive masters did a superb job of guiding us to a snapper aggregation on the last day of the trip at a site called Shark City. Some of the variables that they had to factor in were phase of the moon, tide, and location. They were able to bring us together with the spawning snapper at the exact moment and location that the aggregation occurred. Another boat dropped their divers just 5 minutes before us and they missed it. Hats off to the Aggressor crew for pulling this off. Tips Come Early/Stay Awhile Palau is a long way from the states. My flights from Colorado were 30 hours+ and five legs to get home. To try to shake off some of the jet lag and avoid lost luggage issues, it is helpful to come a few days early. Also, once you are there stay longer than a week if you can. I opted to do the Palau Aggressor back to back but some other guests booked other liveaboards or did shore based diving. Several people also broke up the trip by spending a couple of days in Hawaii or Guam. Local Excursions There are several companies that offer tours and excursions. Some options include a land tour of the island, a trip to Peleliu to view the WW2 battle sites, local diving, and kayaking. Companies to consider are Sam’s Tours and Fish N Fins. There are some museums and an aquarium you can walk to if you stay in Koror. You can also rent a car and self guide a tour too. Roads are easy to drive and marked well enough though not as thoroughly as the states. Massages There are several business that offer massages for very reasonable prices. For example, $25 will get you 60 minutes at the Penthouse hotel in Koror. Other places offer similar prices. This is a great way to relax before and after diving. Restaurants There are several very good restaurants and watering holes in Koror in addition to those at the resorts. For example, Elilai has a reputation for being the best restaurant in Koror. While a fine Indian restaurant Taj, popular bars like the Drop Off Bar, Canoe House, and Kramers are all highly recommended. Hotels You may want to get a hotel if you come a few days early or to have a “home” after leaving your liveaboard to spend the day awaiting your plane departure. There are a variety of hotels and resorts to pick from. Some are no nonsense but clean and respectable places like the Palasia while others are all inclusive resorts like the Cove and the Palau Royal. Look online at Booking or Expedia to find accommodations that match your style and budget. There are advantages to being in the town of Koror since you can walk to many restaurants and night life and even pick up food at the grocery stores.
Websites	Aggressor Fleet Palasia
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Caribbean, Indonesia, Fiji, Australia, Malaysia, Mexico, Florida, California, Costa Rica, Hawaii, French Polynesia, other inland reservoirs.
Closest Airport	Koror	Getting There	United-Colorado Springs, Denver, San Francisco, Honolulu, Guam, Koror. 30+ hours flying time. Luckily no issues or lost luggage in either direction.
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, dry	Seas	calm, currents
Water Temp	84-86°F / 29-30°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	80-100 Ft/ 24-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	60 minute dives and must be with a buddy. Generally hung with the group with guides in the front and rear.
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	They had a large camera table with plenty of charging stations. They also had two dedicated freshwater rinse tanks for cameras, computers, and flashlights.

Report currently has 5 Helpful votes

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Dive Review of Aggressor Fleet/Palasia in Micronesia/Palau

Aggressor Fleet/Palasia: "Fantastic Two Weeks In Paradise", Oct, 2022,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Aggressor Fleet/Palasia in
Micronesia/Palau