Dive Review of Blue Marlin Divers and The Black Pearl in
Micronesia

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Blue Marlin Divers and The Black Pearl: "Cove Resort, Blue Marlin Divers and S/V Black Peal", Apr, 2022, by Jon Hoffmann, GA, US ( Contributor 15 reports with 19 Helpful votes). Report 11946 has 2 Helpful votes.
No photos available at this time
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	Getting there: Turkish Air with business class seats on their flagship aircraft between Atlanta and Manila via Istanbul. That’s going the long way, but palatable given the high level of service for a cost <$4k round trip. Both the Philippines government and Turkish Air websites consistently stated that to clear customs in Manila, the traveler must present: 1) proof of a negative COVID test, 2) approval of the Philippines Bureau of Quarantine One Health Pass along with a QR code, 3) proof of COVID related medical travel insurance of at least $35K, and 4) download and utilize the Traze Contact Tracing application. We booked flights from Manila to Koror separately from the Turkish Air flights and expected to clear customs, retrieve our bags, meet a friend at their hotel to relax over the 8+ hour layover, and then check in to 10:25PM United flight to Koror. Despite being able to prove to the immigration supervisor that we had uploaded and been approved for all documentation to enter Palau as well as the Philippines, the supervisor still considered us transit passengers and would not let us clear customs. Instead we were required to wait in a quarantine area until the United gate opened and an agent could escort us through a special security area to the gate. It was a painful 8+ hours sitting in a plastic lawn chair in a warm room with no water or food. In retrospect, had we been able to provide proof of a reservation in our own names at a day hotel, we may have been allowed to stick to our original plan. The Philippines COVID related protocols made no sense to us and there was no discussing it with any of the immigration authorities. Based on the number of other people waiting in the quarantine area, this appears to happen quite frequently. Once we were able to board the United flight to Koror, passing through Palauan immigration was a breeze requiring only a vax card and proof of negative COVID test. Upon arrival in Koror, passengers were given a wristband that must be worn until visiting the local hospital within 4 days of arrival and passing a COVID test. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to complete the test as the hospital only conducts tests 8:30-11:30AM Monday through Friday and for a $35 fee. Currently, United seems to be the only real option in and out of Palau via Manila or Guam, and the flights a very limited and at late hours of the night. Until COVID related travel protocols are lifted. Stay away from the Manila airport. The Cove Resort Palau: We had arranged in advance through the hotel for transfers, and a driver was there to meet us outside customs at around 3AM. Located on the harbor at Malakal, the Cove is a reasonably priced and pleasant hotel with a good restaurant and swim up pool bar. Our 2nd floor king rooms were clean, spacious and comfortable. The hotel, like most of the island, was almost uninhabited by tourists. Locals estimated that tourist traffic was at about 10% of the pre-pandemic level. Their reasoning was that it was because of the current difficulties with international travel to get to Palau because of reduced flights, and based on our experience in Manila, I would agree. Matt, the hotel manager is an affable Aussie that keeps everything running smooth, and the staff were accommodating and genuinely sincere in their appreciation of every guest. Matt was kind enough to allow us a late check out at 4PM to accommodate our transfer to the Black Pearl. Most US carriers do not offer international plans in Palau, so expect to use your phone via wifi connection at the hotel only. Blue Marlin Divers: Located on the Palau Royal Resort property which is adjacent to the Cove Resort. It would be a short walk to the dive shop for the 8:15AM check in, but we simply stood on the dock in front of the Cove Resort and they motored the dive skiff about 100 feet over and picked us up. We had completed the required information in advance and left promptly upon pick up. Very convenient and accommodating. Our dive guide Clayton, and captain, Spencer, gave us a wonderful tour through the Rock Islands on the way out to the dive sites on the Western side of the island which instantly made all of our travel hassles worth it. The Black Pearl: Built in China about 5 years ago, the vessel is spacious and comfortable. We were told this was only the 2nd cruise for the boat since the COVID shutdown, and that the cruise directors, and some crew, were new to Palau. So we expected some learning hiccups along the way, and we got some. Tenders drivers had trouble locating dive sites, and dive guides were not yet experienced in where to find macro life. But then again, you go to Palau for the big stuff. The crew could not have been more welcoming and eager to please and the food was awesome. Expect to gain weight. The initial 12 guests (about 50% capacity) were entirely American, including local expats that departed after 3 days, leaving 4 of us the entire boat to ourselves. Absent the pandemic, I suspect a significant portion of the guests would be from China, but I was told most marketing efforts are towards Europeans and Americans. Cruise departures are on Monday afternoons. We were graciously upgraded and took cabin 302 which was one of the 2 largest cabins on the top level. It was spacious with oversized windows giving a great view. Rooms are all 2 single beds along the walls separated by a cabinet, so they cannot be pushed together to form a queen sized bed. The beds were short and narrow by US standards and a bit on the hard side. There was also a small couch and a floor to ceiling dresser for storage. There was also a reasonable sized bathroom with separate shower. Rooms have big screen TVs, but bring your own media as the video offerings are all in Chinese. The cruise directors are an Argentine couple, and the crew is mostly Indonesian with Chinese dive masters. The dive masters are probably more accustomed to leading larger groups of Chinese divers, so we set an early tone about providing ourselves a greater sense of personal freedom underwater on the checkout dive. That is not a complaint, just the recognition of a cultural difference to which they quickly adapted. Max depths and times were enforced. All diving is done from 2 tenders. Although there is a room to hang wetsuits, there are no assigned stations to keep your gear. There is a camera table with high pressure air for drying and a fair number of outlets for charging. Nitrox is free, but tank fills are limited to about 200 bar, so you will rarely see a tank fill of 2900 PSI or more. Most dive days are 2 morning dives and 1 afternoon dive. A night dive is generally offered once during the week. Although stated that it was offered, there really wasn't any wifi on the boat. The boat will sell you a data card to put in your phone for wifi access when local cell reception is available. Offsetting the minor issues noted above was the adaptability and flexibility of the directors. They accommodated our outlandish requests and even coordinated a land tour of Peleliu, which was fascinating. It sounds like there are plans for enhancements to the boat, but regardless, we would definitely go back for another trip because of the wonderful crew. ]
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Caribbean, Costa Rica, Thailand, Micronesia, Maldives, Indonesia, PNG, Palau, Malaysia, Philippines
Closest Airport	ROR	Getting There	Plan on 36-48 hours of travel time. Avoid Manila until they change COVID related entry protocols
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy, rainy, cloudy, dry	Seas	calm, currents, no currents
Water Temp	81-84°F / 27-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	50-90 Ft/ 15-27 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	Depth and time strictly enforced
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	1 or 2	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	No rinse tanks on dive tenders

Report currently has 2 Helpful votes

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Dive Review of Blue Marlin Divers and The Black Pearl in Micronesia

Blue Marlin Divers and The Black Pearl: "Cove Resort, Blue Marlin Divers and S/V Black Peal", Apr, 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 Blue Marlin Divers and The Black Pearl in
Micronesia