Dive Review of Sam's Tours/West Plaza, Desekel in
Micronesia/Palau

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Sam's Tours/West Plaza, Desekel, Mar, 2005, by Charles Menbeck, Illinois, USA . Report 1627.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	My second time here. Nice to be back after 5 years. I noticed Sam's had expanded operations from about 4 boats to 8 boats now. Seasonality may have something to do with that. Very well run and professionally organized dive operation. Divemasters Keith, Jim K, Dexter, and Steffan, all top notch. Last time I was here, we did Blue Corner just about everyday, with good reason too. This time, the dive itinerary was quite varied. Did Blue Holes, Blue Corner (lots of sharks, turtles and schools of fish), Siaes Tunnel (cavern at about 100'), Siaes Corner, Turtle Cove, Peleliu Wall, Peleliu Yellow Wall/Express (4+ knots drift dive), German Channel (Manta Rays), Ulong Channel (more sharks and monstrous sized barracudas), and Jim's/Dexter's Wall (near Blue Corner with all the same action). The Blue Corner this time around had a stronger current on the wall when we reef hooked down to the reef. I was told it was because we were there on a full moon resulting in stronger tides. Went to the famed Jellyfish Lake on my last day. It was definitely worth it as it is truly an anomaly seeing so many jellyfish isolated in a lake and loosing their ability to sting over the evolutionary time period since they were separated from the sea. You have to do a short hike to get there. Would spend time at the end of the dive day having a cheesburger with a cold Beer (Budweiser) while watching the other dive boats come in. Nice and relaxing. Would also eat in town near the hotel at the Rock Island Cafe, where the menu was quite varied and included American style dishes. They have an internet cafe there too where you can spend time catching up on your email and the web if you wish. The West Plaza Hotel Desekel is conviently located in town and right above a small grocery store. They're very nice people running the hotel. The airport transfers between the hotel and airport were very smooth.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	101-250 dives
Where else diving	Florida Keys, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, St. Lucia, Bonaire, Indonesia, Yap, Truk
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm
Water Temp	81-83°F / 27-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness	2
Water Visibility	60-80 Ft/ 18-24 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	?
Enforced diving restrictions	[Unspecified]
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
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	N/A	Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

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Dive Review of Sam's Tours/West Plaza, Desekel in Micronesia/Palau

Sam's Tours/West Plaza, Desekel, Mar, 2005,

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 Sam's Tours/West Plaza, Desekel in
Micronesia/Palau