Main Menu
Join Undercurrent on Facebook

The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975 | |
For Divers since 1975
The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975
"Best of the Web: scuba tips no other
source dares to publish" -- Forbes
X
 

Dive Review of Palau Aggressor in
Micronesia/Palau

Palau Aggressor, Oct, 2011,

by Michael J. Millet, CA, US (Top Contributor Top Contributor 96 reports with 59 Helpful votes). Report 6312.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 4 stars Food 5 stars
Service and Attitude 4 stars Environmental Sensitivity 4 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 4 stars
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments On this trip, the weather was mild and sunny with mostly calm seas; there was an occasional rain shower.

The marine life consisted mostly of larger species -- sharks, turtle, schooling fish and mantas. The manta encounter was limited to just 2 animals briefly at German Channel.Had a very close encounter with a big bull shark at Ulong Channel -- very cool. Snorkeling Jellyfish Lake is a surreal experience being surrounded by millions of mastigias jellyfish.There is limited macro-photography opportunities.

The Palau Aggressor is a spacious boat that can accommodate 18 divers. There were 17 divers on this trip. Dive stations are setup on the skiff, which is cradled at the stern of the Palau Aggressor (PA). All diving is done from the skiff. Dive briefings were thorough and timely; the dive operations were efficient and fairly hassle-free. The dive deck had sufficient gear/camera rinse tanks and fresh water showers. The dive guides knew the dive sites and the dive conditions. They did a minimal amount of marine life IDing. My cabin (#9) was spacious, comfortable and clean but lacked a window.

The food prepared by Chef Marc was superb -- great variety, generous portions and very, very tasty. My rare steak was actually served rare.
Wine and beer are included. The beer is local Red Rooster, which is very good. Try the amber and the wheat.

While diving Peleliu Island, we had the opportunity to tour the WWII battle sites. A very worthwhile excursion.

The crew of the PA was very helpful and friendly. However, this trip did get off to a rather bumpy start. I was advised the day before boarding that the PA had 17 divers whereas the Tropic Dancer (TD) had only 6 divers. I immediately requested a transfer to the TD for obvious reasons but was advised that this was not feasible at such a late date.

This matter is particularly disturbing because when I initially booked this trip several months in advance I inquired about the # of divers on each boat. At that time, I was told that a dive club had booked 9 divers on the PA and the TD had no bookings. I agreed to be booked on the PA but requested to be notified of the PA booked more divers and the TD was going out with minimal divers. I was never notified in this regard. I would have moved to the TD if given the opportunity.

In summary, except for the booking SNAFU, my trip on the PA was enjoyable with good diving. I would probably do this trip again on either the PA or TD but it would not be a priority.

Websites Palau Aggressor   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience Over 1000 dives
Where else diving All over the Caribbean; Galapagos, Socorros, PNG, GBR, Solomons, Vanuatu,
Fiji, Indonesia, Palau, Yap, Korsae, Chuuk
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas calm, surge
Water Temp 82-85°F / 28-29°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 50-100 Ft/ 15-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions No Deco; 1 hour dives to keep with dive schedule.
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas 1 or 2
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 3 stars Large Fish 4 stars
Large Pelagics 4 stars

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

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 5 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments The Palau Aggressor has very good camera facilities with large rinse tanks, large camera table, compressed air, camera towels, battery charging.
Palau offers more wide-angle opportunities than macro.
Crew handled camera gear efficiently and carefully.
Was this report helpful to you?
Leave a comment (Subscribers only -- 200 words max)
Subscribers can comment here
 

Subscribe Now
Subscribers can post comments, ask the reviewer questions, as well as getting immediate and complete access to ALL 468 dive reviews of Micronesia and all other dive destinations. Complete access to all issues and Chapbooks is also included.

 
Featured Links from Our Sponsors
Interested in becoming a sponsor?
Reef & Rainforest, Let our experience be your guide -- Reef and Rainforest
Reef & Rainforest
is an agency for travelers that scuba dive. Looking for sharks, wrecks, kayaking, tropical islands? We specialize in adventures to Micronesia.

Want to assemble your own collection of Micronesia reports in one place?
Use the Mini Chapbook Facility to create your personalized collection.

Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

Undercurrent Home


Get more dive info like these and other important scuba updates sent monthly to your email.
And a FREE Recent Issue of Undercurrent

Free Undercurrent Issue
Get a free
monthly email and
a sample issue!


Find in  

| Home | Online Members Area | My Account | Login | Join |
| Travel Index | Dive Resort & Liveaboard Reviews | Featured Reports | Recent Issues | Back Issues |
| Dive Gear Index | Health/Safety Index | Environment & Misc. Index | Seasonal Planner | Blogs | Free Articles | Book Picks | News |
| Special Offers | RSS | FAQ | About Us | Contact Us | Links |

Copyright © 1996-2024 Undercurrent (www.undercurrent.org)
3020 Bridgeway, Ste 102, Sausalito, Ca 94965
All rights reserved.

Page computed and displayed in 0.17 seconds