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Dive Review of Aggressor Fleet in
Micronesia/Palau

Aggressor Fleet, Jun, 2013,

by Michael J. Millet, CA, US (Top Contributor Top Contributor 91 reports with 57 Helpful votes). Report 7026.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 4 stars Food 5 stars
Service and Attitude 5 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 This was my second trip on the Palau Aggressor and another enjoyable one. The trip schedule is Sunday thru Saturday night disembarking the following Sunday AM. There are 5 1/2 days of diving with 3 night dives.

I was solo on this trip so my cabin with large and smaller bunk beds was plenty spacious. It is a bit tight with 2 people. There is a dry, luggage storage room on board. The cabins have in-cabin controlled AC, DVD player and TV monitor. The only electrical outlets are right next to the sink so it is not the best place for charging laptops and phones.

We had 10 divers on this trip so the salon and dining area were quite adequate. On my first trip, there were 18 divers and these areas can get a bit congested. The food, prepared by Chef Cam, was superb with a wide variety of savory selections. The fresh fish was excellent. The bar offers locally brewed Red Rooster beer with 4 different types on tap. There are also OK red and white wines.

All diving is done from a skiff where on the dive gear is kept for the week. The skiff in kept in an hydraulic cradle aft. Before each dive there is a very thorough dive briefing especially for such sites as Blue Corner where on might be using a reef hook. The skiff rides to the dive sights were usually very short with longest about 15 minutes. We dived on 2 wrecks (the helmet wreck and the Uri Maru); the viz is very low on these wrecks and the helmet wreck no longer has its trademark helmets. The other dives were primarily off walls and coral gardens. The diving is at a nice, casual pace even where we had to hook in. We had a great shark encounter at Ulong Channel.
We had one brief manta encounter at Fern Wall but none at German Channel. The latter dive was a bit confusing since we were rigged for wide-angle but the dive guide seemed more interested in a mantis shrimp.

We were able to get down to Peleliu for 3 dives but had to leave early due to WWII ordnance demolition. Divers were able to do the battlefield tour, which is well worth the $$ and time.

The crew aboard the Palau Aggressor is quite friendly and helpful. They work as a team and are very efficient at handling the day-to-day tasks of keeping a live-aboard running smoothly. So all in all, another positive experience aboard an Aggressor vessel.

Websites Aggressor Fleet   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience Over 1000 dives
Where else diving Galapagos, Solomon Islands, PNG, GBR, Vanuatu, Palau, Philippines,
Indonesia, Yap, Kosrae, Truk, Fiji, Socorros, All over the Caribbean.
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, windy, rainy Seas calm, choppy
Water Temp 82-86°F / 28-30°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 40-100 Ft/ 12-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions No Deco
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas 1 or 2
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 5 stars
Small Critters 4 stars Large Fish 4 stars
Large Pelagics 3 stars

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

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 4 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments The Palau Aggressor has a large camera table that can accommodate several photo rigs. Lots of power strips and air are readily available. Large dedicated camera rinse tanks. Crew takes care in handling camera gear.
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Subscriber's Comments

By Renee Ross in OR, US at Jul 04, 2013 11:34 EST  
What is the WWII ordinance demolition? When we were diving from Koror in April we were told that the reefs near Peleliu were so damaged that they were not diving there .(damage from the 2012 typhoon). Can you give a reef report on any dives you did near Peleliu?
By report author: Michael J. Millet in CA, US at Jul 06, 2013 11:44 EST  
WWII ordinance demolition is the intentional detonation of bombs, ammo, etc. from the WWII battle that occurred on Peleliu. The island and reefs are still strewn with this stuff. I encountered an unexploded 105mm howitzer round while diving. The reefs around Peleliu are in good shape certainly very diveable. Most day boat operators from Koror are not going to make the trek to Peleliu for diving. You have to dive Peleliu from either a live-aboard or stay on Peleliu to dive.
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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.

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