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Dive Review of Black Pearl in
Micronesia

Black Pearl: "The Best of the best in Palau", Oct, 2022,

by Larry S. Klumb, FL, US (Reviewer Reviewer 3 reports with 9 Helpful votes). Report 12136 has 3 Helpful votes.

Photos Submitted with this Report


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

Accommodations 5 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling 5 stars
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 5 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments Sometimes reality is too good to be true, such was our experience on our early October voyage on the Black Pearl in Palau. A magnificent Chinese ship, built to accommodate 20 divers in spacious, “hotel room like accommodations, with huge bathrooms. Our intrepid group of nine had the ship ourselves, but for one additional diver, for 8 days in early October. Our diver master, come cruise director, Gabriel, “Gaby” and his lovely wife Maria, both from Argentina, treated us to exceptional diving of our choosing, hitting all the usual hot spots: Blue Corner, German Channel, Ulong Channel, and many more that some of us, who’d previous been to Palau, had never had the pleasure to experience. Diving was safe, well planned and briefed. Each diver was issued a Dive Alert signaling device, and the “check-out dive” included a mandatory deployment by each diver of their SMB. Two morning dives and one afternoon, left time for evening cocktails on the beach before dinner. All diving was made from steel skiffs. Tanks, along with other kit, remained on the skiff the entire week, with only wetsuits and cameras to be dealt with otherwise. A large, fan ventilated compartment off the diver deck accommodated wetsuits and others wet items. The food was plentiful and tastefully prepared, meeting any and all dietary needs and requests. The Black Pearl is what we were told is the first of a fleet of 7 vessel to will ply the Pacific dive hot spots. The even more spectacular White Pearl, sitting in a Chinese port awaiting approval to begin operations in the Maldives, is 50% larger than the Black Pearl, and accommodation for 29 divers.
Websites Black Pearl   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience Over 1000 dives
Where else diving Truk, Maldives, Cocos Island, Socorros, Guadalupe Island, Hawaii, Guam, Palau, most Caribbean islands
Closest Airport Korror Getting There From Tampa, FL via Houston, Honolulu, Guam, Korror - a challenge

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas calm
Water Temp 85-86°F / 29-30°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 50-100 Ft/ 15-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile no
Enforced diving restrictions Dives were limited to 110 feet
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

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

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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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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