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Dive Review of Palau Aggressor in
Micronesia/Palau

Palau Aggressor, Oct, 2011,

by Michael J. Millet, CA, US (Top Contributor Top Contributor 92 reports with 58 Helpful votes). Report 6313.

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.
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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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