Palau (Belau)

NECO Marine, Palau Pacific Resort, April, 1995. "Our group used three boats. One boat sank with everyone and gear on board. One boat lost power and drifted, requiring unloading to our boat. I got these were unusual occurrences, not typical for NECO. . . . The service on board and on land was excellent. Dive guides were alert, but briefings were minimal. . . . Despite previous reports, most of us agreed that the sandwiches for lunch were better than the Bento Box (that contained many fatty, greasy items). . . . Expect to dive by computer. It's a long trip, but worth it. . . . I used a reef hook for the first time and I loved it. I've been diving for 23 years, and basically the only contact I've had with a coral reef in the last 15 years has been a gingerly placed fingertip. But when the current's ripping in Ulong Channel or at Blue Corner, and you want to stop and take in the action, the choice is a reef hook or wholesale coral death, since it's nearby impossible to find a piece of rock or dead reef adequate to hold onto against a three to four knot current. I never felt any risk of entrapment, disengagement from the reef was simple, and having two hands free for photography was great. Also, put a few puffs of air into the BC, cross your arms, and current surfing is so relaxing you could fall asleep. Buy it at the resort for $15-$18. I'm taking my hook with me everywhere." Scott Seidman, Livermore, CA

Neco Marine, Sunrise Villa, August, 1995. "Sunrise Villa: perfect for land­based, staff great. Neco Marine real accommodating. Go on a Nautilus dive. See German Channel twice to get the full experience. Highly recommended also Ulong Channel at the tide change. It was information overload." Trish Marcario, Germantown, MD

Palau Pacific Resort, March 1995. "Was off in vis (50­80 feet) and temperature was three degrees lower (80 degrees) due to unusual upwellings. New divers should not come to Palau. The conditions change rapidly and it's imperative that you can cope with the unexpected. . . . A comment about your article on hooking yourself to the reef - absolutely the best thing to do to protect the soft corals and hard that exist in Blue Corner. We have been taught not to hold on to anything and this small hook is perfect. I think all divers at this spot should be given hooks. Palau is pristine but new divers are taking their toll." S. Scott, San Francisco, CA

Splash, October, 1994. "Ray Sanford, as manager, is impressive. Divers are individually assessed and watched accordingly as there were many skill levels and ages. The tides and currents are carefully monitored on every dive. Full briefings are given before every dive. The staff adeptly deals not only with diving, but also with the different cultures and languages. I never saw a member of the staff chewing betel nut or stoned on any dive. . . . We witnessed less­than­exemplary behavior with several of the other dive operators. There was drug usage, boats too small for the conditions of the seas, no supervision of inexperienced divers. All Splash boats are geared with radios, first­aid kits and oxygen. Ray is trying to implement these safety features with all dive operators in Palau. No diver is short changed. Most dives were 45+ minutes and action­packed. Hot, balanced meals were served for lunch. The sheer volume of sea life, the pristine waters and abundance of reefs lent to sensory overload. The thrill, the challenge and the TLC will not soon be forgotten." Rose Mueller, St. Petersburg Beach, FL

Ponape (Pohnpei)

Roto

Dive Roto, May, 1994. "Experienced, conscientious, divemaster Mark does excellent job. Incredible visibility. Shaun Moru best wreck dive in Pacific." Anon.

Truk (Chuuk)

Continental Hotel, March, 1995. "Typical shore based operation. Visibility poor to OK. Sunken ships are awesome. Maybe poor visibility added to the experience. We're glad we went, but probably wouldn't go again." Bruce & Donna Wilson, Portland, OR

Yap

Yap Divers, Manta Ray Bay Hotel, November 1994. "With quality of local culture need more time ashore ­­ and more time on outer reefs. Water 75­80 degrees, vis 30­100 ft." Rick Gaffney, Kona, HI

Yap Divers, Manta Ray Bay Hotel, February, 1995. "Good stuff: The mantas at Mil Channel. The first dive started badly: too many dive groups, poor visibility, long swim against current. Finally got our turn at the cleaning station and spotted a couple of mantas. Still, disappointing. . . . The second dive after a lunch was different. During the entire dive, squadrons of mantas filed back and forth train-like, often coming as close as 10 feet. We had long, up-close opportunities to observe the mantas at the cleaning station. Although we were obviously seeing the same mantas as they filed back and forth, divers in our group reported between 27 and 42 sightings. . . . Divers must be patient with the scheduling and be prepared to wait around, as the manta dives through the mangrove channel and had to be bused back to the hotel. . . . Other dive sites (Gilman's Reef, Fantasyland) were good but not exceptional. Yap is for mantas. The rooms at the Manta Ray Bay Hotel are exceptionally roomy and comfortable. Bill Acker and the entire hotel and dive shop staff go to extremes to make your stay and your diving enjoyable. . . . Bad stuff: The food. Our group dined outside the hotel every evening. All the guests complained of the food. Even with the obvious limitations in a place like Yap, there is much room for improvement. Acker is doing too many things right to let this part of the operation fall through the cracks." Jim Parkhill, McAllen, TX

Yap Divers, Manta Ray Bay Hotel, March, 1995. "We thought the dive operation and hotel were great and would highly recommend both. Unfortunately we only got to spend one day diving and the vis was poor. It was a good idea to stop here before Palau, because it gave our luggage a chance to catch up. We had two hour+ connections in every airport but United managed to screw us up early in our journey and it's not easy to get to Yap if you miss your original flight." Bev & Dave Brandt, Council Bluffs, IA

Yap Divers, Manta Ray Bay Hotel, March, 1995. "Enjoyed our stay immensely, but four or five days is enough. The staff at the hotel and dive shop could not have been more helpful and accommodating. The hotel arranged a cultural tour for only three people on one day's notice. The villages are interesting, but certainly not comparable to the New Guinea highlands. The dive staff set up our gear every day; we rinsed it. They will dive with as few as two people, on a large 45 foot boat. The morning dives are manta dives. You descend to 60 feet, the guide directs you to a rock or coral head, and you wait for the mantas. Visibility was as low as 30 feet or as high as 80 feet. Sometimes the mantas come, sometimes they don't. When they do, it is a close encounter. We had as many as eight on one dive, close enough to touch (Don't). The afternoon dives are reef dives. Yap Caverns is a great dive, with labyrinthine swim-throughs. We saw lion fish, three turtles feeding on one sponge, and a wall completely carpeted with soft coral. . . . A night dive in Mill Channel started at sunset, with water so clear we did not need lights until full dark. I saw a stretch of coral 50 feet long writhing with antennas. Every lobster in Yap was emerging from this coral condo at once, at least a hundred bugs. When I ascended to look closer, more lobsters came out underneath me until we were surrounded. So Yap ain't just mantas." David H. Vickery & Suzanne A. Leeson, Hoboken, NJ

Yap Divers, Manta Ray Bay Hotel, April, 1995. "Good: mantas, land tours. Bad: Plane ride, long distance. Divers were cautioned to not touch animals and to quietly hang on the cleaning station. Unfortunately some divers do not follow instructions. Leo was a good conscientious divemaster." Bob & Audrey Ray, Pasadena, CA

Copyright 1996 by DSDL, Inc., publishers of Undercurrent. All rights reserved. No portions of this report may be reproduced in any way, including photocopying and electronic data storage, without prior written permission from the publisher. For more information, contact DSDL, Inc., P.O. Box 1658, Sausalito, CA 94966.