Palau Aggressor II Captain's Logs

[Aggressor Adventures]

Palau Aggressor II Captain’s Report April 21 – 28, 2013
Unique Charter with Les Stroud, Survivorman

Water Temp: 82 F
Air Temp: 78-86 F
Crew: Captain Marc, Steven, Emma, John, Cameron, Len and Adam

Sunday our boarding was at 4pm. Captain Marc and his crew welcomed Heather, Leah, Raul, Paul, Megan, John, Tom, Richard, Avi, Andrew, Bridgitte, Anni, Laura and Les onboard. Dive gear was quickly set up then a sumptuous buffet provided by Chef Cameron was enjoyed by all. The Captain’s brief, a glass of wine and most were ready for bed eager for the week to really commence.

Monday started with two wrecks. The stunning Teshio Maru provided the location for the check out dive followed by the magnificent wreck Iro Maru. A deserved break for lunch while the Aggressor snuck through the German Channel and Ngemelis Wall was the next dive. The splendid Coral Garden of Ngedebus was the focus for the fourth dive. The evening’s entertainment was provided with much anticipation as, Les Stroud, ‘Survivorman’ himself, was going to share his secrets.

Tuesday and Blue Holes was up first with the sun providing the perfect backdrop for some amazing photographs. The sheer wall of Turtle Cove was up next and as the name suggests some inquisitive green turtles dropped in to buddy up with the divers. After lunch New Drop Off allowed for the reef hooks to be used and the grey reef sharks looked on with interest. Then Blue Corner in the late afternoon, time for the hooks and more sharks, turtles, and the napoleon wrasse too. The night dive was back to Ngedebus Coral Gardens where Instructor Emma somehow found some of the smallest stuff, including juvenile cuttlefish.

Wednesday, up early for the journey to Peleliu. Peleliu Corner was then served up after breakfast and equally enjoyed by all. Two oceans merging to allow the opportunity for some strong current along with plentiful fish life. The West Wall next provided the backdrop for some turtles and shark action. After lunch, with the change in current, those not participating in the tour of the island enjoyed the other side of Peleliu Corner. The late afternoon dive was Barracks Point where the two giant clams were posing for photographs. The night dive was Turtle Cove where some cuttle fish provided the entertainment.

Thursday, and taking advantage of the incoming current, everybody was excited for the Blue Corner hook in dive and it did not disappoint. As the tide was out the entry next into Virgin Hole was a bit tight but worth the effort with the sunbeams trickling through the blue. Ferns Wall passed along nicely early afternoon then onto German Channel where three magnificent manta rays had everybody talking all the way through dinner. Alexis Coral Garden was the night dive choice.

Friday we all were up early for the trip to Ulong Island with dolphins helping navigate us through the waters. Siaes Tunnel with the disco clams lighting up the morning dive then we ventured onto Siaes Corner. Lunch was served “Survivor Style” on the beach and then we visited Ulong Channel with the incoming current taking everybody over the beautiful coral gardens after we enjoyed the shark show at the mouth of the channel. Everybody enjoyed this so much in fact we did the dive twice. Chef Cameron provided a cocktail reception and Len followed with his famous prime rib buffet.

Saturday, our guests topped off the week with a snorkel at Jellyfish Lake and a diversity dive at Chandelier Caves. This wraps up another incredible week of diving aboard the Palau Aggressor II. We hope you have the opportunity to come out and see us soon.

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Palau Aggressor Captain’s Report April 28 – May 5, 2013

Water Temp: 83 deg F
Air Temp: 76-85 deg F

Crew: Capt. Marc, Hector, Cameron, Len, John, Adam, Emma

Sunday
To start off our charter we were joined by our guests Sunday afternoon. They checked in were orientated to their rooms and immediately began assembling their dive gear excited for the charter to begin. They were treated to dinner by Chef Cameron and then relaxed in the main salon while Capt. Marc gave his safety briefing and orientated our guests to the rest of the vessel. Afterwards our guests continued to set up their camera equipment and gear and shared stories all excited for the morning to come and to get in the beautiful waters of Palau.

Monday
Monday morning we awoke to beautiful weather and left the dock at 6 am. Our guests had a hearty breakfast of and we gave them a briefing to describe the diving procedures of the week. For our check out dive we headed to the Helmet Wreck and after we situated our guests’ buoyancy and camera equipment we went for a dive on this wonderful wreck. Our guests were excited to see the exposed depth charges and the string grid set up for removing the ordinances. For our next dive we went to the Iro Maru and had a wonderful dive there also. Here our guests explored some of the cargo holds and took many photos of the both the stern and bow guns. On the dive we were mesmerized by a large school of jacks that circled near the king posts as well as sweet lips and spadefish. As we headed back to the mooring line our guests took many photos of a small pufferfish hugging the line that connects the still upright kingposts. On our safety stop we also were fortunate to view a jellyfish peacefully moving through the sunlight.

We returned to the vessel for lunch and enjoyed a variety of grilled sandwiches and gumbo. For our next dive we headed to the Ngemelis Wall. Here we had both green turtles and hawksbill turtles, at least seven in total. We were also joined by two grey reef sharks and an inquisitive white tip. On the wall itself we were also able to find three nudibranchs of varying species. For our last dive of the day we headed to German Channel where we spotted an ornate eagle ray and spent some time with the sharks there.

Tuesday
Our first dive was to Blue Corner where our guests had a thrilling dive with a multitude of grey reef sharks and enjoyed the company of our playful resident napoleon wrasse. They also enjoyed exploring the plateau, spending time with white tip sharks sleeping in the sand, as well as following sleepy turtles. We returned to the ship for a lunch of chicken and steak fajitas that filled everyone’s bellies and a smile on everyone’s faces. For our third dive we went to New Drop Off where we hooked in and watched a show of grey reef sharks and white tips as well as schooling barracuda and red tooth triggerfish. Our passengers also were able to obtain some fantastic photos of sleeping turtles.

For our fourth dive went to Fern’s Wall and soaked in the visual splendor in the days fading sunrays. On this dive we had black tip sharks cruising overhead in the shallows and grey reef sharks patrolling the blue. We also found a wide variety of anemones and anemone fish including a tiny individual guarding an equally small anemone. We also enjoyed cruising through curtains of pyramid butterfly fish. After this dive we had a dinner of teriyaki beef and ginger garlic shrimp that delighted the taste buds. After our guests ate dinner we went to Turtle Cove for our night dive. We found a wide variety of shrimps and crabs, nudibranchs, and many unicorn fish. We watched several basket stars in awe of the beauty. Our guests went to bed very happy and full of excitement contemplating what they might see in Peleliu.

Wednesday
On Wednesday we awoke and immediately the big boat left Turtle Cove and headed south for a big day south in the Peleliu area. Our guests had full breakfast of chorizo breakfast burritos and when we arrived in Peleliu they were fueled up and ready to begin diving. Our first dive was at Peleliu Corner along the express route of the plateau. Here we were surprised to find sea bream back in the area as usually they are a onetime event. After watching them go by we continued on with the current and watched large bump head parrot fish chase after each other as we drifted through curtains of red tooth trigger fish. For our second dive we went to West Wall and on the macro side we found nudibranchs and juvenile spotted sweet lips. We also found a large school of red snapper hugging the wall and under the soft corals there were scorpion fish. After this dive we returned to a nice and hearty lunch of hamburgers and hot dogs.

For our third dive we returned to West Wall but found the current was running in the opposite direction and so we started on West Wall, but continued on until we were on the outgoing side of Peleliu Corner. The dive was chock full of life. From flatworms to giant trevally, napoleon wrasse, a couple green sea turtles and a few large groups of spade fish that seemed to glow yellow in the afternoon sun. We were also passed on the wall by a couple of white tip sharks and a solo grey reef shark that came in close to look us over. For fourth dive we went to Barrack’s Point and explored its coral gardens. We found many varying species of nudibranch, a couple of sleepy turtles and were passed by a small tuna. After this dive we chased down the big boat which had moved to German Channel and we found a wonderful dinner of chicken, tuna, roasted eggplant and cous cous waiting for us when we arrived. For our night dive our dive headed to the German Channel Coral and they found a very large free swimming moray eel as well as an octopus and urchins on the move. Tucked in to the reef were many sleepy fish hiding from a marauding white tip that was also sighted in the area. Our guests returned to the vessel ready to rest from the full day they had.

Thursday
Our guests awoke this morning outside of German Channel, excited for an encore dive day of some of their favorite dive sites. We started off with German Channel and our guests were fortunate to view a large manta feeding at 70 feet. They also enjoyed watching sharks cruising through the deep water. For our second dive we went to Blue Corner and dove the incoming side. Right off the bat we had a hawksbill turtle gently cruising the wall oblivious to the large jack it almost ran over. We continued on and passed through red tooth trigger fish, fusiliers and split a large school of black snapper once we hooked in we had a terrific shark parade. Grey reef after grey reef shark passed followed by the occasional small group of white tip sharks. We had a single grey reef our guests nicknamed scar face who passed several times within ten feet of our guests. As we watched a large school of jacks passed by, the group was so large and dense they actually obstructed the sunlight. At this time we unhooked for photos and headed to the end of the corner to a patch of lettuce coral where blue lined snapper congregate. Afterwards we began our ascent and completed our safety stop among a large school of barracuda. After this dive we went back to the big boat for a fantastic lunch of spaghetti and meatballs and chicken pasta.

For our third dive we went to Blue Holes and spent time inside the cavern mesmerized by the ambient lighting trickling down through the entrances overhead. To finish out the dive we travelled along the wall viewing the beautiful soft corals along the wall to Blue Corner and spent time playing with the napoleon wrasse. For our last dive of the day we returned to Blue Corner but dove on the outgoing side of the corner. Along the wall we had mackerel and large dogtooth tuna and then the sharks began appearing out of the blue below us and overhead. We came up to the plateau to spend some more time with the Napoleons and also got some great photos of grouper hiding under an outcropping covered in soft corals. At the end of the dive we found a cuttlefish at the edge of the plateau. We came back to the boat for dinner and Cameron treated us to a wonderful meal of guava glazed pork loin and a mango sauce for our basa. To cap off the night since we had such a wonderful day with sharks we watched a Discovery Channel special on ancient sharks before turning in for the night.

Friday
Friday morning we awoke in the area of the Rock Islands and after an omelet breakfast we set out for Jellyfish Lake where our guests enjoyed the morning snorkeling peacefully with the golden jellies and taking photos of the pajama cardinal fish hiding amongst the mangrove trees. After our return we immediately headed to Ulong to set up for dives the rest of the day. Our first dive there was at the famous Ulong Channel. We travelled along the wall spying nudibranchs, jacks and a school of scad. We came up the reef and hooked in at the mouth of the channel and enjoyed many close encounters with the sharks there. Towards the end of the dive we unhooked and explored the beautiful coral gardens of the channel itself.

For lunch we took our guests to the beautiful Ulong Beach where they enjoyed a fabulous box lunch prepared by Chef Cameron under the shade of the trees and spent time frolicking in the warm blue waters. For our next dive we went to Siaes Corner. We explored the wall and found a barramundi hiding under a ledge and we also watched large pufferfish as they cruised along the wall. We made our way up onto the small plateau and found moray eels among the soft corals and also watched sharks and napoleon wrasse along the edge of the plateau. After a surface interval aboard the big boat we went back to Ulong Channel to explore the coral gardens up above the channel itself. While here we watched a large school of jacks grouped together in a large ball looked among the staghorn coral for long nose file fish. When we returned our guests found an excellent meal of prime rib and shrimp for dinner and afterwards Captain Marc presented to the guests the video he had been working on all week for them. There were many smiling and laughing faces in the room and it was a perfect way to wind down another excellent day of adventure.

Saturday
We awoke this morning outside of Ulong and began our morning with a dive at Siaes Tunnel. Our guests enjoyed going inside this tunnel and looking at macro life such as blue-black pygmy angelfish as well as finding lionfish and a moray eel inside. Upon leaving the tunnel we encountered a large school of jacks and continued our dive gently drifting along the wall observing grey reef sharks and turtles.

After this we took our guests on a Tour of the Rock Islands while they snapped photos from the boat and paused for photo ops in front of the famous arch. After this wonderful experience we headed to Chandelier Caves and explored the beautiful air chambers inside. Outside of the cave we explored the shallows and found mandarin fish for them to take photos of. It was a wonderful way to cap off the week and the diverse diving offered in Palau. We returned to the vessel for a filling lunch and our guests spent the rest of their day exploring the local sights before returning to the vessel where Photo Pro John presented his slide show for our guests to see all of the lovely photos he took of them during the week.

Sunday
After a final breakfast we said goodbye to our guests with heavy hearts as they departed for the airport. They were a fantastic group to share this wonderful place with and we hope they will return to see us again soon.

The Palau Aggressor Crew

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Palau Aggressor II Captain’s Report May 5 – 12, 2013

Sunday we welcomed our new guests for the week to the Palau Aggressor II: Kirk, Yena, Peter, Sergey A, Valimir, Andrey G, Sergey G, Sergey Z, Andrey K, Ilya, Elena, Alexey, and Karina. The crew this week is Captain Marc, Stewardess Agnes, Chef Cameron, Photo Pro John, Dive Master Andy, Instructor Emma and Engineer Hector. Once aboard the captain greeted our new shipmates and we started with the room briefings and setting up dive gear. At 6:30 pm Chef Cameron had dinner ready of Flank Steak, Herb Chicken, Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes, Veggies and Caesar Salad that was followed by a delicious Chocolate Mocha Cake. So after dinner we concluded with the Captain’s safety briefing and a trip overview to let everyone know what to expect for the week.

Monday we left the dock at Malakal Harbor at 6 am and had just a short cruise to our first dive site, the Depth Charge Wreck. Most of the wrecks in Palau we dive are the results of WWII battles between the Japanese and the Americans. The Depth Charge wreck was sunk very close to Malakal Harbor so it makes for a great check out dive; no current and it’s shallower then the other wrecks. The true name of the wreck is unknown, so it has been given the name Depth Charge wreck because it has holds full of depth charges. Dive 2 is one of my favorite wrecks in Palau, the Iro Maru. This wreck was a Japanese fleet oil tanker that lies just outside Malakal Harbor in the outskirts of the rock islands. As you descend down the mooring line you are greeted with the site of the ship’s bow gun. As we start to make our way around the deck we spot a large school of jacks by the king post of the ship. Then as we work our way from the stern, we discover numerous resident nudibranchs and see the very heart of the ship, the engine room. When we reach the stern we swim around the stern gun and start to make our way back to the mooring. On our way we climb the triple trees and at the top there is a very large anemone full of tomato clownfish. This is absolutely great for those photo and video guests on board.

While we were on the dive, Captain Marc started to move the Palau Aggressor near the German Channel area, which meant the skiff, or our dive tender, had a nice drive through some of Palau’s rock islands on our way to rejoin the mothership. When we caught up with big boat it was time for a plentiful lunch of burgers and hot dogs and afterwards a time to rest. Dive 3 was Ngemelis Wall, which is a great wall dive right off Ngemelis Island. On the dive a large yellow and black nudi was found called a notordoris minor, which had just laid its eggs, and among the bubble corals a tiny orangutan crab was found. All in all, a great dive showing off the beautiful soft corals and gigantic sea fans. Dive 4 we headed out to the famous German Channel. The dive started with first a visit to the red anemone then over to the sand and coral heads for the cleaning station to see sharks and other fish getting cleaned. When the divers were at the cleaning station they were treated to a manta ray fly over, as German Channel is the best place to see manta rays here in Palau. Large schools of jacks and barracuda were also spotted. On our return to the boat it was dinnertime, which consisted of a Roasted Pumpkin Soup, Green Salad, followed by Blackened Tuna with Pineapple Salsa, and to finish it off a Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream Sundae. After dinner we gave a refresher briefing about how to use a reef hook in preparation for Tuesday’s anticipated action-packed day of diving.

Tuesday we all woke up early to make our first dive trip the famous Blue Corner area. Blue Holes was the first dive, entering the water going down one of the four large holes on top of the plateau opening into a large cavern where electric scallops are found or ‘Disco Clams’ to the crew because when you light them up you can see a brilliant blue pulse. Also in the cave little hermit crabs and shrimp are found. Our photo pro John was hard at work taking pictures of our guests with the sunbursts shining through the holes for his weekly slide show. We exited the cavern wall on our left that leads the divers to the famous Blue Corner where gray reef sharks are plentiful and napoleon wrasse come and check out the divers when they are hooked in. On our return to the ship it’s breakfast time and Chef Cameron has his cooked spread ready for all to enjoy. Dive 2 is at Turtle Cove, which is a wonderful wall dive that starts with a short chimney swim through. With lots of very vibrant soft corals and large sea fans, it’s one of the best spots to see the square spot anthias and other reef fish. Once the divers reach the plateau it’s when we start to see the turtles.
Dive 3 today is at New Drop Off, which is a small corner dive that some describe as a mini-Blue Corner. On the dive big schools of barracuda and snapper were spotted among the resident green turtles sleeping on the plateau. Dive 4 we ventured to Blue Corner and we reached the corner on an incoming tide with the wall on our right. The dive starts with a very nice wall with big schools of midnight snapper, jacks, and gray reef sharks cruising effortlessly. We then hooked in to watch the show. The shark action was plentiful with grays and white tip sharks cruising in front of the hooked in divers and we also had the entertainment of the three resident napoleon wrasse all to ourselves. When we unhooked, we drifted to the point of the corner and here is basically a huge cleaning station for all the reef fish with a big school of great barracuda getting cleaned and some sweetlips. It was a great Blue Corner dive. When we got back to the big boat Chef Cameron had dinner ready of Cauliflower Soup, Blackened Tuna Salad, a main dish of Basa or Chicken with Potatoes and Vegetables, followed by his famous Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie. Dive 5, Night dive at Turtle Cove, one of the crews favorite dive because the wall comes alive with all the yellow polyps open, large basket stars, crabs, shrimp and nudies were also spotted.

Wednesday, bright and early at 5am, Captain Marc started the engines of the Palau Aggressor II to make our voyage down to one of Palau most southern islands, Peleliu. Just after sunrise we arrived in south dock also known as “Camp Beck”, which is a sheltered place to keep the Aggressor for the day. Dive 1 was at Peleliu Corner, a site that is one of the most unpredictable dives here in Palau because of two oceans meeting, the North Pacific and the Philippine Sea. This time all was calm on the dive and a huge school of sea bream was in the blue for almost the whole dive. Gray reef sharks were also abundant. A treat was seen on the safety stop of a marble ray on the plateau. Dive 2 we went to West Wall, which is just north of the corner and is one of the crew’s favorite walls in Peleliu with huge gorgonian sea fans and lots of soft corals. Nudis were some of the macro items spotted as well as porcelain crabs, turtles were abundant and some tuna cruising in the blue water.

On our return it’s lunchtime, then a land tour was offered to show Peleliu’s bloody past. Here one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific camping was fought on this island, which is only 6 miles long by 2 miles wide. The tour took the guests to the USA Marine Cemetery that is now a monument at Orange Beach, the beach the US forces landed on. The tour then goes on to the coral limestone runway, which was the main reason for the invasion. The visit continued with viewing artifacts of Japanese tanks, US tanks, and landing craft and concluded with a visit to the Peleliu War Museum which was started by a local named Tanji, and filled with may artifacts and pictures from the battle in 1944. For the few that did not go on the land tour, Dive 3 was a return to the unpredictable Peleliu Corner, but this time beginning with the ‘D Cut’ or wall to the left. Dive 4 for all was Barracks Point. This is a dive site on the northeast side of Peleliu and is a large coral garden filled with lots of soft corals. There were large schools of surgeonfish spotted as well as some of the macro critters like nudies as well as a nice scorpion fish. Towards the end of the dive, a few divers got a glimpse of a giant clam hidden amongst the hard and soft corals in the garden. On the return to the big boat dinner was served consisting of Tomato Soup, Tuna Salad, Flank Steak or Shrimp and ending with a Mango Cobbler. Dive 5 was at German Channel Coral Garden, a nice easy sloping coral garden where we spotted many different crabs along with nudies and shrimp.

Wednesday began early at Blue Corner with a 6:45 am dive there. We elected to head out early so we could have the whole dive site to ourselves. We reached the site on a good incoming current so wall on the right and then we all hooked in for a great show from the gray reef sharks and the endless clouds of red tooth triggerfish. We also had the company of the three resident napoleon wrasse who entertain everyone. When it was time to unhook, we drifted to the point of the corner to see a wonderful patch of lettuce coral and blue line snapper. Dive 2 was the return of New Drop Off a smaller corner but always packed with action from large schools of barracuda, to the sharks, to the huge green turtles hiding from the current. Hunting trevally were also very active with the white tip sharks not too far behind. Dive 3 after lunch was at Ferns Wall, a site that is on Ngemelis Island between Ngemelis Wall and New Drop Off. On this dive it’s all about the corals, big sea fans and soft corals where the keen-eyed people can spot nudies on sponges and long nose hawkfish in the sea fans and dart fish on the sandy ledges. Out in the blue a few sharks are even spotted.

For dive 4 it was the return of German Channel and wow what a dive! From the start it was action-packed. As we pulled up to the dive site we could see the feeding fish close to the surface. When the group dropped in we made our way to the cleaning station and on the way we saw the dark cloud of black snapper and fusilier fish feeding on the plankton, which in turn brings in the famous manta rays of German Channel. Even though there was only one, it put on a great show for all the divers. When the manta swam away there was still too much going on, including gray reef sharks and tunas hunting with jacks and Spanish mackerel getting involved too. After a great dive a wonderful dinner was served of Chicken Soup, Green Salad, Pork Tenderloin or Fish with Black Beans and Stir-fried Vegetables and a Mango Sauce and Flourless Chocolate Cake for desert. Unfortunately the night dive was canceled due to bad weather, so instead the big boat made its way to Ulong Island aka ‘Survivor Island’.

Friday we had another early start to the day with a 5am dive at Sandy Paradise as we were trying to see bumphead parrotfish spawning. This time we were unlucky, but we had a very nice night-to-dawn dive nonetheless seeing schools of spadefish and barracuda. In the sand we also saw active cone shells (a first for some of the crew), along with a nice octopus to end the dive. Dive 2 was at Siaes Tunnel, a great dive starting with a massive tunnel so big it could fit three of the Aggressor boats inside it with room! In the tunnel it is a great place to see some rare fish not usually seen in normal dive depths, such as the blue back pigmy angelfish, and the decorator and Helfich’s dart fish. We also saw schooling jacks and tuna inside. We exited the tunnel and continued the dive wall on the right seeing turtles, sharks and some great corals.

Siaes Corner was Dive 3 and just one minute from the tunnel is a small corner where we had a chance to hook in on the incoming side seeing some sharks and hundreds of pyramid butterfly fish. After unhooking and drifting across the plateau, flat worms and moray eels were spotted. It was then lunchtime and Dive 4 at Ulong Channel. This is one of the highlights of the trip and many of the crew’s top dive site in Palau. The dive starts with the wall on the left to the mouth of the channel then it’s time to hook in. This is where the show starts, with gray reef sharks just inches away from the divers. Not only sharks, but also tuna and trevally are present. Now the unhook and the drift down the channel. Here comes the fun bit of flying down the channel seeing grouper darting out of your way and triggerfish and countless anemones. On the drift we reach a patch of lettuce coral that is maybe 75ft long by 35ft tall (the crew refers to it as “fish condos”), as most layers of the coral have soldierfish living there. A short drift and the crew took the divers to a secret hide away from the current where two giant clams lay in the sand encrusted with wonderful soft corals. A great way to end the dive. Rest time and we are ready for Dive 5. A repeat, by popular demand, of Ulong Channel and again like the first time a wonderful wall dive to start with plenty of sharks in the mouth of the channel for the hook in, and a great drift down the channel. Dinner time and Chef Cameron had his famous Prime Rib & Fish Buffet. After dinner it was Captain Marc taking time to go through the next day’s actives and then onto the ‘Movie of the Week’ and what a great way to recap the week it was.

Saturday’s activities began with a trip to Jellyfish Lake. A short boat ride from Ulong and tucked away in Palau’s rock islands is a land-locked lake full of stingless jellyfish. When we arrive at the dock it was a short hike up and over the hill to reach the lake and then we had an hour snorkeling in a lake with over 14 million jellyfish inside; a truly “once in a lifetime” experience. Finished in the lake it’s then a hike back to the skiff and over to John’s famous Rock Island tour where he took the guests, weaving in and around the rock islands, to the famous archway where photo pro John was taking pictures for those who wanted them. During the time the guests were out snorkeling and having a rock island tour the big boat made its way back close to Koror.

It sadly was then time to go and do the last dive of the trip at Chandelier Cave. A short boat ride and we reached the sheltered lagoon where the cave is. We split the group in two and the first group went in the cave system with four air chambers. The first chamber has inside a nice formation of stalactites covered in salt crystals and when you shine your flashlight in it looks like a chandelier. We repeat this exercise three more times in each air chamber. Each chamber is a little different from the other. Whilst the first group was in the cave the 2^nd group was out exploring and doing muck dive looking for the curious mandarin fish. Once we were back to the boat we started the breakdown of dive equipment and washing. For the rest of the afternoon the guests had the chance to stretch their legs on dry land, some going to get massages after their action-packed week of diving, while others just chilled and caught up on the week logging their dives. At 6 pm we started the wine and cheese party where we talked about the week gone by, followed by photo pro John’s slide show and then everyone enjoyed dinner ashore.

Sunday had a slightly later start to the day at 7am with breakfast and at 8am we said our finale good bys. All the crew of the Palau Aggressor would like to say a big “thank you” for diving with us (or reading about our action packed week J.
The Palau Aggressor Crew

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Palau Aggressor II Captain’s Report May 12 – 22, 2013
Special 10 Night Charter

Ave. air temp: 82-85F
Ave. water temp: 82-84F
Crew: Marc, Hector, Cameron, John, Agnes, Adam

Monday
On Monday morning we arose early and left the dock ready to start an exciting day diving some of the WWII wrecks of Palau. After we gave the briefing on the general dive procedures for the week we headed to the wreck of the Teshio Maru. Here we entered the wreck and swam through in a couple of places exploring the damage done to the ship. On the dive we found a curious long fin batfish hiding in the early morning shade. We also spotted signal gobies, Moorish idols, angelfish and many small butterfly and cardinal fish. For our second dive we went to the wreck of the Iro Maru. Diving this massive ship we took note of its stern and bow guns, superstructure as well as the still attached anchor chain. As we cruised peacefully along the deck we encountered a large school of swirling jacks, an enormous anemone full of resident fish, and also small gobies and tobies as we explored the line connecting the king posts. After this dive we returned to a fulfilling lunch of shrimp and sausage gumbo as well as a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches. For our third dive we went to the Jake Sea Plane and had wonderful photo ops before we departed the wreck and headed to a small adjoining wall. Here we saw grouper hiding under a tabletop coral waiting for their chance to ambush the small school of fish above. We also spied some pajama cardinal fish and long jaw mackerel. As we finished out the dive we found a pair of nudibranch. For our last dive of the day we went to the Mandarin Coral Garden to spend time watching the hypnotic mandarin fish, cuttlefish and razor fish. We ended the day with a fantastic dinner of pork in a dijon glaze, yellowfin tuna in a red pepper coulis sauce and a mixed berry cobbler. Afterwards our guests received the reef hook briefing while the big boat was underway to the wonderful Ulong Island where we would be spending our next wonderful day of diving.

Tuesday
On Tuesday we awoke in front of the beautiful Ulong Island and enjoyed a beautiful day there. We started off with a morning dive at the famous Ulong Channel. We were able to catch the channel at slack tide, which allowed us a little bit of time at the mouth with sharks before exploring the channel itself at a leisurely pace. We encountered many grouper, a few feisty titan triggerfish, as well as some three spot dacyllus and nudibranchs. For our second dive we went to Siaes Tunnel and before our guests entered the tunnel they were passed by a couple of large dogtooth tuna. Inside the tunnel they were treated to a variety of macro life including decorated dart fish, signal gobies and pygmy blue back angelfish. After our dive we returned for lunch and then set out to Sandy Paradise for a beautiful dive there. Along the sandy bottom we found garden eels and observed large schools of white snapper and barracuda. We also had a few lazy white tips and a patrolling grey reef shark. We were able to find our resident leaf scorpion fish which provided some wonderful photos and then we moved to the shallower areas observed barramundi and drifted peacefully through schools of reef fish. For our last dive of the day we returned to Ulong Channel and caught a moderate incoming tide that brought us lots of nice shark action and a fun ride down the channel itself. We cruised by a large patch of lettuce coral and observed all of the fish taking shelter there and then we headed over to a pair of giant clams and took plenty of photos there and also observed some nudibranchs in the sandy areas. As we surfaced we were treated to the beautiful makings of a sunset and headed home for dinner. Aboard the big boat Chef Cameron prepared a wonderful dinner of shrimp linguine, a tangy apple nut salad, as well as a delicious tomato soup and capped it off with a fantastic dessert of brownies and ice cream. We all retired for the evening quite content with our meal and the day.

Wednesday
We rose with the sun, excited to spend one more day at Ulong Island. After a breakfast of French toast we went straight to Ulong Channel in order to have the best conditions and our guests were not disappointed as they had a very relaxing dive through the channel that allowed them to explore it once more without feeling like they were being hurried. For our next dive we went to Siaes Corner where our snorkeler enjoyed cruising through the shallows while our divers enjoyed the wall of this dive site and seeing the sharks, trevally and barracuda before ascending to the plateau above to explore and admire the soft corals. After the dive Chef Cameron prepared for us a grilled chicken lunch buffet on the beautiful and picturesque Ulong beach. After we fed and frolicked on the beach we returned to the vessel got ready for another dive at Ulong, but this time focused our dive on the Ulong Coral Garden to the north of the channel. Our guests found white tips sleeping in the sand patches, and a large group of jacks swirling above. We also found long nose filefish and napoleon wrasse cruising over the reef. After this dive we pulled anchor and headed to Wonder Channel in order to set up for the next day’s adventures.

Thursday
This morning we woke up in Wonder Channel and headed to Jellyfish Lake bright and early to spend a relaxing swim with the enchanting creatures. There were many wonderful photo opportunities and our guests were amazed by the sheer number of harmless jellies carrying out their morning. For our next dive we went to Blue Holes. At this wonderful dive site our guests explored the massive cavern soaking in the ambient beauty tickling in through the skylights overhead, they also had fun trying to snap pictures of the disco clams in action. To finish out the dive they cruised along the wall to the Blue Corner area and spent time playing with the napoleon wrasses there. After the dive we came home to a lunch of bbq chicken, pulled pork sandwiches and baked beans that really hit the spot. After we stuffed ourselves we went to Turtle Cove and enjoyed a dive there traveling first through the cavern on top, then along the wall admiring the soft corals and hunting for scorpion fish and nudibranchs and then we finished out the dive on top of the wall watching schools of snapper and pyramid butterflyfish. For our last dive of the day we went to the famous Blue Corner and hooked in to enjoy the showing of sharks there. Our guests also enjoyed viewing a turtle that had a companion spadefish following it, as well as the school of blue lined snapper on the plateau. Dinner was next and after our delicious meal our guests watched a special on Peleliu that had surviving veterans shed light on what it was truly like at that terrible battle. Our guests went to bed anxious to see the area 70 years later.

Friday
We awoke Friday morning inside Turtle Cove and our guests sipped coffee as they watched the black tip sharks circling around the boat waiting for an opportunity to pick off one of the small reef fish hiding under the vessel. For our first dive we went to German Channel and were treated to a very large manta slowly circling one of the cleaning stations. We also had a sighting of a leopard shark on this dive. After this dive we cast off and headed south to Peleliu. Our first dive in the area was at the famous Peleliu Corner where our guests saw first how the “Express Side” of the plateau earned its name. They were carried quickly along the wall and besides enjoying the ride viewed sharks and turtles as well as schools of red tooth triggerfish and black snapper. We returned to the big boat for fine lunch of “Cheeseburgers in Paradise” and our guests caught a small nap before our next dive at Barrack’s Point. On this dive we had a very gentle current that carried us effortlessly over the densely packed sloping plateau. Here we found many turtles, some very nice specimens of mackerel in the shallows and a very nice nudibranch specimen. For our last dive of the day we went to the famous Orange Beach where the American marines landed for the invasion of Peleliu during WWII. On this dive we cruised through the shallows exploring the unique topography of this site. Right off the bat we found a dark crocodile fish resting on the bottom in the open. As we moved along we acquired a private shark escort made up of three grey reef sharks and a couple white tip reef sharks. They stayed with us for most of the dive as we continued along observing the reef and some artifacts from the war. Towards the end of the dive we found a large moray eel that stayed in the open mostly exposed while being cleaned, which of course delighted our photographers. After this dive we returned to the big boat and had an exquisite dinner of guava glazed pork loin and yellow fin tuna in a miso soy sauce that was absolutely wonderful. After our meal our guests retired for the evening excited for our next day in the Peleliu area.

Saturday
Saturday morning we began the day with a dive to the West Wall dive site and along the “D’ Cut” side of the Peleliu Corner. Our guests were thrilled with the amount of life they saw in the form of large groupers and bumphead parrotfish as well as turtles and spadefish. After the dive our guests returned and opted for a lazy day of lounging on the boat and watching movies such as 2,000 Leagues Under the Sea while we moved the big boat to Turtle Cove. For lunch we were treated to fresh wahoo that was caught that morning along with homemade tartar sauce and chicken wings. For our next dive of the day we went to Big Drop Off. On this dive our guests saw a large ball and chain leftover from the days when German Channel was dredged early in the 20^th century. We also spent some time with a turtle, a grey reef shark and found a couple of nudibranchs. Towards the end of the dive in the shallows they enjoyed taking photos of the many anemones that were balled up as well as several juvenile midnight snapper among the feather stars. After this dive we returned to the boat for some more lounging before a feast of ribeye steaks covered with a gorgonzola butter and shrimp skewers. To cap it off we enjoyed a delicious pineapple cake and then turned in for the night.

Sunday
On Sunday morning we started our day off with high current dive at New Drop Off. The conditions were strong enough that instead of hooking in we enjoyed the dive on the fly and viewed sharks, barracuda, a nudibranch, a lionfish and we were even able to spy a leaf scorpion fish for some photos despite the tremendous speed of our dive. For our next dive we travelled to Virgin Blue Hole and enjoyed the fantastic lighting and swim throughs of this cavern system as well as the fantastic marine life of this dive. We returned to the boat for lunch and enjoyed some downtime while watching The Gods Must Be Crazy. For our next dive we went to Blue Corner and enjoyed the many photo opportunities with the napoleon wrasse and sharks. Our guests also enjoyed the time spent exploring the plateau and taking photos of blue lined snapper and turtles. On our last dive of the day we went to Fern’s Wall and explored the soft corals where one of our guests found a red scorpionfish. Also on the dive they had the company of some sharks, a large turtle, and a plethora of reef fish. After the dive we returned to the ship for a fantastic Italian dinner prepared by Chef Cameron and after we spent the evening celebrating our guest Kay’s birthday with a cake and a slide show put together by another of our guests.

Monday
We awoke once again in front of the beautiful Ulong Island and started the day with a dive at Ulong Coral Garden. Our guests loved having a mild current and exploring all the nooks and crannies of this area and as they ended the dive near the mouth of the channel they came across some feeding action as the grey reef sharks corralled a ball of scad to the surface and systematically picked out their breakfast. For the next dive they explored Ulong Channel from the inside out, down a different section of the channel photographing the plentiful reef fish. After lunch we returned and on a slack tide approached Ulong Channel from the less travelled south side. On this dive we encountered a wahoo passing on the wall and a large great barracuda that was lurking under a table coral. As we entered the channel we found that the whitetip sharks were on parade and then resting in the sand. We encountered grouper having standoffs over territory, as well as a pair of hermit crabs that seemed to be quarreling. For our last dive of the day we returned to Sandy Paradise and dove among schools of barracuda, white snapper, and found very well-disguised filefish. Having finished our last dive of the day we returned to the big boat for a cocktail party followed by a feast of miso soup, shrimp cocktail, prime rib, seared tuna and peanut butter ice cream cake for desert. After dinner Capt. Marc presented his video that he shot of our guests during the charter. After exchanging much laughter and smiles we exchanged goodnights and headed for bed.

Tuesday
We started off this morning with a dive at Clam City. Here we explored the shallows observing the multitude of giant clams and gobies. After this we took our guests on a tour of the Rock Islands while they snapped photos from the boat and paused for photo ops in front of the famous arch. After this wonderful experience we headed to Chandelier Caves and explored the beautiful air chambers inside. Outside of the cave we explored the shallows and found mandarin fish for them to take photos of. It was a wonderful way to cap off the week and the diverse diving offered in Palau. We returned to the vessel for a filling lunch and our guests spent the rest of their day exploring the local sights before returning to the vessel where John presented his slide show for our guests to see all of the lovely photos he took of them. That night we bade farewell to Jim and Kay, Chris and Patrick.

Wednesday
After breakfast we said farewell to Bruce and Donna as they departed for the airport. It was a wonderful ten-day charter and we felt very fortunate to have spent it with such wonderful guests.

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Palau Aggressor II Captain’s Report May 23 – June 2, 2013
Special 10 Night Charter

Avg. air temp: 82-85F
Avg. water temp: 82-84F
Crew: Marc, Hector, Cameron, John, Loly, Adam

Friday
On Friday morning we awoke offshore of the picturesque Ulong Island and started our ten-day charter diving in at Sandy Paradise. Our guests enjoyed this beautiful dive with its variety of terrain and the beautiful lighting that they had, as well as the abundance of marine life - though we think the leaf scorpion fish was the favorite. For their next dive we explored the Ulong Coral Gardens and found white tip sharks, schooling trevally along with long nose filefish. For our next two dives we went for dives at the amazing Ulong Channel and enjoyed a ‘shark show’ brought on by the full moon and incoming tide and outstanding photo opportunities with the resident giant clams. After a full day of diving we returned to the Palau Aggressor II and enjoyed a wonderful dinner before turning in for bed.

Saturday
This morning we started our day with a breakfast of French toast while moored in front of Ulong Island as our guests prepared for another exciting day of diving. For their first dive of the day they went to Siaes Tunnel and explored the wonderful life there, from soldier fish that spend their entire lives upside at the top of the cavern, to bait balls of scad at the bottom being rounded up and harassed by dogtooth tuna. For the second dive the returned to the area for a dive at Siaes Corner. Here they enjoyed viewing a grey reef shark being followed by her young as well as schools of barracuda, jacks, and moray eels tucked in amongst the soft corals. After this dive we went back to the big boat and had a wonderful lunch of BBQ pork, baked beans, hot wings and pineapple coleslaw. For or third dive of the day we went to Ulong Channel and enjoyed an intimate dive with the grey reef sharks there. Some of them were willing to come within inches of our divers. As we moved down the channel we played bowling for grouper, as we seemed to have to move in order running into the vast number of fish amongst the sandy bottom. Later we would return for one more dive among the Coral Garden and enjoyed viewing a large school of black snapper as well as a napoleon wrasse that paid no mind to our divers as it came in close to poke around inside the reef. For dinner we were overjoyed with Chef Cameron’s steaks in gorgonzola cheese, baked basa, Tahitian poke, cauliflower soup and a terrific tiramisu for dessert. Stuffed, and quite happy, we retired for the night as the big boat moved under the full moon to just inside German Channel to prepare us for the next day of diving.

Sunday
We woke up at the German Channel mooring ready to see another area of the wonderful diving in Palau. We didn’t delay the excitement and started the day off with a dive at the famous Blue Holes. There was no disappointment with great conditions in the holes and the perfect current along the wall transporting us to the Blue Corner area where the guests had their first introductions to the friendly napoleon wrasses. For the second dive we visited Ngemelis Wall for a nice relaxing drift dive along the beautiful wall and all of its macro life. The big ol’ salad bar for lunch was refreshing as the heat of Palau was now bearing down on us. For the third dive we jumped in at New Drop Off. The guests were treated with sightings of several turtles cruising the reef and a huge school of blue lined snapper posing for pictures. The highlight of the day had to be on the forth dive at German Channel. Even though it is outside of manta season we still experienced four feeding mantas displaying their graceful feeding formations for the entire dive. An experience like that is truly unforgettable. Chef Cameron outdid himself preparing a fabulous dinner of chicken and shrimp sauté served with his famous peanut sauce followed by his mixed berry cobbler. The guests summed up Sunday’s diving as “an epic day of diving”.

Monday
Monday began with yet another fine spread of breakfast treats and the excitement of visiting Blue Corner for the first time. The dive went well with a nice outgoing current that allowed the guests to see the entire corner. The action was good at the hook in and the plateau was full of life. We then moved the mother ship to the Turtle Cove mooring in preparation of diving Turtle Cove. This site never disappoints and this was no exception. The macro life is fabulous on the wall that is covered with soft corals, and with sharks and schooling fish in the blue, all made their presence know. After lunch, we visited Fern’s Wall, which proved to be the perfect dive after filling our stomachs. It was a nice lazy drift dive that took us past several large sea fans and gorgonians with a nice balance of macro life in between. There was an overwhelming desire to go back to German Channel for the forth dive to see the mantas again. Unfortunately, the show was not like yesterdays, but it gave us a chance to see all the other wonders that German Channel has to offer. The shark action was in the mouth of the channel and the drift through the channel was picturesque. Monday was the first night dive and we went back to Turtle Cove. The colors on the wall were astounding, as well as all the little creatures hiding amongst the colorful corals.

Tuesday
The plan on Tuesday was to venture into another area of Palau’s diving, Peleliu. But first, we made another dive at Blue Corner. There was a very nice incoming current, which allowed us to the opposite side of the corner than previously. The action was there with schooling jacks and black snapper, sharks in the blue, and the friendly napoleon wrasses teasing the photographers. After the dive, Captain Marc fired up the engines and we were off to Peleliu.

The second dive was on the famous Peleliu Corner. The current was still incoming allowing us to dive the ‘Express’. The current was perfect taking us past a slideshow of marine life. Sharks, groupers, bump head parrotfishes, and unicorn fishes were plentiful along the wall. Following lunch we visited Barracks Point. This deeper coral garden lived up to its name, showing the guests pristine hard and sorf corals with giant clams scattered about. For the last dive we traveled back to the Turtle Cove area to Ngedebus Coral Garden. The day was topped off with a fabulous dinner of rib eye steaks, fresh tuna, and Cameron’s classic brownie sundae.

Wednesday
Wednesday morning was beautiful with a colorful sunrise and calm seas starting the day off right. The first dive was at Virgin Blue Holes. The swim throughs were once again the highlight of the dive with the clear waters and rays of sunshine making these passages memorable. For the second dive we went back to New Drop Off to do the other side of the corner. The dive produced several lazy turtles sleeping in their favorite coral hideouts. Two octopuses also made an appearance, peeking in and out of the coral. For lunch we ‘traveled to Mexico’ for one of my favorite dishes, enchiladas. We then made our way back to Peleliu with the skiff for a Peleliu Land Excursion and one dive. The guests visited the WWII relics left behind from the battle of Peleliu. We followed up the land tour with a dive at D’ Cut of Peleliu Corner. The visibility was spectacular and allowed for further viewing of the sharks out in the blue. The final dive was a night dive at Turtle Cove.

Thursday
We started the day with a great breakfast spread to prepare us for another dive at the famous corner. Blue Corner produced yet again a plethora of sharks and reef fish to make our heads spin. The friendly napoleons were all there to greet us. After a great dive at the corner we spent some time relaxing on the yacht before heading to Ngedebus Corner. Here we encountered some amazing soft corals and sea fans with loads of macro life. During lunch we decided to take the big boat closer to German Channel and dived Dexter’s Wall. Some beautiful canyons and gullies provided great exploration possibilities. Then we explored Big Drop Off with its fantastic macro life. Long nose hawkfish, nudibranchs and flatworms were among the favorites seen on this dive. We then ventured into the Rock Islands for the night.

Friday
Our adventure starts with Jellyfish Lake. This surreal experience is a memorable one with millions of stingless jellyfish as far as the eye can see. After this great experience we enjoyed a wonderful meander through the rock islands with a short stop at ‘the archway’ and a snorkel on a wreck. Back to the yacht for lunch and then it was time for the wreck of the Iro Maru. This 472 foot Japanese tanker gave a host of marine life and great exploration. After a snack break we splashed into another wreck, the Teshio Maru. This wreck lies further offshore and had very nice visibility. We swam into some of the holds and found numerous nudibranchs and flatworms, as well as an orangutan crab. After a great day’s diving we enjoyed the ‘video of the week’ where our guests were the stars.

Saturday
We started the day with a dive at the Jake Sea Plane. This interesting plane wreck just adds to the diversity that we have come to enjoy here in Palau. Ample photos were taken and fun was had. For our finale we explored Chandelier Caves. Inside the caves was spectacular with stalactites dangling from the ceilings like a chandelier. Once we finished exploring inside the caves, we enjoyed a nice ‘muck-style’ dive right outside encountering mandarin fish and signal gobies.

This ended a great 10-night charter here in Palau. We would like to thank our guests for joining us here in paradise and wish them a speedy return to Eat, Sleep and Dive Aggressor style!
Capt. Marc

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Palau Aggressor II Captain’s Report June 9 – 16, 2013

Air temp: 82-85
Water temp: 82-84
Crew: Marc, Hector, Cameron, Steve, Loly, Joe, and Adam

Monday
On Monday morning we left the dock bright and early and headed out with our new guests excited to show them the wonderful diving in Palau. After breakfast we ventured to the wreck of the Teshio Maru for our check out dive. We started down the mooring and explored many of the entrances and exits of the wreck and we were able to find many nudibranchs, including a beautiful chromodoris coi at the mooring line, and a colorful flatworm. Also on the dive we had an inquisitive juvenile long fin batfish and many colorful butterfly fish scattered among the tabletop corals. For our second dive we went to the Iro Maru and dove along the deck of the massive wreck. We viewed the deck guns on the bow and stern and dove around the massive kingposts and on one of them observed a large anemone. Along the dive we also marveled at a large tightly knit school of jacks and the unusual bubble coral found on this wreck. After the dive we returned to the big boat for a wonderful lunch of chicken gumbo and a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches. During lunch we moved to the German Channel mooring and got ready for our wonderful afternoon dives. For the third dive we went to Ngemelis Wall and enjoyed a dive with a mild outgoing current gently carrying us along. Here we observed the unique long nose hawkfish, square spot anthias, nudibranchs, and a napoleon wrasse as well as juvenile midnight snapper tucked into the feather stars. To cap off the dive day we went to German Channel for our fourth dive and were delighted to find that we had mantas feeding at the surface and were able to spend a fair amount of time with them. Also, we had some very large bait balls intermixed with sharks. It truly was a special dive. Afterwards we returned to the vessel for a wonderful dinner of tuna in a miso soy sauce along with rice, stir fry vegetables and salad. After our wonderful meal we had a reef hook briefing in order to prepare our guests for the day of diving ahead of them tomorrow.

Tuesday
On Tuesday morning we moved the big boat just outside of German Channel to begin a jam-packed day of diving. We started the morning with a dive at Blue Corner along the incoming side and enjoyed cruising along the wall observing schools of fish in the blue as well as beautiful corals along the wall. During the hook in we watched a large school of jacks and many sharks before unhooking and exploring the plateau while playing with some of our favorite napoleon wrasse. For our next dive we went to Blue Holes and dropped through the limestone skylights into the spacious and beautiful cavern below where we observed nudibranchs, hermit crabs, and dart fish. After exiting the cavern we dove along the beautiful contours of Blue Corner’s outgoing side where we spent more time with napoleon wrasse and schooling fishes. After this we returned to the big boat and moved to Turtle Cove where we enjoyed lunch with the doors and windows open. For our third dive of the day we had a dive at Turtle Cove and did indeed enjoy spending time with turtles. We also observed a lone grey reef shark and schools of black snapper. For our last dive of the day we went to New Drop Off and dove along the incoming side of the corner. We peacefully drifted along and soaked in the beautiful soft corals and anemones before heading up on to the plateau. As we explored we stopped for some photo ops with sleeping turtles, a school of blue lined snapper, and moray eels. Along the edge of the wall we watched sharks, schools of barracuda, and scad as well as finding an octopus. After dinner the octopus parade continued as on the night dive our divers encountered five to seven of the cephalopods as the explored the beautiful wall at night. They also enjoyed the soft corals and basket stars. Afterwards we turned in for the night ready to wake up early and start motoring down to Peleliu in the morning.

Wednesday
We cast off of the mooring early in the morning and began our journey south to Peleliu. Our day started with a bang as guests enjoyed a thrill ride along the walls of Peleliu Corner in high velocity currents. On the dive they viewed sharks and turtles and saw many large grouper before they disappeared into their hiding spots among the rocks. After this dive we returned to the big boat and the majority of our guests opted to go ashore for the land tour of Peleliu and experience the artifacts and remains of the hellish WWII battle that took place there. Our other guests who chose to stay behind went for a dive at Orange Beach, which was one of the landing sites for US Marines during their invasion. On the dive we saw a crocodile fish shortly after splashing in and we also spied some of the artifacts from the battle there. Towards the end of the dive we had a large school of black snapper as well as jacks that were beautifully lit up by the sunlight. After this dive we all enjoyed a fine lunch of BBQ together and got ready for our next dive, which was an encore of Orange Beach. On this dive we spotted several nudibranchs, a large napoleon wrasse, and at the end we had a rare encounter with a banded sea crate. We then moved the big boat and started moving towards our night mooring at German Channel. Our diver went to Barracks Point and enjoyed a wonder dive on this beautiful, sloping coral garden. They saw many turtles, a variety of nudibranchs, and snapped some wonderful photos of flame angelfish. They then returned to the big boat for a savory dinner of teriyaki flank steak and seafood peanut curry. After dinner they lounged about telling stories and enjoying each other’s company before turning in for bed content with another wonderful day in Palau, while some of our guests went for a night dive in the German Channel Coral Garden. We found a sleeping turtle and some very brave shrimp out and on the move. We also had the opportunity to witness some jacks hunting at night for some added excitement. It was a good day and we could not wait for the next.

Thursday
Thursday morning we arose early in order to hit optimal conditions at Blue Corner. Our guests were not disappointed as the sharks appeared in larger numbers and came closer than before. Our napoleon wrasse appeared once more and our guests could not get enough of their company. For our second dive we went to a site known as The Canyons. This unique dive site offers many ins and out through its wonderful topography of dense corals. Outside of the canyons we had some large reef sharks and turtles as well as a hypnotic school of pyramid butterfly fish. After we finished this dive we returned to the big boat for a wonderful lunch and some downtime before departing on the third dive, which was at New Drop Off. Here we had some nice close encounter with the reef sharks and spent a bit of time with a sleeping white tip shark as well as a slumbering turtle. While we were on this dive the big boat began moving to Ulong Island and after our dive we caught up with it and prepared for a fantastic dive in Ulong Channel. We came home to a dinner of chipotle roasted leg of lamb and yellow fin tuna in mango coulis sauce. After a desert of mocha cream cake our guests set out to explore the nightlife at the Ulong Coral Gardens. They found a wide variety of shrimps and crabs as well as a few sharks that made a nighttime appearance.

Friday
This morning we started our dive at the beautiful Ulong Channel from the inside out on an outgoing current. The dive started by observing two large and ancient giant clams and then heading into the channel proper. We cruised by a giant patch of lettuce coral occupied from top to bottom by soldier fish. Continuing on we marveled at the soft corals that fill the channel and the many grouper spread throughout. For our next dive we went to Siaes Tunnel and explored the wonderful life there from soldier fish that spend their entire lives upside at the top of the cavern to bait balls of jacks at the bottom hiding from sharks on the outside. We then returned to the big boat for a shower and then headed to the beach at Ulong to enjoy a wonderful lunch on the grill. After lunch we went to Siaes Corner. Here we travelled along the wall where we watched schooling fish and a very photo friendly turtle picking at the wall. We then made our way to the hook in where we had schools of barracuda, rainbow runners, a few sharks and large schools of red and black snapper. We capped off the dive day with a return to Ulong Coral Gardens during the day. When we jumped in the water we found we had a nice incoming current and so we travelled along the coral garden observing the many tropical reef fish among the densely packed corals. As we approached the mouth of the channel we had a large bait ball of scad that partially obstructed the sun. We hooked in along the left side of the channel’s mouth and had a wonderful showing of marine life. Grey reef sharks and white tips were boldly stalking their next meal and ventured very close to our divers. A napoleon wrasse also hung on the edge of the reef picking its next meal out of the schools of fish that were continuously rounded up and scattered by four dogtooth tuna. It was a fantastic dive and a perfect way to cap off our diving at Ulong. We returned to the big boat for a feast of shrimp cocktail, prime rib, seared tuna and peanut butter ice cream cake for desert. After dinner Capt. Marc presented his video that he shot of our guests during the charter. After exchanging much laughter and smiles we exchanged goodnights and headed for bed.

Saturday
We started off this morning pulling up anchor and heading towards Jellyfish Lake where our guests enjoyed a peaceful snorkel with millions of golden stingless jellies. After this we took our guests on a tour of the rock islands while they snapped photos from the boat and paused for photo ops in front of the famous arch. After this wonderful experience we headed to Chandelier Caves and explored the beautiful air chambers inside. Outside of the cave we explored the shallows and found mandarin fish for them to take photos of. It was a wonderful way to cap off the week and the diverse diving offered in Palau. We returned to the vessel for a filling lunch and our guests spent the rest of their day exploring the local sights before returning to the vessel where Captain Marc presented his slide show for our guests to see all of the lovely photos he took of them. In the morning we wished our wonderful guests farewell.

Thanks to all for joining us this week and we await your return to Palau.

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Palau Aggressor Captain’s Report July 7 – 14, 2013

Water Temp: 82deg F
Air Temp: 78-86deg F
Crew: Capt Marc, Steven, Hector, Agnes, Cameron, Joe, Adam

Sunday boarding began at 4 pm with a full charter made up of Thiago’s group from Brazil, Stuart and Cathy from Australia, and John from Ireland making up the international contingent joining Captain Marc and his crew for a fabulous week of diving. Once all the dive gear was set up and all the cabins assigned, then it was time to sample the first of Chef Cameron’s dinners. A feast of shrimp cocktail and pork tenderloin was deliciously followed by a special anniversary cake for the Abreu’s twenty-fifth anniversary.

After dinner, Captain Marc welcomed the crowd with crew introductions and the yacht’s safety briefing. Since the majority of the group had actually travelled half way round the world to get here, it was early to bed dreaming of the diversity Palau has to offer.

Monday we begin the journey to German Channel to begin the week of diving. Dive Master Adam gets the ball rolling with the dive deck briefing after Chef Cameron’s scrumptious breakfast. Captain Marc moors the Palau Aggressor, and the skiff makes the short journey to Ngedebus Coral Garden for the check out dive. This allows everybody the chance to iron out any kinks, and get acclimatized to the clear warm waters. The second dive was Turtle Cove, which has a sheer wall with encrusted with soft corals, wire corals protruding, and as always some green turtles cruise by. After filling up with some lunch we discover the delights of the Canyons. On this dive we find a very large crocodile fish resting in the overhang minding its own. For the last dive today we attack German Channel and show it no mercy. With the conditions right for pelagic entertainment we are not disappointed. Five manta rays, an eagle ray, schools of barracuda and sharks ensure that everybody wants to return here again. After dinner we explain the reason behind the reef hooks and why we love using them.

Tuesday, with a beautiful sunrise over the Rock Islands, day number two begins aboard the Palau Aggressor II. The conditions are perfect for Blue Holes. With four natural entrances to the cavern there is plenty room for everyone to descend. Once inside, Hector finds some disco clams to entertain. Outside the cavern we are joined by a plethora of reef sharks, with the current helping us along the wall. New Drop Off was the next dive to excite the group. This was the first time for everybody to use the reef hooks. There was a mild current and once hooked in we were able to admire a school of jacks in front of us and a school of barracudas sneaking up behind us. With the excitement now palpable, we delay no more and head to the Blue Corner. One of Palau’s favorite dive sites always delivers. This afternoon the current was mild and incoming which pushed us gently along to the hook in area for us to enjoy the sharks swimming effortless along as if they had not a care in world. German Channel was next with one eagle ray, plenty of sharks, groupers and giant trevally hunting the baitfish ball. Turtle Cove was selected for the night dive, and with nearly everybody electing to go on the dive we enjoyed dinner afterwards.

Wednesday brings us to Peleliu. This unique location is the site where the Philippine Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet. It was also where the US Marines and the Japanese Forces met during the war. Now this idyllic island boasts some fantastic dive sites. The first choice in the morning has to be Peleliu Corner. With a mild current and crystal clear blue water Hector guides everybody along at a relaxing pace. Somehow he manages to spot a juvenile emperor angelfish along the way as a squadron of ten reef sharks paying us close attention. As Captain Marc took a contingent to shore for the land tour, the others went to West Wall for a dive with Adam. The counting of green and loggerhead turtles had to finally stop, as there were just too many. Once the group reunited for a feast of gumbo soup and toasted sandwiches for lunch, then back to West Wall we went with some more fingers and toes to count the turtles. Barracks Point was the late evening dive with scorpion fish and giant clams. With the Palau Aggressor returning to the Turtle Cove mooring for the night, we had the opportunity to dive Canyons as a night dive with Steve finding a cuttlefish and a twin spot lionfish among other creatures of the night.

Thursday we had a slightly earlier start to the day, in an attempt to have the Blue Corner to ourselves. With the tide high, the current switched during the dive, which allowed us to migrate across the plateau with all the fish. The napoleon wrasse stole the show with their friendly behavior towards the divers. Dive number two was Fern’s Wall with the sunlight beaming down this sheer drop off giving a perfect backdrop for the photographers in the group. Meatloaf and chicken wings for lunch then over to Big Drop Off we go. This wall dive is highlighted by a huge ball and chain left behind by the Germans when they were mining phosphate years ago. This is also a great site for nudibranchs and flat worms. The afternoon dive location was Dexter’s Wall with a mild current helping to make this a nice easy relaxing dive. The night dive took us back to Big Drop Off where a scorpionfish was the highlight.

Friday, and with the sun shining, we head over to Ulong where the famous Ulong Channel is. Hoping for incoming current, this is where we start the day of diving. However we find it’s still out going, so we start the dive near the end of the channel, and get the opportunity to see the splendor of the channel backwards. The second dive was the deeper Siaes Tunnel where blue back pygmy angelfish hide out. There was also the chance to get some fantastic photographs with large sea fans providing the perfect backdrop. Siaes Corner was next, which allowed us another chance to use the reef hooks and watch the shark action. Leaving arguably the best for the last, we are able to dive Ulong Channel again with a mild current where the sharks put on a tremendous show. This was an amazing dive and an amazing way to end the day.

Saturday, means Jellyfish Lake and there we have the chance to snorkel with millions of these unique creatures. We followed this with Joe’s famous Rock Island Tour as we made our passage to meet up again with the mother ship. The last excursion was to Chandelier Caves and once outside the caves the macro action was spectacular. Topping of another great week aboard the Palau Aggressor II we thank you all for joining us and hope to see you all again.

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Palau Aggressor II Captain’s Report July 21 – 27, 2013

Ave. air temp: 82-85F
Ave. water temp: 82-84F
Crew: Marc, Hector, Cameron, Steve, Agnes, Ben, Adam

Monday
On Monday morning we awoke bright and early to a beautiful sunrise and headed out with our wonderful guests excited to show them the amazing diving in Palau. After breakfast we presented them with the diving guidelines for the week and then we made a short trip from the dock to our first dive, the Helmet Wreck. We explored its cargo areas where it stowed depth charges. Along the deck we observed twin spot signal gobies, reef fish and we were treated to two crocodile fish in close vicinity to each other near the bow. For our second dive we went to the Iro Maru and dove along the deck of the massive wreck. We viewed the deck guns on the bow and stern and dove around the massive kingposts and on one of them observed a large tomato anemone. Along the dive we also marveled at a large tightly knit school of jacks and the unusual bubble coral found on this wreck, as well as artifacts such as bottles. After the dive we returned to the big boat, which had moved to Ulong Island for a wonderful lunch of chicken gumbo and a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches. For the third dive we went for a ride on the Ulong Channel rollercoaster where our guests enjoyed flying along the channel along with a myriad of species, including numerous grouper and solider fish, tucked in among a giant patch of lettuce coral. We returned to Ulong Channel for our fourth dive and this time, while we still had a nice incoming current that brought sharks long with it, it was mellow enough that we could relax and spend more time soaking in the beautiful corals as well as picking out interesting macro life such as a beautiful chromodoris koi that allowed for some wonderful photo opportunities. After this dive we returned to the big boat we enjoyed a dinner of flank and tuna steaks finished with a delicious dessert of chocolate brownie sundaes. Our guests watched a family comedy in the main salon and then retired for the evening excited for tomorrow’s activities.

Tuesday
On Tuesday morning we awoke in front of beautiful Ulong Island and after breakfast we set out on our first dive of the day at Siaes Tunnel. We descended along the wall to the entrance of the tunnel at 90 feet and explored inside. We observed a large school of jacks, rare pygmy blue back angelfish, as well decorated dart fish. Outside of the tunnel we viewed beautiful sea fans and soft corals and as we ended our dive in the shallows we came across several hawksbill turtles. For our second dive we explored the Coral Gardens of Ulong Channel. Along the wall we were joined by a couple of large grey reef sharks and the ocean had everyone’s attention when a ball of scad erupted from the depths and up the wall being chased by sharks. They traveled with such speed you could virtually feel the concussion. After this excitement we continued along in the gardens observing sleepy white tips resting in the sand and numerous reef fish. We then returned to the big boat and it motored on to just inside German Channel while we feasted on buffalo wings and a delicious meatloaf. For the third dive of the day our guests were introduced to Blue Corner. We had a strong incoming current that whisked us along the wall while we observed sharks and barracuda just before our hook in area. After we hooked in we continued enjoying a show of sharks and jacks before unhooking and spent some time on the plateau. For our fourth dive we dove German Channel where at one of the cleaning stations we were treated to two mantas and an eagle ray coming in to be cleaned. After the dive we enjoyed a fantastic dinner of baked basa in a delicious mango sauce and lamb tikka masala. Once our meal was finished we took our guests on their first night dive of the week. We went to the Ngemelis Wall and enjoyed a very soft current that carried us along the wall where we observed nighttime activity of some of our favorite reef fishes. In the shallows we observed juvenile black snapper, a short fin lionfish, and many varieties of crab and shrimp, as well as a large slipper lobster. We then returned to the big boat to be greeted with hot chocolate and made ready for bed.

Wednesday
On Wednesday our morning started with a delicious breakfast of gourmet breakfast sandwiches and then we set out for our first dive at Blue Holes. We entered the massive cavern through one of the four skylights near the surface and began our descent. Inside on the floor we found a baby white tip shark that was sleeping under a small overhang. We also found a small octopus creeping around at the back of the cavern. After enjoying the beautiful ambient light and creatures inside we departed and cruised along the wall to Blue Corner. Among the wall and on the plateau we encountered grey reef sharks, schools of barracuda, as well as turtles. After this dive we went to Turtle Cove and enjoyed traveling among this beautiful wall covered in soft and hard corals. At the end of a wire coral we found a feather star that housed two crinoid crabs, we also spotted some nudibranchs including a notordoris sp. that was laying its eggs and we also had an eagle ray sighting. We then returned to the big boat for a lunch of scrumptious BBQ. For our third dive at Blue Corner we went on a thrill ride with strong current observing sharks and barracuda as well. We also viewed anemones with their companion fish and on the plateau the resident green sea turtles along with a school of blue snapper. For our fourth dive we returned to German Channel. On this dive we were able to see a manta ray feeding for a little while and we also spent some time with a massive dog tooth tuna that came close to watch us. We also spent some time swimming amongst a school of scad and two species of barracuda alongside grey reef sharks on patrol. We then returned to the Palau Aggressor and were greeted by an excellent dinner comprised of crispy pork chops and garlic shrimp skewers. Our intrepid night divers set out after dinner to view Turtle Cove under the cover of night. They found a massive pluerobranch along the wall, as well as numerous basket stars, shrimp, crabs, and a pair of lobsters. When they returned they too viewed a documentary on the World War II battle that occurred at Peleliu where we would spend the next day.

Thursday
Early Thursday morning we cast off from Turtle Cove and headed south to Peleliu. We started the day off with a dive at Barrack’s Point. We followed the wall along until we were on top of the sloping coral garden. At one point it seemed as though there was a green sea turtle every 20 feet or so. We also observed different varieties of nudibranchs and later on the dive we were ecstatic to find a thin ghost pipefish. After this dive some of our guests opted to go to shore to take the land tour to observe relics and soak in the history of the amazing World War II battle that took place here, while our other guests went on an encore dive at Barrack’s Point. After a lunch of sweet and sour chicken, fried rice, and teriyaki beef we headed to Peleliu Corner to experience the infamous currents where the Philippine Sea and North Pacific Ocean collide. Our guests enjoyed the wild ride, as well as the sharks, bumphead parrotfish, and tropicals dispersed over the plateau. For our fourth dive of the day we went to Orange Beach where we cruised along with the current and found a crocodile fish, some jacks, and a grey reef shark at the end of the dive, as well as a fleeting eagle ray. We also found another ghost pipefish! After the dive we returned to the big boat for dinner while it motored on to German Channel. We conducted a night dive at the German Coral Gardens where our divers found a variety of nudibranchs, several eels, as well as a lionfish and sleeping turtle. We then retired for bed anxious to see a favorite dive site along with some new ones the following day.

Friday
We started our day with a breakfast of French toast and headed to Virgin Blue Hole for our first dive. Our guests enjoyed the unique topography of this dive site, from the chimney entrance, through the L-shaped tunnel, and then out to the wall with its deeply cut ravines filled with densely packed corals and marine life. For our second dive we returned to Blue Corner and enjoyed a slightly more relaxed current. We hooked in for a fantastic show of grey reef sharks and a huge school of jacks that took turns passing by. After we unhooked, we traveled along the plateau, and while playing with our favorite napoleon wrasses we were able slide in amongst immense schools of barracuda. We also took time to ponder the small things like the tiny porcelain crabs tucked in among an anemone. After a lunch of Mexican food we headed to Fern’s Wall and dove in a relaxing current. On this dive we travelled amongst schools of pyramid butterfly fish, viewed several anemones of varying colors and forms, and were nearly run over by a hawksbill turtle. At the end of the dive we also found an orange scorpion fish tucked in amongst the soft corals. For our last dive of the day we went to Big Drop Off. On this dive the mellow current switched direction and increased in speed until we were flying like ‘Superman’. It was quite a thrilling ride. Despite the conditions we still had time to observe differing species of nudibranch, white tip sharks, black spot puffer fish, and while travelling along in the shallows we were passed by a massive giant trevally. After finishing our dive we returned back to the mother ship and feasted on prime rib and shrimp cocktail followed by an oreo cookie ice cream pie that was very yummy! After dinner Captain Marc presented his video shot for the guests of their week, and after the video our guests sat up reminiscing on the week, sharing stories and photos.

Saturday
We started off this morning casting off the anchor and heading towards Jellyfish Lake where our guests enjoyed a peaceful snorkel with millions of golden stingless jellies. After this we took our guests on a tour of the rock islands while they snapped photos from the boat and paused for photo ops in front of the famous arch. After this wonderful experience we headed to Chandelier Caves and explored the beautiful air chambers inside. Outside of the cave we explored the shallows and found mandarin fish for them to take photos of, as well as twin spot signal gobies and a baby banded sea crate. It was a wonderful way to cap off the week and the diverse diving offered in Palau. We returned to the vessel for a filling lunch and our guests spent the rest of their day exploring the local sights before returning to the vessel where Photo Pro Ben presented his slide show for our guests to see all of the lovely photos he took of them. In the morning we wished our wonderful guests farewell, anxious for their return to Palau.

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Palau Aggressor II Captain’s Report July 28 – Aug 4, 2013

Average air temp: 82-85F
Average water temp: 82-84F
Crew: Marc, Hector, Cameron, Steve, Andy, Adam and Agnes

Sunday, Captain Marc and his crew are all excited to welcome aboard the new guests for this week’s diving adventure aboard the Paula Aggressor II. Adam and Andy set off to round up our guests from their respective hotels. Once everybody was on board a cabin orientation was conducted, dive gear set up, and the rest of the vessel was explored. Chef Cameron lay on a feast for dinner and afterwards Marc explained the safety features of the vessels and reviewed the planned itinerary for the week. After a glass of wine or two, everyone retired for the night anticipating some exceptional diving.

Monday morning the Palau Aggressor heads towards German Channel to begin the week of diving. On the way Andy delivers the dive deck briefing and at 0730 we loaded up the skiff with eleven excited divers heading to German Channel for the check out dive. This site is one of Palau’s finest, as the natural channel filters nutrients and sustenance, which pelagic fish enjoy to feed on. We encountered a school of barracuda, horse eye jacks, resting white tip sharks, hunting grey reef sharks, and giant trevally which had everybody talking. The second dive was Ngemelis Wall, this section of the wall is literally overgrown with sea fans wire coral and other soft coral. An additional feature is a huge mooring ball and chain left behind by the Germans years ago. The chain is almost impossible to identify as it’s now so encrusted with coral that it blends right into the reef. Lunch and Chef Cameron serves up his famous gumbo. The afternoon dive takes us to German Coral Garden where Adam finds a crocodile fish and some nudibranchs for those interested in the macro life Palau has to offer. In the afternoon we relocate to the Rock Islands to enjoy a relaxing dive at Clam City. Used to farm giant clams, this site has plenty for the keen eye. Ghost pipefish, scorpion fish, various sea slugs and also several giant clams to admire too. After dinner Adam explains the reasoning behind the reef hooks, as they will come into action soon.

Tuesday we begin the day with a trip to find jellyfish, so off to Jellyfish Lake we go. Lucky for us the lake contains millions of them. This surreal experience should not be missed on any visit here. The daily migration of these now harmless jellies allows for some of the most spectacular photographs. Afterwards we dive Wonder Channel within the rock islands and encounter some strong current between the Rock Islands that propels us along at a fair speed. Following lunch we decide the time is right for the Blue Corner. Perhaps Palau’s most famous dive and it certainly did not disappoint today. With the current outgoing, Steve leads the group over the wall toward the hook in area. Along the way we admire the spectacular wall and a green turtle deciding where to have lunch. At the hook in area the grey sharks hang effortlessly in the current while the white tips race along the other way. As the napoleon wrasse comes in to investigate, Marc gets some action shots with the divers in the background. For a dusk dive Alexis Coral Garden is the choice. Lionfish are spotted hiding under coral waiting for their dinner to swim past and the cuttlefish posing for video certainly got Doug excited.

Wednesday and taking advantage of the current the only choice is Blue Holes. Entering the chamber from the bottom, Hector was able to highlight the disco clams along with a filefish and a selection of nudibranchs. Exiting the chamber we have a green turtle posing for photos as we drift along the wall and several grey reef sharks come to investigate too. Turtle Cove is next on our list and the tide is high enough for the group to enter the chimney from the top of the plateau and experience the hue of natural light at the bottom. Near the end of the dive, Rado finds an octopus hiding in a hole. After lunch we hook into the Blue Corner again and enjoy the show of sharks. On the way up a green turtle nearly knocks into Cynthia as she begins her ascent. Big Drop Off is the location for the last day dive with a very mild current propelling the group along the way. A lionfish, several puffers, and some dart fish make the dive.

Thursday, and with the sun rising over the Rock Islands, we motor over to Ulong, home of some of the finest selection of corals on the island. The day begins with a trip to Siaes Tunnel. One of the deeper dives, the tunnel entrance is guarded by a large school of jacks. Blue back pygmy angelfish live along the wall of the tunnel as they are fooled by the lack of light into thinking they are deeper. On the outside of the tunnel there is a photo opportunity, which Marc doesn’t let go by. The current pushes us along the wall on the outside. We encounter a moray eel, a grey shark, and the highlight being a leaf scorpion fish. Taking advantage of the incoming current we dive Ulong Coral Garden next. Although the current was mild, we still hooked in and marveled at the shark show. With the mouth of the channel narrower, the sharks are not shy and come in very close as if posing. As the current was mild the group was able to explore more of the channel, discovering a plethora of grouper, titan triggerfish, and a couple of inquisitive green turtles. The afternoon brings us to Sandy Paradise with Andy finding a leaf scorpion fish nestled in behind the coral. For the night dive Captain Marc takes us to Ulong Coral Garden and with the entire group partaking in the event it seemed the reef sharks were corralling us. There was also a selection of nudibranchs to fill the logbooks later. After the dive we relocate the Palau Aggressor to Malakal for the opportunity to dive some wrecks in the morning.

Friday the Japanese supply vessel the Iro Maru is the first of the wrecks today. Andy and Adam lead the way finding a ghost pipefish and also a crocodile fish. The second dive is the Chuyo, although slightly smaller than the Iro Maru, there is still plenty of marine life in the coral encrusted host. After lunch and with a strong current, Captain Marc and Steve lead us through Lighthouse Channel. A highlight of this dive, and right in the middle of the channel, is a small fishing vessel. Using the craft to hide from the current, the selection of macro life is astonishing. How Graham spotted the scorpion fish beggars belief! Also the turtle was not shy and Doug seized the moment to get some great shots. With the sunlight fading late in the afternoon we dive Mandarin Fish Coral Garden. The plan was for each diver to scrutinize each section of the reef with the hope of finding mandarin fish and then to see them in the act of mating.

Saturday morning we awoke and after breakfast we dove the Teshio Maru. We travelled along the wreck exploring the damages made to it in battle and observed the cardinal fishes nestled into the tabletop coral. Along the sandy bottom we also found a ringed pipefish. We then returned to the big boat, which had made its way to the dock in Malakal Harbor, and made ready for our dive at Chandelier Caves. We explored the four air chambers and then explored the coral garden outside where we observed signal gobies, mandarin fish, as well as a small banded sea crate.

This concludes another week of diving on the Palau Aggressor II. Thanks for joining us and we hope to see you back here soon.

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Palau Aggressor II Captain’s Report August 11 – 18, 2013
Air temp: 82-85 F
Water temp: 83-84 F
Crew: Marc, Steve, Cameron, Joe, Len and Adam

On Monday morning we left the dock bright and early with our wonderful guests that checked in the night before. After a breakfast of blueberry pancakes we headed to the Helmet Wreck to conduct the check out dive and first dive of the week. We found a lionfish hunting over the stern right off the bat. We continued along examining depth charges left in one of the holds as well as several artifacts including a sink, Saki bottles, and a metal canteen. Along the deck we continued on and spotted signal gobies, a long fin juvenile batfish, and helmet shield slugs. For our second dive we went to the Teshio Maru. On this dive we explored the wreckage through the many holds and holes punched into the ship. On the dive we found a squat lobster on one of the crinoids, many spotted sweetlips, and nudibranchs. On our way back to the big boat for lunch, our guests jumped in for a fifteen-minute dive to view a Jake seaplane from World War Two. We then enjoyed a lunch of gumbo and a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches. For our third dive we went to the wreck of the Iro Maru and travelled along the deck of the massive wreck. We viewed the deck guns on the bow and stern and dove around the massive kingposts and on one of them observed a large tomato anemone. Along the dive we also marveled at a large tightly knit school of jacks and the unusual bubble coral found on this wreck, as well as artifacts such as bottles. For the last dive we went to the Mandarin Gardens in search of the famous mandarin fish. Not only did we find the small, beautiful fish we also observed it displaying mating behavior. Also in the water were pajama cardinal fish, crabs and a large pufferfish. We then returned to the big boat for a dinner of baked Basa and pork loin. During dinner we began motoring towards Ulong Island and after dinner we delivered the reef hook briefing and one of our guests gave a presentation on marine life injuries and how to treat them. It was bedtime after everyone finished their brownie sundaes.

On Tuesday morning we awoke in front of beautiful Ulong Island and after breakfast we set out on our first dive of the day at Ulong Channel. We dropped low along the wall and observed beautiful reef fish before we reached the hook in area and watched grey reef sharks as well as white tips, endless bait balls, and the mackerel and trevally chasing them. After some time we unhooked and travelled down the channel with the current. We passed by the giant patch of lettuce coral housing uncountable amounts of soldier fish as well as an anemone and then headed over to the giant clams at the back of the channel. Along the way we came across a lemon shark and discovered its likely quarry, a school of baby dogtooth tuna. After this we went to Siaes Corner for our next dive. Inside the tunnel we viewed decorated dart fish, pygmy blue back angelfish and an exciting discovery of harlequin shrimp. Outside on the wall we found nudibranchs, turtles, some grey reef sharks and numerous tropical fishes. We then headed to the big boat for a lunch of BBQ chicken and pulled pork. Following lunch we headed to Sandy Paradise for dive three. We travelled along the sloping coral fingers to our two resident leaf scorpion fish. Next we travelled across the sand and observed garden eels, barracuda schools and a feather tail ray. We ended the dive observing 20 or so napoleon wrasse exhibiting schooling behavior. It was amazing to see so many of them together. On the next dive we went to the Ulong Coral Garden where we saw large schools of snapper and jacks that blocked out the sun. We also found nudibranchs, some sharks and a great barracuda that lived up to its name. Also in attendance were the beautiful short-nosed filefish. After dinner we also conducted our night dive at Ulong Coral Gardens where they we were observed by grey reef sharks out in the shadows as we found a variety of crabs and shrimp. After the dive we moved the ship to inside German Channel in order to prepare for tomorrow’s fantastic dive itinerary.

After breakfast on Wednesday we started the day with a wonderful dive at German Channel. We started off the dive with an octopus crawling through the coral changing colors as it went. After spending time with it we went to the rare red anemone for some photo and video ops and then went to the cleaning station and saw grey reef sharks coming in to be cleaned. We then departed across the mouth of the channel and found feather tail ray in the sand and then we continued on slipping in amongst the bait ball of scad and schools of barracuda. The bait ball turned into a feeding frenzy, as the sharks were eager for breakfast. We watched in amazement of the action going on until it was time to travel over the channel and end our dive. We then moved the ship down to Turtle Cove where we spent our second dive. We enjoyed a descent current moving us along the beautiful wall covered in soft corals and sea fans. In a crinoid we found a juvenile midnight snapper, we also viewed a large shrimp goby watching over its companion as it toiled away. As we headed toward the top of the plateau we saw several grey reef sharks and large schools of black snapper. On the plateau itself we found turtles and a scorpionfish. We returned to the big boat for a wonderful club salad bar lunch and then prepared for an afternoon of corner dives. Our third dive was at New Drop Off, where we had a nice outgoing current to carry us along the wall where we observed pyramid butterfly fish and red tooth triggerfish schools. We then came to the hook in area and enjoyed watching sharks, barracuda and trevally. Our next dive took us to Blue Corner where we arrived just in time to catch a slack current, which allowed us to see the outgoing side of the corner and then travel across the plateau playing with the napoleon wrasse before arriving at the incoming side just in time for the current to pick up. We hooked in and watched sharks, schools of jacks and barracuda and found porcelain crabs under anemones. We returned to the big boat for dinner and then returned to Turtle Cove for our night dive. On the wall we viewed many shrimp and crabs, and then at the mouth of a small cavern we observed nudibranchs, sleeping parrotfish and the rare paddle fin cardinal fish. After the dive our guests enjoyed a documentary on Peleliu where we would be spending the next day.

Early Thursday morning we cast off from Turtle Cove and headed south to Peleliu under continued beautiful weather. We started the day off with a dive at Peleliu Corner on the outgoing side also known as D’ Cut. We dropped in near the hook in area as at the time there was little current and so we casually got our guests hooked in and get comfortable, and just in time too. The current began increasing in strength until it was nearly raging providing an adrenaline rush for all. We watched as the sharks bade their time moving closely to schools of fish struggling in the current and then zipping in for the strike. Also on the dive we observed giant trevally, an eagle ray, a blue mantis shrimp, and blue tangs. For the second dive we went to Barrack’s Point where our guests explored a beautiful coral garden and saw many turtles. While they were on their dive the majority of our guests went to experience the history of the battle at Peleliu on a land tour. When everyone returned we had a lunch of buffalo wings and meatloaf. Our next dive was an encore presentation of Barrack’s. On this dive we found skittish flame angelfish, nudibranchs, and a school of jacks with many individuals displaying mating colors. Our last dive in the sunlight was at Orange Beach. Here we saw a grey reef shark, turtles, and a plethora of World War II artifacts and wreckage. After this dive we headed back to the German Channel area while our guests enjoyed a fantastic dinner of chicken and seafood curry. Our night divers went to Ngemelis Wall and enjoyed viewing nudibranchs, large grouper and slipper lobsters.

On Friday morning after an amazing breakfast of Hawaiian fried rice and fried eggs, we started off the morning with a dive at Blue Corner and spent more time exploring the top of the plateau during a slack tide. For our second dive we returned to Blue Corner and were able to catch it finally on a good incoming current. We drifted along the wall slowly and then rose through a cloud of black snapper to the first hook in area. Here we had a fantastic showing of grey reef sharks passing back and forth close to our divers as well as being able to watch a Spanish mackerel darting in among schools of fish and making kills. We then went to the lower hook in area and enjoyed watching a massive school of jacks, six stories high, drifting in the sunlight. We then unhooked and continued along the plateau in between schools of barracuda and blue lined snapper. We then came back to the big boat for a sandwich bar with all the trimmings and made ready for our third dive at Canyons. This dive sight is packed full of various hard corals in amazing health and create a topography full of ravines and swim throughs. We enjoyed viewing all the tropical fish that make the reef their home. We also watched the hypnotic long jaw mackerel in the blue and spotted an enormous marbled ray below us at about 120 feet resting in the sand. For our last dive we went to Fern’s Wall and were swept peacefully along this amazing wall covered in giant, golden sea fans, anemones of all colors, and soft corals. Here we spotted scorpionfish, turtles, and grey reef sharks in the blue and black tips in the shallows. We then returned to the big boat for a dinner of succulent seafood stew, prime rib, shrimp cocktail, and peanut butter ice-cream pie for dinner. Afterwards we viewed the video Captain Marc put together and spent the rest of the evening socializing.

We started off this Saturday morning casting off the anchor and heading towards Jellyfish Lake where our guests enjoyed a peaceful snorkel with millions of golden stingless jellies. After this we took our guests on a tour of the rock islands while they snapped photos from the boat and paused for photo ops in front of the famous arch. After this wonderful experience we headed to Chandelier Caves and explored the beautiful air chambers inside. Outside of the cave we explored the shallows and found mandarin fish for them to take photos of as well as twin spot signal gobies and a baby banded sea crate. It was a wonderful way to cap off the week and the diverse diving offered in Palau. We returned to the vessel for a filling lunch and our guests spent the rest of their day exploring the local sights before returning to the vessel where Marc presented his slide show for our guests to see all of the lovely photos he took of them, and we reflected on the week. In the morning we wished our wonderful guests farewell, anxious for their return to Palau.