Tropic Dancer Captain's Logs

[Dancer Fleet]

Tropic Dancer Captain’s Report April 7 – 21, 2013
Special 14 Night Charter

Air/Water Temps: 80 – 86F
Visibility: 50 – 100+
Topside Conditions: Rain/Clouds – Sun
Sea Surface: Choppy - Calm

Crew: Captain Ike, Chef Mani, Video pro John, Instructor Emma, Instructor Adam, Divemaster Jim and Stewardess Agnes

The Tropic Dancer would like to welcome for our two-week charter from Europe Jean Pierre, Chantal, Alain, Marie, Gerry, Silvia, Jean Remi, and Gina. From American we would like to welcome “Orlando Reef Divers” David, Judi, Larry, Beverly, John, Sue, Pat, Barbara, Bob and Jennifer.

The Tropic Dancer is excited to begin our two-week charter; our week one begins in the north of Palau. We begin with a wreck dive on the Teshio Maru, a Japanese passenger vessel used during WWII. The wreck lies on its side and with the clear visibility it was a very charming wreck dive. Captain Ike continued to travel the big boat further north to a dive site called West Passage. Here Instructor Adam took us on a dive down a sandy bottom passage with coral heads crawling with nudibranchs, lionfish and triggerfish. Chef Mani prepared a delicious lunch and after a break we were back in the water again, this time at Ngardmau Coral Garden. The topography of this site is a bottom of hard and soft coral; bobbing in and out of coral heads we found many different kinds of tropical fish.

Tuesday we continued on north, Video Pro John took us on a dive at Yengel Channel. Roughly ten minutes into the dive he noticed a large cuttlefish guarding a patch of eggs. We took a few minutes to stop and take some photos then allowed the current to carry us with ease down the channel, and we soon came across a few white tip reef sharks dipping up and down the top of the channel. Captain Ike still continued north and we took our second dive of the day to North West Wall. A few of our guests noticed dolphins in the blue.

Wednesday morning we dove John’s Corner; this dive site is boosts a beautiful coral garden that slopes steadily into a wall. The visibility was great, allowing us to see over 200 feet below. On this particular dive we came across a trail of sailfin snapper. Once a year you can catch a long glimpse of the stripped snapper schooling in a never-ending glassy reflection, that seems as though it has no end. Our group was just that lucky, along the hard coral garden edge, just before the reef juts into the blue, we noticed the trail of sailfin snapper. Our second dive was made at North West Wall. A beautiful slopping and then a steady jut into the blue let us gaze upon turtles, sharks and schooling fish in the blue. While returning our attention to the wall there was a plethora of small macro life to be found, including nudibranchs, cleaner shrimp and flatworms, to name a few.

Thursday we made our way back to John’s Corner to hopefully spot the schooling sailfin snapper again. About ten minutes into the dive we saw them again drifting in the constant schooling stream. In the afternoon Captain Ike took us on a dive at Devil Fish Coral Garden, in search of mantas. We found two, one large and one small, gliding with the current over top the hard coral topography and then into the blue. Our evening ended with a wonderful dinner by Chef Mani, and we let the rocking of the boat put us to sleep.

Friday we began our steady journey back to the south of Palau for the second portion of our two-week charter. As our charter is two weeks long, we had the opportunity to dive on a Jake Sea Plane while moving back into the South. Jake Sea Plane is a WWII floatplane that crashed just on the reef close to the Palau Pacific Resort. The plane is mostly intact except the back half has fallen away. Our evening was very peaceful moored just outside of Koror; we finished our day with a dive at Mandarin Fish Coral Garden. This coral garden lies outside of Chandelier Caves. Most of the time mandarin fish are sought during the dusk or evening however on this particular site we find them during the day as well. Dive master Jim noticed a strange looking bottom dweller, a spiny devilfish. Most of the guests and crew had never seen this peculiar odd-shaped fish before and so we spent a good time underwater photographing and videoing this exciting find.

Saturday morning we welcomed our guests to the south with a dive at the famous Blue Corner seeing sharks, schooling jacks, barracuda, snapper and triggerfish. The current brought much to see and the visibility was stretching the 200-foot mark. Big Drop Off was also a favorite of the day; a beautiful sloping wall quickly turns into a sheer drop off. We had a very pleasant current that allowed us to gently drift with the pull and watch the display of life in front of us. Saturday evening we dipped into German Channel. Watching a beautiful display of scads circle around a napoleon wrasse.

Continued......

 

[Dancer Fleet]

Continued.......

We awoke on Sunday and immediately headed from the area of inside German Channel and headed to Turtle Cove. Chef Mani prepared an excellent breakfast of egg frittata and sausage and after we fueled up for the big day we headed to New Drop Off for our first dive. We dove with an incoming current and the wall on the right. Out in the blue we viewed some curious grey reef sharks and as we looked up the wall we saw several black snapper up above. We made our way to the hook in area and viewed a multitude of pyramid butterfly fish as well as red tooth triggerfish. After we unhooked and made our way over the plateau we found the resident school of blue lined snapper for our photographers as well as a napping hawksbill turtle. We ended the dive with a very tranquil group of large humphead parrotfish that allowed us to come very near for photos. For our second dive we headed to the Virgin Blue Holes dive site to soak in the beautiful lighting. Outside on the wall our guests were in love with the beautiful soft corals and anemone fish keeping an eye on everything. We came home for a wonderful lunch of roast beef and chicken wings.

After lunch we went to Dexter’s Wall and relished the company of green and hawksbill turtles. I believe the final count was 8 or so and some of the turtles were intrigued enough by the divers to swim right into them. For our last dive of the day we headed to the Ngedebus Coral Garden. We went in search of cuttlefish and though we struck out there we had many other wonderful sightings. We cruised through the canyons and encountered a pregnant white tip shark, several grey reef sharks as well as some black tips and the large solitary great barracuda. Also in the shallows we were buzzed by an ornate eagle ray. Just as the dive was coming to an end we spotted a small manta out in the blue and the cleaning station it was occupying. Nearby the cleaning station we also spotted a feather tail ray. The manta made several passes around our group to our delight and as the dive ended it continued to skim the surface sucking up its supper. Our guests were all thrilled with the day and capped it off with another wonderful dinner prepared by Chef Mani and a fine desert of triple chocolate cake with ice cream.

Monday morning we started with a fantastic breakfast of eggs benedict and blueberry pancakes. After which we headed to German Channel in order to continue to fuel the ‘Manta Mania’ of the charter. We scored big on the display of predator and prey fish. Around a large school of scad the grey reef sharks took turns with a giant trevally and a napoleon wrasse to pick of lazy members of the group. It was a magnificent display. For our second dive we took a very short ride for a dive in Turtle Cove. Our divers began by entering and exiting a small tunnel and then continued their dive along the wall and finally up to the shallows. On this dive we had large congregations of black snapper, pyramid butterfly fish, and red tooth triggerfish. Also in a small cavern on the wall we also found paddlefin cardinal fish and signal gobies. Along the edge of the wall we had nice viewings of Turtle Cove’s namesake. After lunch we headed to Blue Holes for our third dive to take in the ambiance of the amazing cavern. Inside they took many photos of disco clams and dart fish hovering over the sand and then our divers exited the cavern and enjoyed the wall on the outside.

Today we also did a night dive at Turtle Cove. We witnessed the transformation of wall blooming with beautiful soft coral and found a multitude of varying lobster, shrimp and crab species. In one of the many nooks and crannies we found a small slipper lobster and octopus playing hide and go seek. A white tip shark stopped by just long enough to investigate us, and we found a couple of short fin lionfish out on their nightly hunt. When we returned to the vessel we dined on flank steak covered with melted gorgonzola as well as a fine dish of baked seafood. It was a special day indeed that involved birthdays and anniversaries and so Chef Mani prepared several delicious cakes to commemorate the special occasions. It was a good day and our guests are excited to visit Peleliu tomorrow.

On Tuesday we awoke to completely flat seas and our morning began with a fine scrambled egg breakfast. After which we headed to Blue Corner for our morning dive under a light rain. We dove with the wall on our right and experienced a strong incoming current. This strong current brought the sharks directly to us, often passing within an arm’s length. Our large group of sharks was the main attraction as most other creatures struggled in the strong current.

After this dive we moved the big boat down to Peleliu and made our first dive at Peleliu Corner. The current was even stronger here and some of our guests opted wisely to not take their cameras on the dive. The current was fierce and again brought us many sharks. We found shelter in a hollow and here we enjoyed the company of a small leaf fish and some dragonets. Afterwards we headed back to the boat and enjoyed a warm lunch of toasted roast beef sandwiches and gumbo. Next on the attraction list was a land tour of Peleliu to observe the remnants of the WWII battles that took place here. It was a special tour since one of our guests accompanying owns the museum dedicated to the Hornet, which saw action here in Palau. Our five guests who remained went on a dive at West Wall and enjoyed gently drifting along with large napoleon wrasse, bumphead parrotfish, dog tooth tuna, as well as a few turtles. For our last dive of the day we went to Barrack’s Point. We had a very mild current that gently carried along the beautiful sloping coral garden. We explored some of pinnacles and found a couple of giant clams displaying their colorful mantles. We found a few cleaning station where large midnight snapper were being scrubbed by the cleaner wrasse. Also we saw many turtles some hunkering down early for bed as the sun set. As we finished out the dive we found a very shy octopus that seemed unsure of which color to pick in order to hide itself and shortly after we were nearly run over by a large school of bumphead parrot fish that contained many large individuals. After the dive we returned to the ship to enjoy a delicious meal of pork in a kalamata olive sauce and baked Basa in a mango salsa made from scratch. For desert Chef Mani had a wonderful key lime pie that capped off everything splendidly. After dinner our guests enjoyed a Blue Planet special on the salon’s TV about the world’s oceans before nestling into bed.

On Wednesday morning Chef Mani prepared a breakfast of scrambled eggs with mushroom and tomatoes, apple pancakes and bacon and sausage. Our first dive was an encore dive to Peleliu Corner. On this dive the current had backed off some but was still running strong on the incoming side. We had a fair amount of sharks as well as snapper cruising the blue. Our divers unhooked and headed across the plateau where they found grouper hiding in crevices and also saw a few turtles cruising over the expanse. For our second dive we went to the Orange Beach Coral Garden in search of remnants from the battle there. We explored bomb craters and found a small flathead crocodile fish in one of the sand channels. As we went along we also found anchor chains, the large anchors and some of the landing craft that delivered the marines to the fierce battle on the beach above.

After this dive we moved to inside German Channel while having a lunch of chicken fried rice, meat loaf, and pork chili. For our third dive we went to New Drop Off with a light outgoing current and cruised gently along the wall to our hook in area. While there we watched a school of barracuda mingling with a large group of pyramid butterfly fish and also watched the sharks passing in the blue. After a while the current changed and so we unhooked and explored the plateau. There were photo opportunities with bumphead parrotfish as well as sleeping turtles and the resident school of blue lined snapper. We returned to the vessel for a little bit of down time before heading to the Ngemelis Wall. On this dive our guests enjoyed viewing a school of mackerel that passed a pair of sharks and many emperor angelfish. In the shallows they found lionfish, nudibranchs, and one of our guests who was snorkeling was able to find a leaf fish. After the group returned we enjoyed a meal of beer battered fish as well as a delicious breaded chicken. For desert Chef Mani made a special cake in the shape of a Nitrox tank to celebrate Barbara’s 1500th dive. For evening entertainment we watched a Blue Planet special on plankton blooms and how marine life the world over responds. Our guests turned in for the night excited to dive the famous Ulong Channel in the morning.

Thursday morning we awoke outside of Ulong to a beautiful rainbow. After shaking the sleep from our eyes and enjoying a breakfast of corned beef brisket omelets we headed to Shark City for our first dive of the day. Our guests enjoyed diving along the wall and viewing a fence of sea fans of varying colors and the sharks in the deep. They then travelled into the shallows and enjoyed watching the colorful reef fish as wells as a large eagle ray that passed overhead. For our next dive we headed to Ulong Channel. We had the channel to ourselves and enjoyed a wonderful showing of the grey reef sharks in the mouth of the channel while we were hooked in. They were unbothered by our presence and came within three feet of our divers to pose for some wonderful pictures. We also found nudibranchs of varying type and also had some close encounters with some very large marbled groupers. Also down the channel we found some white tip sharks and we were thrilled to see that the titan triggerfish were done nesting so that we could cruise the channel unhampered. Above us at the surface our snorkelers also enjoyed viewing sharks as well as a large green turtle.

After the dive we returned to the ship for lunch and enjoyed Chef Mani’s rum pork with pineapples as well as green chili stew. For our first dive of the afternoon we went to Siaes Corner and dove the area on a slight outgoing current. We enjoyed the soft corals and a couple of moray eels tucked in amongst them. We gently glided through the pyramid butterfly fish and towards the end of the dive we had several large napoleon wrasse and one lazy turtle. Our last dive of the day took us to Sandy Paradise. We moved along the vast sandy bottom of this area and early on in the dive we found two pipefish amongst a small tabletop coral. We moved on and found a yellow leaf fish hidden by a large group of glassy sweepers. We found a couple of lionfish out in the open, a flatworm, and even a barramundi that actually let us get close for some photos. In the sand we also had a few white tip sharks and we finished out the dive observing basket stars on the move. We returned to the vessel where Chef Mani had prepared an excellent meal of flank steak with a brandy cream sauce and Basa with a butter lemon sauce. We had another special cake for desert tonight. Our guest Marie celebrated her 300th dive.

On Friday morning we awoke again offshore of beautiful Ulong Island. The morning started with a light drizzle that gave way to a beautiful double rainbow. Chef Mani fueled us on chocolate chip pancakes, scrambled eggs, potato hash, bacon and sausage. Our first dive took us to Siaes Tunnel to kick off our morning with a deep dive. The tunnel starts at 90 feet and we exited at 100 feet. Inside the tunnel we found lionfish, a moray eel, angelfish and on the smaller side of things saw some signal gobies. Outside of the tunnel we viewed sharks, jacks and found several nudibranch tucked in along the wall. Towards the end of the dive we also had a couple of turtles. For our second dive we went to Ulong Channel and dove with a slack current. While this doesn’t bring us the big show at the mouth of the channel as we had the day before but rather it allows us to take our time exploring the channel itself. The nudibranchs were on parade as we found a large variety crawling along the bottom of the channel. On the dive we also had a mother grouper transporting her young in the safety of her mouth. We had several large groupers throughout the dive and as we neared the mouth we stayed in place and watched as a grey reef shark, a white tip shark, a large grouper and napoleon wrasse intersected paths. After the dive we returned to the boat for lunch and enjoyed sweet and sour pork and corned beef brisket with apples.

After lunch we took some of our guests to enjoy the beautiful beach at Ulong before we returned to Siaes Corner for our next dive. Here we enjoyed a leisurely dive along the wall viewing soft corals and a rare photo friendly barramundi. We traveled to the top of the plateau and hooked in and enjoyed a show of several sharks including a few small grey reefs that looked, as they might have only been a few months old. Accompanying them we also had a school of large barracudas, a few jacks and a large napoleon wrasse that posed for our guest who was snorkeling. After this our next dive was at the Ulong Channel Coral Garden. On this dive we moved in and out of the miniature canyons of coral observing juvenile fish such as the beautiful and distinct bi-color parrotfish. We also found some coral crabs; we were visited by a white tip reef shark and watched a school of trevally swimming near the surface. After this dive we returned to a wonderful meal prepared by Chef Mani of prime rib and shrimp, fried potatoes and broccoli. For desert we had chocolate crème pie with ice cream and John shared his video that he put together of our guests’ memorable two-week charter. Laughter and tears of joy were shared and our guests retired for the evening looking forward to their adventures tomorrow.

Saturday we awoke to flat seas and began to motor back towards Koror. Our guests went to Jellyfish Lake to snorkel with the beautiful and harmless creatures and take their pictures. Afterwards Jim took them on his famous Rock Island tour aboard the skiff where we took many photos and then rejoined the ship at the dock. We had a few guests hankering for one last dive and so we took them to Chandelier Caves to cap off their week of diving. Afterwards Chef Mani prepared a wonderful feast of Indian food for lunch and the guests went in to town to do some shopping and sightseeing. They returned to the boat that evening and we had a cocktail party while we shared photos, stories and reminisced upon the past two weeks. It was a fantastic charter and we will all be looking forward to their return.

From the warm waters and blue skies of Palau we hope to see you soon aboard the Tropic Dancer.

 

[Dancer Fleet]

Tropic Dancer Captain’s Report April 21 – 28, 2013

Air/Water Temp: 86/84 F
Visibility: Good – Great
Topside Conditions: Partly Cloudy, Sunny with some rain, Sunny
Sea Surface: Slightly choppy, Calm

Crew: Captain Ike, Skiff Captain Jim, Photo Pro Ben, Video Pro Andy, Stewardess Agnes, Instructor Sean and Chef Mani

Welcome onboard the Tropic Dancer here in Palau. We started the pickups at 4pm on Sunday. Everybody arrived in one piece and we welcomed Steve & Melissa, Dorthe, Pilar, Jose & Carlota, Jorge & Marta, Rich & Kelli, Scott, Gary, Dan & Laurie, Julia, and Yanti. Once everyone’s gear was set up and dinner was enjoyed we did the Captain’s Safety Briefing and showed the Living Eden Show featuring Palau. Everyone was ready for bed and excited for the week ahead.

The Helmet Wreck was our first dive of the charter and we explored this small cargo boat, which was sunk by bombs during World War II. The wreck is full of interesting artifacts like rifles, gas masks, depth charges and beer bottles. At the anchor wench on the bow of the boat we found two different pipefish and a couple of signal gobies. The colossal Iro Maru was next, which was another wreck sunk by a combination of bombs and torpedoes. During lunch we moved the Tropic Dancer to Ulong Island and after lunch we did a dive at the famous Ulong Channel. We saw plenty of grey reef and white tip sharks and the soldier fish were in high numbers in the pristine lettuce coral area. We saw the two twin giant clams and due to the size of these two clams, one can only estimate that they could possibly be over 70 years old. For the last dive on Monday we set out for Sandy Paradise. We did our giant strides and a great dive with plenty of macro critters followed. At a small coral formation two leaf scorpion were found and we were very lucky to find a thin ghost pipefish. The photographers especially loved the dive.

Day two of diving began with a deep dive through Siaes Tunnel. This dive boasts stunning topography featuring a swim through tunnel in which we spotted banner fish, black corals, and some colorful dart fish guarding the exit to the tunnel. Outside, grey reef sharks cruised the blue water and nudibranchs were discovered along the wall. The second dive was Siaes Corner. Sometimes treated as a hook-in dive today we found mild currents so we dropped down the wall, photographed anemones and their resident fish, saw several more curious grey reef sharks, and a friendly green turtle. After a light lunch it was back in the water for a drift along Big Drop Off. This sheer wall begins just several feet from the island’s shoreline and plummets straight down to dizzying depths. Oysters, flatworms, lionfish, and a hawksbill turtle came out to play, and a gentle current propelled us lazily down the wall encrusted with soft corals blowing in the underwater breeze. Turtle Cove, always a crowd pleaser, was selected as our next conquest. Beginning with a swim through, a disco clam was found near the back of the tunnel and inspired several creative underwater dive signs to be shared. Exiting and swimming along the wall, an orangutan crab was found crouched on a patch of bubble coral with long red hair swaying back and forth and more humorous dive signing ensued. Coming up and over the wall, the top of the plateau revealed huge schools of midnight snapper, pyramid butterfly fish, and jacks completely encompassing the group. Emerging from the water as the sun set, we returned to the ship for Chef Mani’s delicious cooking before venturing out once more for the night dive at Alexi’s Coral Gardens.

We woke up to a beautiful sunrise on Wednesday. For the first dive we went to Blue Holes. We dropped into the water and descended through the holes into the large cavern. The visibility was great. The ambient light filtered through the holes and filled the cavern. We exited the cavern and ended the dive off the hook in area at Blue Corner. The three napoleon wrasse soon joined the group as we drifted across the plateau. Dive two we headed to New Drop Off. We hooked in on the outgoing side and watched the show. Once we unhooked, we drifted across the plateau and found another thin ghost pipefish. Off in the blue was a large school of barracuda.

After lunch we went back to Blue Corner. Although it was slack tide and we didn’t hook in it was a great dive. Again the three napoleon wrasse followed us around the whole dive and some of the anemones were feeding and made for great photos. We went back to the big boat for our surface interval and then headed to German Channel for dive number four. We did our entry and swam towards the first cleaning station. No mantas, but several grey reef sharks put on a good cleaning show. We kicked across the mouth of the channel towards the second cleaning station, again no mantas. Then as we started to drift into the channel a very large female manta came out of the channel, cruised past the whole group, and made her way to blue. After dinner we went back to Turtle Cove for the night dive. We did this dive yesterday in the daytime, now we get to experience it at night. Along the wall we found a couple of turtles sleeping, the basket stars were out filter feeding and under most of the ledges. The cup coral was also out and feeding. We went back to the Tropic Dancer for some hot chocolate and everyone went to bed shortly after. It was a great day of diving.

Thursday we began with some awe-inspiring topography. Plunging more than 80 feet down into a massive Blue Hole-like crater, we swam into the darkness with our torches leading the way until the welcoming tropical sun showed us the exit from the tunnel and the wall outside. Blue Holes was full of flatworms, pufferfish, and even a sleeping white tip shark. Deciding to relax on the second dive of the day, a slow drift down Ngemelis Wall was planned during which we found many colorful nudibranchs exploring the reef along with us. After lunch we again went for a wall drift dive and this time with slightly larger game as almost a dozen different turtles swam in and amongst us during our Dexter’s Wall dive and our guests waved hands at their waving fins. Ending the diurnal diving with a bang, we returned to German Channel by popular demand and were not disappointed. Just twenty minutes into our dive excited tank clanging was heard from our Captain Ike as he spotted the first massive manta ray gracefully swooping overhead. Ascending to the surface, we watched awestruck as this massive ray swooped around and between us, surreal! Recharging stomachs and batteries back at the mothership it was then time for one last foray into the dark as the night dive began at Ngedebus Coral Gardens. Here we found several crabs, lionfish, and a sleeping turtle wedged into a small nook in the reef.

We woke up early the next morning and started moving the Tropic Dancer to Peleliu where along the way we spotted spinner dolphins. We tied up the boat in south dock and went out to Peleliu Corner for our first dive. The current was incoming as we entered the water. The current was mild and we swam to the hook in area but did not hook in. Along the way there were grey reef sharks in the blue and plenty of turtles on the reef. For the second dive we went back to Peleliu Corner as we were hoping for stronger current, but again the current was mild. That’s kind of strange considering its full moon tomorrow. We dropped in the water closer to the corner and had a slow drift all the way to the corner. There were several bumphead parrotfish on the plateau. All the divers got to see the actual corner in Peleliu where the two oceans meet. As we were getting back on the skiff there was a blue marlin jumping about 40 yards from the skiff. Back at the big boat lunch was ready and a nice surface interval followed. For dive three we headed out to West Wall. This wall is one of the crew’s favorite dives in Palau. The wall is covered in yellow soft coral and is a great macro dive. Nudi’s and flatworms and scorpion fish were spotted. Before the next dive we moved Tropic Dancer out of south dock and did the next dive at Barracks Point. All of the guests enjoyed this beautiful coral garden. A total of seven turtles were found and posed nicely for the photographers. Also we found two pairs of long nose filefish for a guest, and she was really excited to see these small fish for the first time. After the dive the skiff met back up with the big boat as it was already heading north. Chef Mani had an excellent dinner prepared that night of prime rib, mashed potatoes, shrimp, salad and soup. And for desert we enjoyed peanut butter ice cream pie, which is always a favorite.

The final day of diving is anything but a rest day here in Palau. Waking up surrounded by rock islands, birds chirping, and fish striking the surface is certainly an excellent way to begin one’s day. After a quick breakfast, we hopped into the skiff for the scenic skiff ride to the exotic Jellyfish Lake. Here we were surrounded by countless pink jellyfish suspended in the deep green waters of its inland lake home. One picturesque skiff ride and many poses with the iconic ‘Rock Island Arch’ later, we returned to the Tropic Dancer to prepare our dive gear for the last excursion. Chandelier Caves offered us pristine visibility and awe-inspiring stalactites. Outside, mandarin fish and razorfish were found hiding among the staghorn corals.

We would like to thank all of our guests for traveling out to see us, and we hope to see all of you again soon!

 

[Dancer Fleet]

Tropic Dancer Captain’s Report April 28 – May 5, 2013

Another beautiful week begins here in Palau, as guests arrive at the boat. This week our guests consist of two dive groups, one from New Zealand and the other from the US. It didn’t take long for everyone to settle in and introduce themselves, and friends were quickly made. After a predictably amazing meal from Chef Mani, and our captain’s briefing, everyone turned in eager for the first day of diving to begin.

Monday morning, opting to skip the shipwrecks of Malakal Harbor, we journeyed out to Ulong Island for a checkout dive in Sandy Paradise. Here we discovered schools of fish, several white tip sharks, and even a leaf scorpionfish. Dive two we ventured further up the outer reef to Siaes Tunnel. This overhead environment houses several unique fish, and dartfish, bannerfish, and nudibranchs were seen here. After lunch Siaes Corner was targeted and we were amazed by giant schools of snapper, barracudas, several puffer fish, and a friendly hawksbill turtle. Now for the much anticipated Ulong Channel. Boasting some of the most pristine coral in Palau, the channel consists of a three-part dive. First exploring the wall to see nudibranchs and eels, then hooking into some rocky crevices at the mouth of the channel and watching a dozen grey reef sharks passing back and forth, riding the currents right in front of us! Then unhooking and riding the strong current down the channel, with grouper darting out of our way, lettuce coral flying by underneath us, and giant clams welcoming us to the end of the channel. Emerging for a sunset skiff ride back to a warm galley smelling of East Asian cuisine everyone was very pleased with the day.

Day two of diving started with a bang. The prestigious German Channel was selected for the early morning dive and we were met with instant success. Crouched in the sand surrounding a cleaning station, we watched as a manta ray swooped low over our heads several times, intermittently being cleaned by cleaner wrasse, and showing off its nautical prowess to us. Swooping off into the blue and breakneck speeds our fins couldn’t begin to duplicate we were sad to see it go, but ecstatic when an even larger one blindsided us from the other side and performed several acrobatics! Grey reef sharks, tuna fish, and garden eels were also seen on this dive. Keeping the action at an all time high, Ngemelis Wall was selected and once again we were amazed. Two leopard sharks were seen and photographed, an octopus, and several colorful nudibranchs were spotted. As if these two dives weren’t enough, we piled on a topography-riddled wonder, Blue Holes. This massive cavern complete with its own personal sunroofs provide beautiful lighting for our photographers to explore and see disco clams, dartfish, and a lionfish. Exiting the cavern, we swam down to Blue Corner’s outgoing side, and hooked in to watch grey reef sharks parading out in front of us, and puppy dog-like Napoleon wrasses playing behind us. Dive number four, and the night dive, we slowed things down with Alexi’s Coral Gardens. Here we played with a hawksbill turtle, a massive lobster, and spotted several large lionfish.

Wednesday, by popular demand, we returned to Blue Corner and once again saw dozens of grey reef sharks, the ever-playful Napoleon wrasses, and also large schools of midnight snapper. The late morning dive we turned to the beautiful Turtle Cove. This sheer wall and colorful plateau housed nudibranchs, turtles, schools of jacks and snapper, as well as pyramid butterfly fish, triggerfish, and another scorpionfish! Dexter’s Wall, a scenic wall drift consisting of large sea fans, and numerous soft corals was picked next, and several turtles and flatworms were seen. The final dive before the sun went down was the popular New Drop Off. Similar to Blue Corner, this hook in dive showed us grey reef sharks, white tip sharks; blue lined snapper, barracudas, and ten green turtles! Night diving back at Turtle Cove, feeding polyps, white basket stars, sleeping triggerfish, and curious filefish were enjoyed.

Thursday morning dawns and it’s down to Peleliu for us. First dive of the day, Peleliu Corner. This imposing dive has currents that range from the incredibly strong, to completely nonexistent. We arrived at the dive site at the end of the incoming current and were lucky enough to have just enough current for a leisurely wall drift, watching sharks out in the blue water, and a massive school of sea breams encircling us. Exploring the plateau, several turtles, and many large groupers were seen. After the first dive, the group split nearly in two, half electing to see the island of Peleliu herself on the land tour, the other half diving on Orange Beach, the invasion beach, where amtracks, anchors, and other World War II artifacts were seen as well as a rare ribbon eel. After reuniting and swapping stories, it was back to Peleliu Corner. This time the current was slightly stronger, enough to enable us to hook in to watch butterfly fish and grey reef sharks swimming by, as well as an octopus and several crown of thorns. Barracks Point was our last dive on this southern island of Palau and it was full of giant clams, turtles, and nudibranchs in crystal clear water. After yet another great dinner from Chef Mani a select few ventured to Turtle Cove for a night dive full of pleurobranchs, turtles, sponge crabs, and giant basket stars.

Our final day of deep diving, Friday started once again with a trip to German Channel and once again we encountered several manta rays going back and forth from one cleaning station to another. Also seen were large schools of snapper and scad which the grey reef sharks swam through time and time again looking for an opportunity. After being surrounded by so much life, it was time for a topography dive. Virgin Blue Hole offered us a wide ‘chimney’ style swim through which began at six feet and opened up and exited at one hundred feet. Cruising the wall outside, several nudibranchs and a turtle were seen. Third dive of the day took us back to Blue Corner. With no current, we skipped hooking in and instead explored the very tip of the corner itself to find ourselves in the middle of several dozen large grouper nests with grey reef sharks swimming hungrily past. Ending our long day of diving with a relaxing wall drift. Fern’s Wall revealed many colorful soft corals, turtles, and fish basking in the late afternoon sun.

The bittersweet Saturday morning came early on the boat, with the sun breaking over the picturesque rock islands and the birds chirping their cheerful songs. First location of the day was the one and only Jellyfish Lake. With several million resident jellyfish, everyone was impressed by the eeriness of this incredible snorkel. Once all had hiked back over the hill to the awaiting skiff, Jim began his famous Rock Island tour, whizzing in and amongst the islands, stopping for a photo opportunity at the Arch. The last event for our guests this week was Chandelier Caves. With salt-crusted stalactite structures and multiple air chambers, this dive site always impresses.

It was a great pleasure diving with you all this week on the Tropic Dancer. That wraps up another week here in Palau. We wish you all a fond farewell.

Tropic Dancer Crew

 

[Dancer Fleet]

Tropic Dancer Captain’s Report May 5 – 12, 2013

Crew: Captain Ike, 2nd Captain Steve, Photo Pro Ben, Video Pro Sean, Dive master Jim, Stewardess Loly and Chef Mani

Air Water Temp: 86/83-84F
Visibility: Great –Good
Topside Conditions: Partly Cloudy with Rain – Sunny
Sea Surface: Choppy – Calm

Another week is about to begin as the Tropic Dancer crew welcomes Dianne and her Flying Divers dive group. A bit of tree surgery and a sudden down pour at the Cliffside Hotel didn’t do anything to dampen the spirits. Dive gear was quickly set up and the boat orientation complete before our guests enjoyed the first of Chef Mani’s delicious dinners. The Captain’s safety briefing out of the way and everybody turns in excited about the week ahead.

Monday and up early for the trip to Ulong Island was setting the backdrop for some beautiful dive sites. The check out dive was Sandy Paradise where the nesting triggerfish kept a watchful eye on the group. The second dive was Siaes Tunnel giving us the opportunity to spot the blue back pigmy angelfish before lunch. A quick break for lunch and then Ulong Channel was our next dive site. The sharks put on a show as we get used to using the reef hooks. Two giant clams proved very popular with the photographers. The afternoon draws to an end and Ulong Gardens is the setting for a nice relaxing dive past a herd of sleeping white tip sharks. Another fine dining experience and an early night as the Tropic Dancer makes the journey through German Channel.

Tuesday begins with Blue Holes where the disco clams and the stunning backdrop providing some excellent pictures taken by our photo pro Ben. As we drift toward Blue Corner the napoleon wrasse comes in for a closer look. The second dive is a nice relaxing drift around New Drop Off where at least six green turtles and a hawksbill turtle accompany the group. Lunch is next followed by Turtle Cove, which is filled today with grey reef sharks, turtles, and peacock flounders making this a special dive. Fern’s Wall is the location for the late afternoon dive where our video pro Sean finds some moray eels and the well camouflaged leaf scorpion fish.

Wednesday should be renamed “Nudibranch Day” with Dive master Jim’s eagle eye spotting several varieties. The Virgin Blue Hole was the first site to serve up the splendor, with its tight entrance and then Dexter’s Wall was the setting for turtle after turtle. With the excitement palpable Blue Hole was next and today we encountered a moderate incoming current. Once everybody was all hooked in the sharks and schools of jacks put on show for everybody. The napoleon wrasse came back just to see if we were the same people as yesterday. Saving the incoming current and with the site all to ourselves German Channel did not disappoint. A huge school of scad almost blocking out the light enticing giant trevally and all the sharks in for dinner. Four feeding mantas will forever be entrenched in the memories of the group. The evening’s event was a special anniversary cake to celebrate Roy and Jane’s fifty-second year of married bliss.

Thursday begins with Captain Ike taking the Tropic Dancer down to Peleliu with the serenity of Camp Beck. Peleliu Corner, where two seas collide, was a perfect way to start the day. The current wasn’t too strong and everybody enjoyed the relaxing drift along. Most people elected for the tour of the island but Dianna, Cathrine and Steve were treated to the delights of Orange Beach instead encountering two more turtles blocking the view and an eagle ray being the highlights of the dive. With the group reunited for lunch a smooth drift around West Wall was served up in the afternoon. Nurse sharks were all the talk in the short skiff ride back to Camp Beck. Slipping out of the anchorage before sunset, we stopped on the way to dive Barracks Point where a huge stingray got in the way of David’s navigation exercise. After another fine feast, those with energy choose Turtle Cove for the night dive location. Octopus, slipper lobster and decorator crabs were posing for the group.

Friday, our final day of diving, started with a trip to Ngedebus Coral Garden and once again we encountered several turtles. Also seen were large schools of snapper and scad, which the grey reef sharks swam through time and time again looking for an opportunity. After being surrounded by so much life, it was time for a topography dive and Big Drop Off offered us this chance. Another easy drift around Ngedebus Corner after lunch, then it was back to the channel, German Channel style. Huge schools of scad enticed the feeding sharks and another manta delighted everybody before dinner.

Saturday morning came early on the boat, with the sun breaking over the picturesque rock islands and the birds chirping their cheerful songs. First location of the day was the one and only Jellyfish Lake. With several million resident jellyfish, everyone was impressed by the eeriness of this incredible snorkel. Once everyone had hiked back over the hill to the awaiting skiff, Jim began his famous Rock Island tour, whizzing in and amongst the islands, stopping for a photo opportunity at The Arch. The last event for our guests this week was Chandelier Caves. With salt-crusted stalactite structures and multiple air chambers, this dive delighted. On the way back to the boat we all got a surprise as a sea snake swam past the skiff.

That wraps up another week here in Palau. It was a great pleasure diving with you all this week on the Tropic Dancer. We wish you all a safe onward journey and a speedy return.

Tropic Dancer Crew

 

[Dancer Fleet]

Tropic Dancer Captain’s Report May 12 – 19, 2013

Air/Water: 86/83-85F
Visibility: Good – Great
Topside Conditions: Partly Cloudy – Sunny, Rainy final day
Sea Surface: Calm – Small Chop

Crew: Captain Ike, 2^nd Captain Steve, Photo pro Ben, Video pro Jim, Dive master Jim, Stewardess Len and Chef Mani

Welcome on board the Tropic Dancer for another week in beautiful Palau. On Sunday at 4pm we picked up our guests from their hotel. We have a whole group of 18 people on board from Poland this week: Dariusz & Barbara, Krzysztof P, Andrzei I, Szymon & Krzysztof B, Michal, Jacek C, Monika & Andrzei S, Marek, Tamerian, Wojciech, Leszek, Oskar, Jacek L, Bogdan and Dominika. They set up their dive gear and then sat down to a wonderful dinner prepared by our Chef Mani. After dinner, we covered the safety briefing and showed the Living Eden’s documentary on Palau so they could get a taste of what they could expect for the week. After the video most went to bed so they could get an early start tomorrow.

Early on Monday morning we started up the big boat and headed to Ulong. Our first check out dive was at Sandy Paradise. This is a shallow easy drift dive with grey reef sharks, barracuda, and leaf scorpionfish. Our next dive was a little deeper as the entrance to Siaes Tunnel is down at 90 feet. All the guests enjoyed swimming through the tunnel and out the exit hole at 100 feet. Inside the tunnel we saw the decorated dart fish, blue backed pygmy angelfish, and the grey reef sharks along the wall. After lunch the guests sat down for the reef hook briefing and we used them on the third dive at Siaes Corner. We hooked in with a mild current and watched the show. The grey reef sharks did not come in as close as we would have liked, but we will have more chances to use our reef hooks later. For the fourth dive we went out to the famous Ulong Channel where now the current was flowing strong. We entered the water and drifted to the hook in area. After hooking in the sharks came really close to the divers. We all enjoyed the show and then un-hooked and flew through the channel. Along the way we spotted turtles, sharks, and a semi-circle angelfish. It was a great day of diving and during dinner we moved the big boat to German Channel for our next day of diving.

Tuesday begins with a short skiff ride to the famous Blue Corner. Here a medium sized current let us utilize our reef hooks to sit motionless and watch shark after shark cruise by, curious as to our presence, but wary just the same. Also present were our friendly neighborhood napoleon wrasses, demanding our attention and asking to have their photograph taken. Turtle Cove was visited next, beginning with a chimney-style swim through. We then exited via a giant cavern and proceeded to explore the wall for all its macro life and turtles. After a reload of lunch and compressed air on the big boat Big Drop Off was explored. Here several flatworms, nudibranchs, and a turtle were found. Last on the schedule while the sun was up was German Channel. This dive is always a treat, with huge schools of baitfish, surgeonfish, midnight snappers, and cleaning stations littered all over the coral garden. For the brave few, the night dive took us back out to Big Drop Off where twin spot lionfish and massive pufferfish were found.

On Wednesday we work up to a beautiful sunrise and after filling our bellies we jumped on the skiff and were off to German Channel. We entered the water on the Peleliu side of the channel and headed across the mouth of the channel. No luck at the cleaning station, but then as we started to drift into the channel a manta flew past the group. We turned around and followed it to the cleaning station. It put on a nice show being cleaned. Dive number two was at the beautiful Blue Holes. The sunlight was filtering down through the four holes. We exited the cavern, drifting to Blue Corner. Soon after reaching the corner the napoleon wrasse found us and swam in and out of all the guests. Green sea and hawksbill turtles were seen on the corner. We again used our reef hooks on the next dive at New Drop Off. The current was out going and we spent most of the dive at the hook-in area where the sharks put on a great show. After we un-hooked we found two large green sea turtles, they were sleeping on the plateau and the photographers were able to get very close to take their photos. On the fourth dive Steve took our one non-diver on a ‘Discover Scuba Adventure’ and she loved it. White tip sharks and a very large feather tail ray were found sleeping in the sand. For the night dive, we traveled 30 seconds from the big boat to Turtle Cove. Turtles sleeping, basket stars, nudi’s, and eels were spotted.

Thursday began with a thrilling dive at Peleliu Corner. A brief, speedy drift over the wall and the connecting plateau revealed several grey reef sharks, and many fish bunkered down awaiting lighter tides. Next all of our guests opted for the land tour of Peleliu Island. With World War II artifacts littering the island our knowledgeable guide showed us tanks, landing crafts, and long deserted buildings covered in ivy and ammunition holes. Returning to the boat we refilled tanks and then headed out to West Wall, a beautiful drift dive sporting moray eels, many turtles, and a porcelain crab. Leaving our shallow dockage while tide allowed, we turned the corner and positioned the mother ship off the coast to set us up beautifully for our third dive of the day at Barracks Point, a stunning coral garden, sloping down on a wide plateau before falling away into darkness. We used the polychromatic hues of the vivid sunset to set the stage for our foray into this playground. Giant clams, snapper cleaning stations, and even a cleverly camouflaged scorpion fish were seen. Completing this day was one last jaunt into the darkness, our final night dive. German Coral Gardens was selected and coral crabs and a twin spot lionfish were uncovered.

On Friday we did a repeat dive at Blue Corner. The current was incoming and it was strong. We hooked in at the deeper hook-in area at 60 feet deep and watched the sharks putting on elaborate flight patterns in the current. Virgin Blue Holes became our second dive of the day. This chimney-style swim through begins at just six feet and opens up at one hundred feet. Impressive topography to begin a dive. The wall outside contained several colorful nudibranchs and turtles, and then ending the dive with a series of small swim through and canyons. After lunch Dexter’s Wall was visited and as per usual with this site’s reputation turtles abound. Dive number four on Friday is always a bittersweet dive, being the last deep dive of the week and New Drop Off was elected. With an outgoing current we hooked in briefly before unhooking and exploring the wall and plateau. Here we saw several large grey reef sharks, green sea turtles, and the resident school of blue-lined snapper.

The final day of diving is anything but a rest day here in Palau. Waking up surrounded by rock islands, birds chirping, and fish striking the surface, certainly an excellent way to begin one’s day. After a quick breakfast, we hopped into the skiff for the scenic skiff ride to the exotic Jellyfish Lake. Here we were surrounded by countless pink jellyfish suspended in the deep green waters of its inland lake home. One picturesque skiff ride and many poses with the iconic Rock Island Arch later, we returned to our mother ship to prepare our dive gear for the last excursion. Chandelier Caves offered us pristine visibility and awe-inspiring stalactites. Outside, mandarin fish and razor fish were found hiding among the staghorn corals.

We would like to thank all of our guests for traveling out to see us, and we hope to see all of you again soon!

Tropic Dancer Crew

 

[Dancer Fleet]

Tropic Dancer Captain’s Report May 19 – 26, 2013

Air/Water Temp: 86/83 – 85F
Visibility: Good – Great!
Topside Conditions: Sunny, Rain, Partly Cloudy
Sea Surface: Calm – Slight Swell

Crew: Captain Ike, 2^nd Captain Steve, Photo pro Ben, Video Pro Andy, Instructor Emma, Chef Mani and Stewardess Len.

France, Germany, Switzerland, and the United States represented our mixed nationals for this week. A special welcome back to Hans and Christine who can now call the Tropic Dancer home number two. Sunday at 4 o’clock, Ben and Steve set out to round up our guests from their respective hotels. After a quick room orientation, dive gear was quickly set up and new friends to make where met. Chef Mani provided another of his excellent buffets and the Captain’s Safety and Orientation briefing followed. It was a long day for Bob, but he managed to stay awake for the important parts A quick glass of wine or a beer and everybody turned in for an early night.

Monday the crew was up before dawn as Captain Ike cruised the Tropic Dancer through to German Channel to begin the day’s diving activities. Alexi’s Coral Garden was up first for the check out dive where everybody got accustomed to diving once again and sorted out their weights for the week. Big Drop Off was next on the list with the sheer wall providing the perfect backdrop for Fabiene and Storm to practice photography. Photo pro Ben was on hand after the dive to provide some helpful hints and advice. Mani served up another feast for lunch and Turtle Cove was the afternoon dive site. Don’t know where the turtles went, but the schools of jacks and snapper certainly made up for the missing turtles! The last dive of the day was a nice easy drift along Ngedebus Coral Garden before dinner. After dinner was a slide show presentation on reef hooks and everybody that wasn’t sure learned all about how to use them. Even Bob managed to stay awake for this one Most then turned in for the night to dream about diving the famous Blue Corner the next day.

Tuesday and the rain didn’t dampen anybody’s spirits and Blue Corner didn’t disappoint anybody either. With a medium outgoing current we drifted along the wall before using the reef hook techniques learned from the previous night’s briefing. After watching the sharks put on their display Captain Ike found us a sheltered channel and called the Napoleon wrasse over to entertain. Meanwhile two green turtles drifted past and a moray eel hid inside his hole as we passed him by. New Drop Off was next and again the reef hooks were called into action and yesterday’s missing turtles showed up. Three green and two hawksbills were eager to have their picture taken with the group. Eagle-eyed Video pro Andy even spotted a stargazer near the end of the dive. After lunch we head out to Dexter’s Wall and the sun puts in an appearance. Here 2^nd Captain Steve finds a crocodile fish that’s about a foot long, and it seemed to enjoy all the attention. Ngedebus Corner was our next dive site where several nudibranchs were found, photographed, and identified. In the evening, after a wonderful dinner by Chef Mani, Instructor Emma took two brave souls on a dive to Turtle Cove finding a colorful wall littered with lobsters, shrimp, and crab. When they came over the plateau they found white basket stars with arms stretched wide waiting for prey.

Wednesday and we are off south to Peleliu where two oceans collide, as it is the center meeting point for the Pacific Ocean and Philippine Sea. We started our morning off with a relaxing dive at Peleliu Corner. Guests hooked into the corner and watched sharks effortlessly swim against the current. After we arrived back to the big boat, five of our guests took the second dive off to go back in time and visit sites from the WW II Pacific battle on the island of Peleliu. Steve meanwhile took the remaining European guests on a historical dive on the site of Orange Beach where they viewed sunken landing crafts, bullets and even some bombs. After we all joined up and enjoyed lunch we made a short skiff ride over to West Wall. West Wall slopes here and there, but for the most part is a steady straight down wall. Covered in soft and hard coral, this wall boasts of much life as it gets the same current and nutrients as Peleliu Corner. Our forth daylight dive of the day was made at Barracks Point. This site is a large plateau blanketed in hard coral but filled with soft coral on top. We let the current drift us steadily along with the shallows on our left viewing giant clams along the way. Wrapping our night up with dinner and a night dive, we made our way back to the German Channel to set us up for Thursday’s schedule.

Thursday we made good use of the light and descend through the Blue Holes. Here the disco clams provide the entertainment and Photo pro Ben used the natural surroundings to get some great shots of the divers in the group. Next up was a relaxing drift around Fern’s Wall where a green turtle even managed to sneak into Andy’s video! An open-air lunch around the bar, then the quick trip to German Channel. Ben led the hunt for mantas, but Captain Ike managed to find them on the surface to show Patricia who was snorkeling. The divers though weren’t disappointed with the schools of barracuda and trevally they saw below. We tried again to find the mantas on dive four, but to no avail.

Friday began with a trip to one of Palau’s World War II wrecks, the Iro Maru. This vessel sits upright in around 75 feet of water and is encrusted in coral. After that it’s over to Ulong we go and Siaes Tunnel where we had plenty of shark action deep down, along with a large school of jacks doing what jacks do. After enjoying pizza for lunch we headed to the crews favorite dive site, Ulong Channel. This dive is so good we did it twice, hooking in on the first dive watching the sharks dance in the current then being swept down the channel. Groupers galore, turtles tantalizing and near the end not one, but two giant clams.

The final day of diving is anything but a rest day here in Palau. Waking up surrounded by rock islands, birds chirping, and fish striking the surface is certainly an excellent way to begin one’s day. After a quick breakfast, we hopped into the skiff for the scenic skiff ride to the exotic Jellyfish Lake. Here countless non-stinging, pink jellyfish suspended in the deep green waters of its inland lake home surrounded us. One picturesque skiff ride and many poses with the iconic Rock Island Arch later, we returned to our mothership to prepare our dive gear for the last excursion. Chandelier Caves offered us pristine visibility and awe-inspiring stalactites. Outside, mandarin fish and razor fish were found hiding among the staghorn corals.

We would like to thank all of our guests for traveling out to see us, and we hope to see all of you again soon!

Tropic Dancer Crew

 

[Dancer Fleet]

Tropic Dancer Captain’s Report May 26 – June 2, 2013

Air/ Water Temperature: 86/83-85 F
Visibility: Good – Great
Topside Conditions: Sunny, Rain one day, Partly Cloudy/Sunny
Sea Surface: Calm – Slight Swell

Crew: Captain Ike, 2^nd Captain Steve, Photo Pro Sean, Video Pro Andy, Instructor Emma, Dive Master Jim, Chef Mani and Stewardess Len

Sunday
Captain Ike and his crew are ready for another week. Last week’s guests Hans and Christine are still on board and another 15 guests are eagerly awaited. However, Kerry’s group of four will have to wait another day as they missed their connecting flight. Still everybody else arrived, set up their dive gear and settled down for the first of Chef Mani’s scrumptious feasts and the Captain’s Safety Briefing. Most went to bed afterwards, but a few stragglers stayed up for a little while to enjoy the evening on board the Tropic Dancer.

Monday
This morning started with a welcome cooked breakfast beginning at 6.30am and the main dive deck briefing followed. Our first dive, aka check out dive, was the Helmut Wreck. This World War II artifact holds some hidden treasures, some like the artifacts we spot and others like the magnificent cuttlefish we find on display. This elusive fish put on a show right at the beginning of the dive and set the tone for the week. The next dive was the slightly deeper Iro Maru. This Japanese cargo vessel is completely encrusted in coral and a favorite spot for nudibranchs to hang out. Captain Ike then set sail for the beautiful setting of Ulong Island where we were able to dive the brilliant Ulong Coral Gardens and then the crew’s favorite site, Ulong Channel. While the divers were hooked in, the grey reef sharks danced in the current and seemed to pose for the mass of photographers. Once we unhooked, the current swept us down the channel where groupers darted around, but wait what’s this. A leopard shark! This tame, picturesque shark delighted those that had never seen one before, but it didn’t hang around very long.

Tuesday
After welcoming our delayed four divers late last night we all set of for an adventurous day of diving and Siaes Tunnel was our first choice. Here in the deep, a school of jacks stay just out of reach and grey sharks can be seen swimming around. Within the tunnel there are disco clams to be found, as well as the rare blue back angelfish that believe they are deeper than they really are. Unfortunately it was not the best day weather-wise in Ulong so we decided to move down towards German Channel during another enjoyable lunch. New Drop Off had some current and that allowed us to hook in again. Not only did we spy sharks, but also our guests got video and photos of turtles, octopi, and schools of jacks. The last daylight dive today was German Channel itself. This popular dive site has nearly everything including manta rays, but alas not this time. After dinner the night divers ventured to German Coral Garden where our Video Pro Sean finds crocodile fish, a moray eel curled up and hiding behind a slipper lobster and the biggest cuttlefish most of us have ever seen.

Wednesday
The excitement was palpable; Blue Corner was first on the schedule. Palau’s premier dive site never disappoints with a mild current we were once again able to hook in and admire the show of ‘Sharks against Jacks’. It was like a scene from the movie West Side Story J Blue Holes was up next and Photo Pro Andy was making good use of the disco clam sign. With the morning sunlight penetrating through the depths plenty of scenic pictures were taken this morning using the holes themselves as the backdrop. Dexter’s Wall provided the perfect setting for the third dive as perhaps the 10 green turtles we passed were on their way to somewhere, but they didn’t seem to be in any hurry. The day was concluded with a dive around New Drop Off and with just a little current there was no need to hook in so here Andy was able to spend the dive delighting the divers with his mastery in finding small critters. The evening concluded with our divers updating logbooks and paging through the Fish ID books to determine what was seen today.

Thursday
A little rain in the morning and we were up early to make the 2-hour journey south to Peleliu Island. This island was the setting for a horrific WWII Battle, but also hosts some outstanding dive sites too. First dive site was at The Corner, where the Philippine Sea and the Pacific Ocean collide. This dive can be the most unpredictable with regard to current. This morning though it was just right, a nice mild effortless drift along the ‘Express’. Some of the group elected to skip the second dive for the Peleliu Land Tour and the rest of us had a rather nice dive on the West Wall where we saw perhaps 10 green turtles, a moray eel, a huge giant trevally and a squadron of reef sharks hunting for a mid-morning snack. Once the group was reunited then Barracks Point was chosen next. Captain Ike led the divers on this dive, which consisted of a large plateau of coral with an old anchor down deep, and behind a pinnacle there is a giant clam. Afterwards Suzie feeds the crew her stash of dark chocolate, which made her Steve’s favorite. Orange Beach was next up just as the sun was trying to make an appearance. An eagle ray swoops in for a look, a slipper lobster is unearthed and an octopus sits on a coral head; perhaps confused by the lack of light and thinking night has come early. The night dive was West Wall and we spied a slipper lobster straight of the bat. Then Steve (on his first night dive) found a scorpion fish, several sea slugs, crabs, and twin spot lionfish. But the best was yet to come with Mike and Lori finding the biggest nudibranch in the world and even with all the creature books out afterwards we could not be certain what it was.

Friday
Due to popular demand Friday starts with German Channel and the Blue Corner as repeat sites. Three manta rays at the cleaning station make this a wise choice. Blue Corner was also special with an out going current this time so we were able to experience the other side of the corner. Lucky the sharks don’t care which way the current is and neither do the napoleon wrasse. Pizza and pasta for lunch followed by Turtle Cove. A nice relaxing wall dive starting with a nice drop through the coral plateau and yes, there was one turtle on the wall snuggled in for the afternoon. Big Drop Off was next for the late afternoon dive and although the visibility wasn’t the best there was still plenty to enjoy. The last supper together and Chef Mani and Len put out another scrumptious display of food. Garlic prawns and prime rib ‘Jimmy Buffet’ style. After desert only three brave divers set out to German Channel for the night dive.

Saturday morning came early on the boat, with the rain breaking over the picturesque rock islands and the birds chirping their cheerful songs. First location of the day was the one and only Jellyfish Lake. With several million resident jellyfish, everyone was impressed by the eeriness of this incredible snorkel. Once all had hiked back over the hill to the awaiting skiff, Jim began his famous Rock Island Tour, whizzing in and amongst the islands, stopping for a photo opportunity at ‘The Arch’. The last event for our guests this week was Chandelier Caves. With salt-crusted stalactite structures and multiple air chambers, then once outside the caves the hunt for the mandarin fish begins in earnest.

That about wraps things up for another week. Thanks to everybody for a great week.
Tropic Dancer Crew

 

[Dancer Fleet]

Tropic Dancer Captain’s Report June 2 – 9, 2013

Water Temp: 84 deg F
Air Temp: 82-86 Deg F
Crew: Capt Marc, Steve, Adam, Jim, Ben, Chef Andy and Agnes

Sunday. Captain Marc and his crew eagerly await the guests for the coming week while Ben and Jim set off to round everybody up from their respective hotels. At 6:30 we welcomed our new guests aboard: Anne, Frank, Yuri, Sviatlana and Florence and we are still waiting for one. A room briefing and then some of the dive gear is assembled. Dinner is then served by Chef Andy at 1800, and what a feast of Thai inspired food. Captain Marc excites everybody with the briefing and Steve heads to the airport to collect Thomas who has arrived on a late flight. Everybody retires early for another fantastic week aboard the Palau Aggressor II.

Monday. With dawn breaking over Koror we set sail from our dock at Neco Marine and crossed the harbor for our first dive The Helmut wreck is our check out dive giving everybody a chance to re-acclimatize themselves with the water and to adjust their weights for the week ahead. The wreck has some hidden treasure, which eagle-eyed Divemaster Jim points out and three squid join us for the safety stop at the end of the dive. The second dive is the Iro Maru, which is much longer and a little deeper. Two cuttlefish are posing for photo pro Ben while guest Tomas finds a huge moray eel and Florence is delighted with the nudibranch selection on the ship’s mast. While we were exploring the wreck, Captain Marc is moving the Aggressor closer to the German Channel area. After lunch it is off to dive the German Channel, one of Palau’s premier dive sites. This natural channel filters the water’s nutrients through it and can therefore attract some of the ocean’s pelagic species This afternoon we were accompanied by gray reef sharks and white tip sharks, along with a huge school of barracuda Our last dive of the day was Ngemelis Wall. It is a gentle slow drift along the wall as a slight current pushes us along. This wall is almost vertical in perspective from the island so the bow of the skiff is almost touching the shore as the divers enter the water. Here we observed schools of fusiliers, angelfish, and a couple of hawksbill turtles.

Tuesday. With a slightly freshening wind our second day begins and all are up early to enjoy Chef Andy’s breakfast of scrambled eggs with sausages and bacon. The first dive is at New Drop Off and Adam leads everybody to the first hook in opportunity of the week. While hooked in the divers are able to get a front row seat of the action while being suspended in a stream of current, but there is also plenty of life on the plateau too. The second dive is The Canyons. Here the topography is the highlight, as there are plenty of swim throughs and new territory to explore. A large humphead parrotfish comes in to allow Frank to get some close up shots. Turtle Cove is dive number three and starting with a slight chimney the wall here has plenty to keep everybody happy. Nudibranchs, a moray eel and then a huge school of snapper almost block the sunlight at the corner. We then encounter a leaf scorpionfish, and as the name of the site suggests, of course a turtle. For the afternoon we choose Negebus Corner with a mild incoming current and our guest Florence has the dive all to herself. After another of Chef Andy’s dinners the night divers set of for Negebus Coral Garden and it’s Svaitlana’s first night dive ever. Welcome to the dark side. J She now has some nighttime hunting lobsters and crabs along with spotting a sleeping turtle to enter in her logbook.

Wednesday. Perfect conditions for the trip to Peleliu and some dolphins arrive at 0600 to play in the bow wake and check on our course. The scene of a bloody battle during the WWII, the island also has a daily battle between two oceans; the Pacific and the Philippine Sea collide here at The Corner, which is the site of our first dive of the day. Not too much current this time, but the sharks, giant trevally and jacks still put on a show. On the plateau most coral formations struggle to thrive but this doesn’t mean other species can’t. ‘Dory’ is to be found here (one of the only places where we find her) and ’Nemo’ is everywhere. All of our guests join Captain Marc on the land tour and this two and a half hour journey takes in the local museum that is dedicated to the WWII battle fought here, as well as other local artifacts that are scattered around the island. We also spend time on a very poignant walk through the caves. Back to the boat for some lunch then it is off to West Wall, home of a tomato anemone. This sheer wall has plenty to offer, with a slight current helping everybody on their way. The vast coral garden at Orange Beach was then our last dive in Peleliu. This vast sloping coral garden has something for all divers. Cuttlefish laying eggs, octopus, green turtles, moray eels are just some of the gems Ben found on this dive. The night dive today was at Turtle Cove and filled with lobsters, crabs, and a plethora of nudibranchs were spotted as well as a very large slipper lobster. Hot chocolate and some desert followed our return and then everybody was off to bed.

Thursday. We will call today ‘Blue Day’, not because we are blue or because it is raining, but because of the trademark ‘Blue’ sites we visited. Dive one at Blue Corner we had an incoming current. Jim leads the way through the clouds of snapper, the vast schools of jacks, and then we slip by the reef sharks with three napoleon wrasse also trying to get in on the act. Blue Holes is up next and with the tide low we have to swim near to the surface to enter this giant cavern. Four breaks in the plateau all lead to the disco clams, so named because these electric scallops send a pulse, which can seem to reflect like a disco light. There are also nudibranchs to find inside, as well as great scenic photography opportunities. With the tide and current now switched, after lunch we serve up Blue Corner again. This time a squadron of reef sharks effortlessly cruise by, as if not affected by the current at all. For the next trip below we go to Big Drop Off where one of the features is a huge anchor chain and ball left behind by the Germans back in the day when they mined these parts for phosphate. Along this wall we observed Moorish idols, a shark or two, as well as some unique nudibranchs.

Friday arrives and the rain has gone. With the sun rising over the beautiful setting of Ulong Island we can begin. The first dive brings us to Siaes Tunnel and this marvelous dive begins with a school of jacks almost blocking the entrance. Once inside there are nudibranchs climbing the wall and dart fish in the sand. One of the highlights is finding the pygmy blue back angelfish. This elusive fish is normally way down deep, but can sometimes be found here. Once outside, Thomas spots an eagle ray cruising by accompanied by a turtle and some sharks. The mid-morning dive was another hook in dive, and this time we ventured to Siaes Corner. A beautiful sheer wall followed by a large plateau for exploration is the topography of this site we meandered along, as the current had eased after the hook. The last two dives of the day were reserved for the crew favorite, Ulong Channel. This dive has it all and it begins with a wall dive, then we hook into the area near the mouth of the channel to watch the show. Grey sharks come right up to us; black tips glide on by, while the tuna and giant trevally hunt the schools of scad and jacks. Once we unhook, the current sweeps us down the channel and here there are so many grouper you almost need an abacus to count them as a large, well huge, patch of lettuce coral with its resident big eye squirrelfish swing on past. This leads us to the two giant clams covered in soft coral and they are just a real pleasure to find. This dive is so good we did it again to take advantage of the currents. This time we were on the other side of the entrance, enjoying the reef sharks and as the current slackened we were able to explore more of the channel, as we zipped past.

Saturday. With the birds chirping, we set off early so that we would have Jellyfish Lake to ourselves. There, we found millions of pink jellyfish ceaselessly parading from one side of the green watered lake to the other side, chasing the sun’s path and with us in the middle of it all. A long snorkel later, it was back onto the skiff for Jim’s ‘Rock Island tour’. With his local knowledge we navigated the shallow waters surrounding the picturesque islands and soaked up the sun and sights of Palau. Returning to the mother ship again, we readied ourselves for our last dive at Chandelier Caves. This cavern dive includes four air chambers recessed into the island herself, and to get there one has to dive underneath the stalactites and navigate the roomy tunnel. It was a wonderful opportunity for our photographers, and a memorable experience for everybody.

Thus concludes another incredible week of diving here on the Palau Aggressor II. Thanks to our very special guests, we hope you all come see us again soon!

 

[Dancer Fleet]

Tropic Dancer Captain’s Report June 9 – 16, 2013

Air/Water Temp: 86/83-85F
Visibility: Good
Topside Conditions: Mostly – Partly Cloudy
Sea Surface: Choppy - Calm

Crew: Captain Ike, Photo pro Ben, Video pro Andy, Divemaster Jim, Stewardess Len and Chef Mani

Guests: Thomas, Edward A., Chris, Charles, Sharon, Peggy, Mitch, Bill, Edward H., Don, Alan & Holli, Judy, Eddie, Billy & Trudy and Bobby & Jennifer

On Sunday night we picked up all the guests when their plane arrived at the airport. We welcomed on board a group of 18 divers from Rhea’s Diving Services in Tennessee. When we arrived at the boat, they set up their diving equipment and headed up to the salon for a light snack and after the safety briefing most were off to bed, tired from the long flights. A couple of guests stayed up to watch the Living Eden’s, a documentary on Palau that shows them what they could expect while diving.

Early Monday morning we left the pier and made the short trip into Malakal Harbor. Our check out dive was the Helmet Wreck. We found the resident crocodile fish and a couple of pipefish on the bow of the wreck. Next dive was the Iro Maru. This week the cuttlefish were gone, but their eggs were visible in the coral. After lunch we did the reef hook briefing, because our next dive was the famous Ulong Channel. We hooked in at the mouth of the channel and the grey reef sharks passed by the divers’ only feet away. The dive was so great that for our last dive of the day we went back and did it again. We hooked in again and the sharks came closer then the last dive. The drift through the channel was great as we passed the lettuce coral and ended our dive at the two giant clams.

On Tuesday morning we set out to do two more dives in Ulong before moving to the German Channel area. Siaes Tunnel, a deeper dive, was first. We entered the tunnel at 90 feet and stayed close to the roof of the tunnel. Towards the back of the tunnel we found the decorated dart fish and the blue backed pygmy angelfish. Our next dive was Siaes Corner. The current was not strong enough to hook in but we still enjoyed the slow drift over the corner. We spotted turtles and eels and more. During lunch we moved the big boat to German Channel, the third dive was Big Drop Off. It was a nice macro dive with some sharks in the blue. Next dive was the famous German Channel. A nice in coming current and the mantas were feeding. We had to kick against the current, but it was a great show, 7 mantas cruised in and out of the group with their mouths open, they were doing barrel rolls. For the night dive we went to German Channel Coral Garden. Again a great macro dive with the normal night critters.

We started the day off on Wednesday with a dive at Blue Holes. We found a cuttlefish on top of the reef before we descended into the cavern. Once out of the holes we drifted to Blue Corner and the current ended up being not strong enough to hook-in. For our next dive we did use the reef hooks for a short time at New Drop Off. After the hook-in we drifted across the plateau and had great photo opportunities with big turtles. After lunch we dove at Ngedebus Corner. With macro lens on our cameras, we spotted a bunch of different Nudibranchs. For the next dive we returned to German Channel, hoping the mantas would put on another great show. We arrived at the cleaning station and 2 mantas showed up to be cleaned. During the rest of the dive we had 2 more mantas cruise by as we drifted into the channel. After a fine dinner put on by Chef Mani the divers set out to Turtle Cove for the night dive. With basket stars and crabs and shrimp and other macro subjects, the time passed quickly. Back at the big boat the divers warmed up quick with hot chocolate.

We started up the big boat early on Thursday and headed to Peleliu. Our first dive was the famous Peleliu Corner. The tide chart told us it should be an outgoing current. But like the currents in Peleliu, it’s always unpredictable. The current was incoming and it was strong. The divers did their giant strides, and drifted to the hook-in area. We hooked in on the plateau and watched the show. It’s amazing how the sharks can glide so effortlessly in the current. After the dive three of the guests went off to the Peleliu Land tour, and the rest headed to West Wall. Another great macro dive and the photographers were happy with the photos they took. Before lunch the adventuresome guests came back from the land tour and Chef Mani put out a nice buffet. After lunch we headed out to Orange Beach Coral Garden. This is a beautiful hard coral garden and is scattered with WWII artifacts. Bombs and bullets, anchor, pieces of a landing craft, and more along the way. For the marine life we spotted turtles, a large school of jacks, and numerous tropical fish. Our last dive in Peleliu was at Barracks Point. Again a very beautiful coral garden. This dive has more soft coral mixed in and around. As the divers drifted along with shallows on the left, we saw giant clams, turtles, anemones, scorpion fish and more. As the guests were sitting down to a fine 4-course meal prepared by the chef, Captain Ike moved the big boat back to the German Channel area. The night divers were asked what type of dive they wanted, a coral garden or a wall, and they choose a wall dive. We set out to Ngemelis Wall for the last night dive. The divers had a great dive. They saw a lot of cool critters that we don’t usually see during the day. Sleepy sponge crab, twin spot lionfish, decorator crab, and more. It was a great day of diving, and everybody was off to bed to get ready for tomorrow.

After breakfast on Friday, Blue Corner was first on the schedule. We dropped in on the out-going side of the corner and had a great dive. We hooked in and the sharks passed in front of the divers. The very friendly napoleon wrasse posed for pictures. Turtle Cove was the second dive. We descended through the hole on top of the reef and drifted with wall on the right. Green sea turtles and hawksbill turtles were found and dive master Andy spotted a large devil scorpion fish on the wall. In the bubble coral we found orangutan crabs that posed for the macro photographers. Dive three was a repeat dive at Blue Corner. We were hoping that the current would be incoming this time, but it was still outgoing and it was just as great as the first dive this morning. Our last dive of the day was Dexter’s Wall. This wall is a turtle haven and a total of 7 turtles showed up. Towards the end of the dive we found a leopard shark sleeping on the sandy slope down deep. A couple of the guests descended down to photograph it and after a couple of flashes it swam away and up towards the shallows where the rest of the guests were waiting. For some of the guests it was their first time seeing this beautiful shark. Back to the big boat, dinner was waiting and after dinner video pro Andy showed us his video of the week.

Saturday morning came early on the boat, with the rain breaking over the picturesque rock islands and the birds chirping their cheerful songs. First location of the day was the one and only Jellyfish Lake. With several million resident jellyfish, this incredible snorkel impressed everyone. Once all had hiked back over the hill to the awaiting skiff, Jim began his famous Rock Island tour, whizzing in and amongst the islands, stopping for a photo opportunity at The Arch and a snorkel at an US Corsair plane from WWII. The last event for our guests this week was Chandelier Caves. With salt-crusted stalactite structures and multiple air chambers, then outside the caves, we found mandarin fish, razor fish, signal gobies and more nudibranchs. All in all it was a great week, and after the guests came back from dinner we said our goodbyes and all the guests were off to the airport. Again we would like to thank our group from Rhea’s Diving Services. Until we see you again, we wish you safe diving and good times.

Tropic Dancer Crew