Palau · Palau · Wall · Drift · Reef
Peleliu Wall
Two reef-hook stops, 10 to 30 m, in often the strongest current in Palau
Area photo: 陳德範（Chen, De-Fan） · CC BY 4.0
Peleliu Wall lines the southern reef of Peleliu, 27 km south-west of Koror. Here the reef falls away into open ocean and the tide drives hard past a corner. You hook on near the reef top at around 10 m, drop to about 30 m along a slope of caverns and indentations, then hook on again at Peleliu Corner. The current here is often the strongest anyone meets in Palau, and the animals it brings past are the reason divers accept it.
Also known as Peleliu Wall & Cut, Peleliu Corner.
Where it is and how deep
7.0114° N, 134.2461° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive normally begins along Peleliu Wall near a section of the reef called Peleliu Cut. You can hook on near the top of the reef, around 10 m, and watch the grey reef sharks and whitetips that patrol the area, surrounded by schools of jacks and barracuda. The current here, and indeed throughout the dive, can be strong, often the strongest you will experience in Palau.
From there you drop down to around 30 m and work along the reef slope with the reef on your left shoulder, following its caverns and indentations. With the reef hook at the ready you carry on to Peleliu Corner, where you hook on again. This is the spot with the reputation: bull sharks, tiger sharks, hammerheads, whale sharks and silky sharks have all been seen here, along with marlin, sperm whales and killer whales.
Unhook when your remaining air tells you it is time, and the water lifts you up and over the top of the plateau, then out into the open ocean for the safety stop. That last drift is the calm part of the dive, over swirling masses of pyramid butterflyfish, square and purple anthias, Moorish idols and the occasional sea snake, with plenty else moving through besides.
Background
Peleliu is the island of the Battle of Peleliu, fought in 1944 between the United States Marine Corps and Army and the Imperial Japanese Army. The fighting was especially brutal because the Japanese defenders had dug into the island's caves and ridges, including Bloody Nose Ridge; more than 2,000 Americans and 10,000 Japanese were killed. Palau had passed from Spain to Germany in 1899 and to Japan in 1914.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
- Trevally & jacks
- Barracuda
- Bull sharks
- Tiger sharks
- Hammerheads
- Whale sharks
- Marlin & sailfish
- Whales
- Orcas
- Sea snakes
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime |
Season follows Palau: Boats run every month; November to April has the best conditions, and June to December is typhoon season.
Know before you go
- The current runs through the whole dive and is often the strongest in Palau, hardest at Peleliu Corner; carry a reef hook and expect to use it twice.
- The dive ends drifting off the plateau into open ocean for the safety stop, so carry a surface marker and stay with your buddy for the pickup.
Dive videos
06-20-10 Peleliu Wall & The Cut, Scuba Dive, Palau · darllives on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Peleliu Wall?+
You hook on near the top of the reef at around 10 m, then drop to around 30 m along the slope with the reef on your left shoulder, before drifting up and over the plateau into open water for the safety stop.
Is Peleliu Wall suitable for new divers?+
No. The current is often the strongest in Palau, the profile runs to 30 m, and the dive is worked with a reef hook at two separate hook-in points, finishing with a drift into open ocean. It calls for advanced certification and drift experience.
Where is Peleliu Wall?+
On the southern reef of Peleliu Island, at the southern end of Palau, 27 km south-west of Koror. It is a boat dive, run from Koror or from a liveaboard, and often combined with Peleliu Corner on the same drift.
When is the best time to dive Peleliu Wall?+
October to May is the season usually given, though grey reef sharks and whitetips patrol the wall year-round. Water runs 27 to 30 °C and visibility 20 to 50 m.
Sources
- Diving in Palau, Micronesia — Dive The World
- Peleliu (OpenStreetMap) — OpenStreetMap
- Peleliu Wall dive site — PADI
- Peleliu — Wikipedia
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