Palau · Palau · Channel & pass · Drift
Ulong Channel
Schools of jacks and barracuda along a drift through the barrier reef
Photo: amanderson2 · CC BY 2.0
Ulong Channel is a shallow cut through the western barrier reef of Ulong Island, about 24 km (15 miles) from Koror, with a sandy floor that never drops below 13 m. It is run as a drift dive: forceful currents carry divers the length of the channel over some of the most impressive coral formations and fish concentrations in Palau.
Where it is and how deep
7.2849° N, 134.2836° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Divers hook in near the channel entrance to watch the grey reef sharks, then unhook and let the current funnel them down through the cut. The sandy floor carries coral heads and formations, with life in patches along it and continuously along the little slopes on either side, which rise to the surface and break it at low tide.
Schools of jacks, batfish and barracuda move through the channel, and stingrays turn up on the sand. The current is strong and unpredictable, and it is not uncommon for it to change direction halfway through the dive.
Marine life and season
- Trevally & jacks
- Barracuda
- Stingrays
- Reef sharks
| 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
- Titan triggerfish nest in the channel and defend the nest; avoid swimming directly over one.
Photos from Ulong Channel
lakshmioct01 · CC BY 2.0
Dive videos
Palau - Diving around Ulong Channel · Tropical Sailing Life on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Does Ulong Channel suit newer divers?+
It is a dive for advanced divers. The channel is shallow, never below 13 m, but its currents are strong and unpredictable and can change direction halfway through.
Sources
- Ulong Channel — Fish 'n Fins Palau
- Diving in Palau — Dive The World
- Ulong Island — Wikipedia
- OpenStreetMap geocoding — OpenStreetMap
Photo credits
- A grey shark swimming low over rounded boulder corals, with a second shark further back in the blue. by amanderson2, CC BY 2.0, via Openverse
- Five divers carried head-down over a pale sandy channel floor with coral heads at the edge. by lakshmioct01, CC BY 2.0, via Openverse
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