Palau — Overview
Located between Guam, The Philippines and Papua New Guinea, Palau is a 640km- (400-mile) long archipelago that harbors one of the world’s greatest concentrations of corals, fish and other marine life. As such, Palau has some of the world’s most spectacular snorkeling and diving locations and a well-developed diving infrastructure, with numerous operators offering a wide choice of facilities, including live-aboard dive tours to more remote sites.
Palau’s coral reefs are home to more than 1,500 species of fish and 700 species of coral and sea anemones. Plunging walls, coral gardens and WWII wrecks are all part of the range of diving available. The local marine life is abundant and varies from schools of triggerfish, snappers, butterflyfish, spadefish and barracudas to grouper, Napoleon wrasse and a variety of reef sharks. Manta and eagle rays, cuttlefish, hawksbill and green turtles are also frequently sighted.
Note: Palau was formerly part of the Caroline Islands.
Geography
Palau lies 1,000km (600 miles) east of The Philippines. The archipelago stretches over 650km (400 miles) from the atoll of Kayangel to the islet of Tobi. The Palau islands include more than 200 islands, of which only eight are inhabited. With three exceptions, all of the islands are located within a single barrier reef and represent two geological formations. The largest are volcanic and rugged with interior jungle and large areas of grassed terraces. The Rock Islands, now known as the Floating Garden Islands, are of limestone formation, while Kayangel, at the northernmost tip, is a classic coral atoll.
