Reef dives might well be regarded as the 'bread and butter' of Palau's diving, but they are not to be taken lightly. The outer reef line around Palau is the reason people travel here from all over the world. The outer reefs are what makes Palau so famous in the diving community.

Names like Blue Corner, Big Drop-Off and Peleliu Express make divers all over the world salivate. People who dive Palau always come back for more.

What draws people here? The ripping currents and fast drift dives? Fantastic shark action? The huge schools of barracuda, trevally, fusiliers, and Pyramid butterflyfish (to name just a few)? The sedate pleasure of the beautiful hard coral gardens? The breath-taking soft corals of the wall dives? Take your pick: when we said there's something for everyone, we're not kidding.

Dive trips typically run to a full day with either two or three dives, depending on your preference. If you have an interest in particular dive sites then, either email us in advance, or simply let your dive guide know.

With over 60 wrecks, Palau has wrecks of all sizes and shapes. Some wrecks are so shallow that you can snorkel around them. Others, such as the famous USS Perry, are so deep that technical dive training is required to dive them. Many wrecks are, however, within reach of any diver holding an open water certification.

Many of Palau's wrecks are the legacy of US air raids, such as 'Operation Desecrate', upon the occupying Japanese forces during 1944.

Many of the lagoons are littered with WWII wrecks, with concentrations around Koror. You can dive everything from a Jake seaplane, landing crafts through to cargo ships and destroyers. We have a few fishing boats around Palau, although not related to WWII they are still dive-able.

The most commonly explored wrecks are the Iro which is a SHIRETOKO Class combined Fleet Tanker and the Chuyo Maru. Not forgetting the Depth-Charge (or Helmet) Wreck, which is among the least salvaged of the wrecks, and therefore one that is on most people's list.

Typically we dive wrecks as either the first or last dive on a 3 dive day, with the other 2 dives being reef dives. If your group charters the whole dive boat then we can dedicate as many dive days as you desire to wreck diving.

Cave systems of all shapes and sizes litter the limestone Rock Islands of Palau, both above and below the water.

Chandelier Cave is a unique opportunity for divers of all levels to experience diving in an overhead environment. Blue Holes is a popular with many divers and has been described as Cathedral like, with the 4 holes providing enough ambient light for photos, without the need for special lights. Siaes Tunnel, over near Ulong Island and Virgin Blue hole at Ngemelis are also 2 more popular cavern dives.

For more serious cave divers, there are undoubtedly larger underwater systems, but they await discovery and exploration - it's one of Palau's great unknowns. Watch this space for further developments...

For a totally different perspective on the underwater world, night dives are not to be missed. Whether you simply enjoy the adrenalin rush of diving at night, or want to spy all the creatures which hide in the reef during the day and come out to feed and play at night. Night dives have something for everyone.

See basket stars crawl across the reef like something from a fantasy film, watch Lionfish hunt and corals feed. As your focus is on everything close at hand you're more likely to spot the smaller critters, shells, crabs and nudibranchs. Do not forget to turn off your lights at some point during the dive and check out the bio-luminescence.

NECO Marine offers up a wide range of night diving options, from wrecks to reefs, and even wall dives at night for the adventurous.

Often called livings fossils, Nautili are thought to have remained almost unchanged for millions of years. The Nautilus species found in Palau is endemic.

Nautili live in very deep water, typically over 300ft (100m); therefore, we have to trap them in order for divers to interact with them. Using bait they are trapped over night and brought up to recreational diving depths in the morning. This gives you a rare chance to see and to photograph a live healthy animal.

The nautili are unharmed by the experience (since the animals are able to adjust the pressure within their shells) and are subsequently released to swim back to the depths.

These awesome creatures are the largest rays in the ocean, reaching up to 22ft (7m) across. Their size belies their grace as they 'fly' through the water gracefully.

The best chance to see Manta Rays is at the 'cleaning stations' which occurs in channels on the outer reef line. Cleaning stations are communities of small fish who are awaiting the chance to remove parasites from the Mantas and for themselves gain a meal!

If Mantas are a priority for you, then January through February is the time to come to Palau. The Mantas become more numerous during this part of the year as they collect in large groups in and around the channels to mate. At this time spectacular displays of synchronised swimming and underwater acrobatics can be seen.

These beautiful little fish are covered in stunning colours and patterns. The males in particular are wonderful to see, as they grow bigger than the females and posess an enlarged dorsal fin. Their elusive behaviour, however, makes them difficult to find and a 'holy grail' for photographers and videographers.

Mandarinfish make a living by feeding on small invertebrates found in the mud and silt at the bottom of shallow areas of Palau's marine lakes and lagoons. For most of the day they crawl around inside corals making them difficult to spot. As the light drops in the late afternoon, they become more active and at dusk they rise to the surface in pairs for courtship displays and to mate.

At request we can either make an additional stop (3rd dive or snorkel) in the late afternoon to the aptly named Mandarinfish Lake. If so desired we can arrange a dusk dive to catch these wonderful fish in the act of courting, mating and laying eggs!

Mandarin Fish can be also found near the entrance of Chandelier cave.