Blue Holes
Body of Water:
Philippine Sea
Difficulty: Intermediate
GPS Coordinates
Lat: 7.138881
Lon: 134.226
Recognizable from the air, early divers in the late 1950’s considered Blue Holes as one of the first dive sites in Palau.
Reef
A vertical wall runs from north to south and merges with Ngemelis wall at Blue Corner. Four holes on top the shallow reef 3-6 feet (1-2 m) deep, about 1000 feet (305 m) north of Blue Corner marks the ceiling of a very large cavern. There is a huge opening stretching from 85-140 feet (26-42 m). A window, 15 feet (5 m) in diameter at 55 feet (17 m) is an alternative way to swim out. At 85 feet (26 m) on the north part of the site, there is a narrow entrance at 80 feet (24 m) that leads to an even larger cave called “The Temple of Doom”. Special preparation and gear is needed in order to penetrate this cave. The wall outside the cavern is vertical and ends at Blue Corner.
Marine Life
Inside of the cavern you will find many soft corals and Tubastraea decorating the walls, along with many species of nudibranchs and shells that can be found on the sandy bottom. Schools of fish patrol the large opening (with dark blue ambient light as a background). On the way out, the wall is vertical and offers just about any type of coral and fish you can imagine! The 7-10 minutes swim to Blue Corner is rewarding.