Blue Holes Dive Site

Site Overview

Blue Holes, within the Ngemelis & Western Barrier Reef of Palau, is one of the region's most rewarding dive sites and a highlight of any Micronesian diving trip. Four vertical shafts drop into a vast cathedral-like chamber where shafts of light beam down onto a silent, blue world. Geographically the site features cavern and shaft and wall formations built from rock and coral substrate, dropping from a shallow top of around 10 metres to a maximum depth of about 40 metres, with an average working depth near 22 metres. Visibility is typically excellent, ranging from 20 to 40 metres, while water temperatures hold between 27 and 30 degrees Celsius year-round. The marine life is the headline attraction. Divers routinely encounter Lionfish (Pterois volitans), Soldierfish (Myripristis murdjan), Grey Reef Shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos), Bigeye (Priacanthus hamrur), Spotted Eagle Ray (Aetobatus narinari), alongside dense reef fish, invertebrates, and the soft and hard corals that blanket the reef. The mix of nutrient-rich currents and Palau's protected status makes Blue Holes one of the most reliable places in the country to see both abundant macro life and large pelagic visitors on a single dive. Blue Holes is best enjoyed as part of a boat programme out of Koror, and it rewards wide-angle photographers, naturalists, and adrenaline-seeking drift divers alike. The Palau Protected Areas Network helps keep the reef pristine, so divers are asked to maintain perfect buoyancy and respect the fragile coral at all times.