Following a less-successful snapper dive, Richard took us to Blue Corner, arguably Palau's most famous dive site. Strong currents there attract tons of sharks, big schools of barracuda, and huge Napoleon wrasse. Since the current moves so quickly, dive groups use "reef hooks" to anchor to dead coral near the drop off and watch the sharks cruise by. I was skeptical, but after I hooked in and inflated my BCD slightly, water audibly rushing past my face, I felt like I was flying. Afterward, we stopped by German Channel, and were rewarded for braving the dark and murk by the occasional materialization of a silent, stately manta.
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| Divers hooked into the reef at Blue Corner |
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| Napoleon wrasse are a prized eating fish, used in many Palauan cultural ceremonies. Due to dwindling populations the fishery was closed in 2006, but overt poaching continues. |
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| A few resident Napoleons approach divers closely at Blue Corner, likely because tour guides feed them. Although it was awesome to see these huge fish up close, it doesn't bode well for their survival for them to get too used to humans. |
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