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"For the Adventurous Diver!"
Along the reef where fate washed up the British ship " The Antelope" and ititiated Palau's contact with the outside world lies one of this diving paradise's most aesthetic dives-Siaes Tunnel.Combining the various marine worlds of a cave, plunging wall and shallow-water reefs, this relatively deep dive is best when visibility is good.
As you enter and drop down to about 90 feet at a point along in this reef, the dark outline of a hole in the wall gradually becomes visible. At first, it is difficult to see anything inside but the darkness. But if you close your eyes for a few seconds, the hidden jewels of this cutout quickly come into focus. First, an ethereal blue light silhouettes the tunnel. From the ceiling, an upside-down forest of rare black coral, which appear brown while they are living, contrast with a white sand bottom.
Sometimes a large school of big-eye trevallies have secretly gathered in the darkness of the sheltered cutout. On the white sand bottom, white-tip reef sharks and an occasional black spotted sting ray lie slumbering.
A closer lookk at the bottom reveals an array of tiny, beautiful fish. The multi-colored decorated Helfrichs dartfish and Randalls shrimp goby can be found sitting at the entrances of their homes on the sandy bottom.
On the other side of the tunnel is a sheer drop-off that is home to schools of humphead parrotfish and Napoleon wrasse and colorful soft corals. The wall has numerous small caves, where, if you are lucky, a leopard shark may be resting. As you spot these fish, let the current carry you slowly toward them. If you are still, they may even approach you to investigate.When it is time for your safety stop, rather than hang in the water, you can explore the numerous shallow-water coral canyons. Here, bi-colored blennies, lionfish, blackspotted puffers, unicornfish and triggerfish abound in this relatively pristine dive site. But pray for good weather and easterly winds, for this site can only be visited when conditions are favorable. |