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- Channel drift dive — The whole reason people come: a natural funnel that accelerates currents and turns a dive into a thrilling drift. You ride the flow along a dramatic drop-off and watch bait and predators stream past. Not beginner stuff—go with a local skipper who knows the entry/exit points.
- Steep walls and coral bommies — Vertical limestone walls carpeted with soft corals, gorgonians and sponges drop away into blue. The contrast of bright corals against deep water makes for stunning photos and great habitat for reef fish.
- Big-school action — Ulong concentrates life: clouds of jacks, snappers, big barracuda and the occasional tuna sweep through the channel. It’s one of the more reliable spots in Palau to see large schooling fish behaving like a single organism.
- Shark and pelagic sightings
- Channel drift dive — The whole reason people come: a natural funnel that accelerates currents and turns a dive into a thrilling drift. You ride the flow along a dramatic drop-off and watch bait and predators stream past. Not beginner stuff—go with a local skipper who knows the entry/exit points.
- Steep walls and coral bommies — Vertical limestone walls carpeted with soft corals, gorgonians and sponges drop away into blue. The contrast of bright corals against deep water makes for stunning photos and great habitat for reef fish.
- Big-school action — Ulong concentrates life: clouds of jacks, snappers, big barracuda and the occasional tuna sweep through the channel. It’s one of the more reliable spots in Palau to see large schooling fish behaving like a single organism.
- Shark and pelagic sightings — Gray reef sharks, occasional silvertips and other pelagics patrol the channel where food funnels through. You’ll get closer, longer, and more cinematic shark encounters here than on many calmer reefs.
- Clean water upwelling — Tidal-driven upwellings bring plankton and nutrients, which lights up the food chain. That’s why you get both swarmy baitfish and the larger predators that follow — an ecosystem show condensed into one spot.
- Swim-throughs and sheltered bommie dives — Around the island edges you’ll find smaller bommies and tunnels where macro life hides: crabs, nudibranchs and shy reef critters. Good to plan a sheltered dive or snorkel if the main channel is pumping.
- Ulong Island surface stop and viewpoint — If your boat makes the beach stop, the tiny island is a pleasant surface interval: white sand, quick viewpoints over the channel, and a break from diving. It’s low-key, but the contrast between beach and blue water is worth the breather.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past decade, I’ve backpacked through 80+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.