Micronesia and is considered by many to offer some of the best dives in the world and is

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1 Palau Palau consists of about 200 islands located in the western Pacific Ocean, 528 miles southeast of the Philippines. It is geographically part of the larger island group called Micronesia and is considered by many to offer some of the best dives in the world and is one of the Top 10 Diving Destinations. Palau features coral reefs, blue holes, wartime wrecks, hidden caves and tunnels, more than 60 vertical drop-offs to play with, and an astonishing spectrum of coral, fish, and rare sea creatures. Divers travelling to Palau can expect to see a variety of reef sharks, huge schools of jacks and barracuda, manta and eagle rays, Napoleon wrasse and batfish coupled with many critters and impressive corals. There are also some outright miracles of evolution: giant clams that weigh a quarter of a ton, and the famous Jellyfish Lake teeming with 21 million softly pulsating, stingless jellyfish.

2 While only eight of the islands are permanently inhabited, Palau is the home to one of the world s unique phenomena, the Rock Islands. The Rock Islands are Palau s crowning glory. More than 200 of these jungle-topped knobs of limestone dot the waters for a 20-mile stretch south of Koror. Their bases, having been worn away by tidal action and grazing sea creatures, are narrower than their tops, causing them to look like emerald-hued mushrooms rising from the turquoise sea. This will be our 4 th Adventure Liveaboard Trip to Palau this time aboard the Discovery Fleet s Flagship, MV Discovery Adventure. Measuring out at 155 feet, this ship can cater to 26 divers quite comfortably, with a complement of crewmembers, so service levels will be incredible! Each of the 13 cabins feature centralized air-conditioning and are divided between 7 Standard, 4 Deluxe and 2 VIP staterooms, each with specific amenities. There is a comfortable salon, sundeck, shaded dining area and camera room all meant to enhance your experience to help you relax. Relaxation, however, really depends on you! While some people may choose to do the 5 dives offered each day as their form of relaxation, others may decide to lay in the sun on the sundeck, kayak or snorkel making this liveaboard excellent for non-divers, as well. Either way, everyone has a spectacular vacation that they don't want to see come to an end...and it doesn't have to! This year we are also planning to revisit Truk Lagoon - the site of some of the most spectacular wreck diving in the world. (More on this in a minute!) 2

3 As far as the diving in Palau, it is outstanding to say the least! No place in the world offers so much variety and abundant life. You are guaranteed to see sharks on nearly every dive, manta rays, eagle rays, giant clams, turtles, huge hump nose wrasse, barracuda, lion fish, and thousands of beautifully colored hard and soft corals. School after school of fish present themselves regularly as you can effortlessly drift with the currents during your dives and be picked up by the skiffs wherever you decide to surface! It is amazingly beautiful! While most of the dive sites are near Koror (the capital of Palau), we will also move the ship to Peleliu, which is in the southern tip of the Rock Island chain. Riding the current on the Peleliu Express and Yellow Wall are some of the most exhilarating experiences ever, as schools of sharks, barracuda and thousands of jacks, permit and snapper sail by. Next, we will make our way back to Ulong Island for an island picnic complete with fresh coconut! Nitrox is available for all dives and during our previous trips to Palau, many of us enjoyed this convenience as we were doing 5 dives each day; Nitrox really came into play as it gave us so much more bottom time! Blue Holes is another highlight of Palau diving. It s as if you are floating down into the mouth of a volcano as you enter this exquisite cavern-like structure. Making your way to the bottom, you realize how immensely huge this formation is all around you like that of a concert hall! Coming out through the bottom, you will make your way along a wall, ending up at the Blue Corner. 3

4 The world famous Blue Corner is another amazing dive site we will experience during our adventure. It is unbelievable how many fish zoom by you as you plant your reef hook along the wall; you can just float there, effortlessly, and watch the show! Thousands of different types of fish and sharks swim along-side of you in the current; it's truly astounding! Jellyfish Lake is yet another highlight of our adventure. For some time, this has been offlimits as El Niño was rumored to have increased the temperature of the lake which killed all of the jellyfish. However, it is now open and has come back in abundant numbers so we will be able to snorkel amongst millions of these nonstinging creatures. This is an experience right out of the Discovery Channel as you can float next to these swimming organisms being able to actually touch them without getting stung! Be sure to bring your cameras! 4

5 Chandelier Caves is a dive that presents a unique experience. To enter the cave from 25 feet underwater and surface in each of its five chambers is remarkable. We can also go all the way into the fifth chamber, surface, and remove our gear to hike even further into a cavern with glistening stalactites of limestone. A natural spring runs through this final cavern which provides an amazingly quiet and dark environment giving you a feeling of complete peace. We ll round out our adventure diving Mandarin Fish Lake. Here, at precisely sundown, the elusive Mandarin Fish pops out for a very short while to mate. Sitting very still with only your camera & purposely covered flashlight you wait for this brightly-colored creature to emerge from the coral only to be gone in a little more than 1 second! Photos of this beauty are hard to get, but very well worth it and fun! 5

6 For those who still have a thirst for even MORE adventure, we will head for the Wrecks of Truk Lagoon! Truk Lagoon The second leg of our trip will take us to Truk Lagoon to dive the Japanese wrecks of WWII. This 'add-on' is a wonderful option opposed to flying directly home. Here, you can experience some outstanding diving and discover the history of these amazing wrecks. 250 Japanese aircraft were destroyed and more than 69 ships were sunk during Operation Hailstone in the Spring of 1944 and now sport amazing growth and brilliantlycolored soft corals. The history of this area is fascinating as the wrecks appear frozen in time. Each one of the ships sunk in the lagoon carry with it a unique story. While some were cargo vessels, others were armored killing machines, ready for battle. Still intact are machine guns, land mines, armored tanks, cannons, torpedoes, missiles, medicine bottles, operating tables, gas masks, and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition. 6

7 From all of this destruction, corals and fish have managed to create their homes in and on the dropped vessels. The sea is fed from nutrients the steel ship hulls provide. Thus, the sea life is abundantly rich and actually appears to overtake the vessels. It is such a stark contrast to witness, first hand, so much beauty and life that has sprung out of death and destruction. As a wreck diving certification will be required for this type of diving, we will provide this course during the trip for those who need it. We will perform only limited penetrations of the vessels with our expert local guides. Most of the interesting aspects can be found on and around the wrecks as well as inside, so there will be no requirement to penetrate the ships if one is uncomfortable doing so. Exploring these wrecks is phenomenal and can't even be touched by video or pictures. The diving inspires a feeling that consumes you as you survey each of the ships a quiet reverence and somber mood knowing so many lives were lost. Some of the sunken vessels still have skulls and bones of Japanese soldiers who were killed when the ships were torpedoed. Several Japanese Zeros were also shot down in this area and we will be able to dive & snorkel on many of their sunken aircraft. Topside, the grounds are beautifully lined with palm trees & banana plants among the lush green grass that acts as a welcoming carpet throughout the resort. 7

8 Our adventure to Truk Lagoon will include 12 dives on the breath-taking wrecks and full accommodations (excluding meals) for 5 nights at the Blue Lagoon Resort. This add-on portion of our trip including diving, unforgettable trip!! lodging, expert local guides, and taxes will be only $895, double occupancy. This will be an Should you be interested in joining us for this amazing adventure, a non-refundable commitment of $350 is required to secure your spot. Space is limited so we must operate on a first-come, first-served basis. The spaces will be secured only with a deposit. 8

9 Palau February 15 th 22 nd, 2019 AND March 1 st 8 th, 2019 $ 3,945*/ person, dbl occ VIP Stateroom 2ea, 4 Spaces $ 3,600*/ person, dbl occ Dlx Stateroom 4ea, 8 Spaces $ 2,950*/ person, dbl occ Std Stateroom 7ea, 14 Spaces All Round-Trip Airport Transfers aboard Private Charter Coach 8 Days / 7 Nights Accommodations Aboard the M/V Discovery Adventure 7 Days of up to 5-Tank Boat Dives per Day All Breakfasts, Lunches & Dinners while aboard All Snacks, tea, coffee & filtered water while aboard the Ship Excursions to Jellyfish Lake, Peleliu, Orange Beach and Ulong Island Tanks & Weights, All Taxes, Service Charges & VAT 9

10 If you would like to continue your adventure, we are offering the following extension... Truk Lagoon February 23 rd 28 th, 2019 $ 1,225* / person, dbl occ All Airport Transfers Aboard Private Motor Coach 5 Nights / 4 Days Accommodations at Blue Lagoon Resort 3 Days of 3-Tank Boat Dives; 1 Day of 2-Tank Boat Dives All Meals & Non-Alcoholic Drinks, Sodas, Juices & Coffee Island Snorkeling Tanks & Weights All Hotel Taxes, Service Charges & VAT 10

11 * NOTE: Airfare prices (if listed or included) may be adjusted due to government fees, fuel surcharges and taxes, as these are outside of our control and beyond our current, best estimates for this service. Cruise and / or airline schedule changes may affect rates to the extent the change requires additional lodging. We will do our best to minimize any adjustment and inconvenience this may cause our travelers. TL Sea Travel shall not be responsible for providing a roommate for any traveler in order to secure double or quad occupancy rates. All prices quoted are based on US Cash. We do accept Visa & MasterCard although a 4% surcharge will be assessed. Above Prices Do Not Include: Round Trip International Airfare to Palau and/or Truk Lagoon Hotels and/or Day Rooms to accommodate flight & travel schedules Meals, Snacks & Beverages (other than specified) All Meals at Truk Lagoon Alcohol or Soft Drinks Government fees, Tax Increases and / or Fuel Surcharges Overweight or Extra Baggage Costs Internet Access Charges Additional Services & Enhancements Dive & Travel Insurance (Mandatory) Equipment Rentals Enriched Air Nitrox Services (other than specified) Tips & Gratuities Items of a Personal Nature Supplements / Optional Tours & Services / Extensions Marine / Environmental Fees of $210 Departure Tax & Green Fee of $50 payable in cash at airport Other Expenses 11

12 Dive into History! Experience It With Us! If you are interested in traveling with us to Palau and/or Truk Lagoon, please reserve your space with a non-refundable $750 commitment for Palau and $350 for Truk Lagoon For more information, please contact us at (206) or travel@tlsea.com 12