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Quick answers
Which local rescue or training agency should I check first?
Use the local lens: coastguard/federation norms and the shop briefing for that bay — not a blog visibility claim.
What is Jellyfish Lake?
Ongeim'l Tketau, a meromictic marine lake in the Rock Islands where golden jellyfish are snorkelled under strict fins-and-sunscreen rules. It is not a scuba site and has closed for ecological reasons.
When was the shark sanctuary declared?
2009. Palau banned shark fishing in its EEZ; the policy is a tourism and conservation sentence visitors still hear in briefs.
What is the Palau Pledge?
A 2017 immigration-stamped promise to the children of Palau about environmental conduct. It is branding and a legal culture, not a dive card.
Is Chandelier Cave a cavern?
An overhead limestone cave near Koror, typically dived with a guide and an exit plan. Treat it as overhead, not as a swim-through toy.
Do people need a liveaboard?
Many famous sites are day-boat range from Koror. Peleliu and some Rock Island circuits are longer days. Liveaboards exist; they are not mandatory.
Harm clusters on Blue Corner current, boat pickups in blue water, overhead in Chandelier Cave, and heat on the lake trail. This is not medical advice and not a live plan.
A closed lake and a cancelled corner are safety and science decisions.
Hazards
- Incoming current at Blue Corner — Hook-in or drift, as briefed; separation from the group.
- Blue-water pickup — SMB, boat, sun.
- Overhead limestone (Chandelier Cave) — Silt, lights, exit.
- Lake-trail heat and slips — The site includes the walk.
- Boat traffic in channels — German Channel is a highway.
- Equalisation and depth jumps — Walls drop faster than a house reef.
Rules
- Dive the brief, not the name — Corner, Express, cave.
- Lake rules of the day — Fins, cream, closures.
- SMB before the pickup — Blue water is not a pool.
- No untrained overhead — A guide is not a substitute for a cavern course if the plan is penetration.
- Buddy distance in current — Closer than a still lagoon.
Red flags
- A hook offered with no brief — Walk.
- Lake open on social media but closed at the dock — The dock wins.
- Silt starting in the cave and the group still entering — Turn.
- Chest pain or a missing buddy in current — Emergency path.
First response
- Boat oxygen and emergency services in Koror — This page is not a DCI protocol.
- Heat on the trail — Shade, water, clinic if needed.
- Not medical advice — Envenomation and DCI are clinical.
Palau safety is a current call and a closed gate on the lake. The name on the slate can wait.