ST-ENG-Palau Siren-Wrecks 2018.pages

EXPEDITION LEADER MICHAEL WOLHARDT
2018 • EXPEDITION
PALAU WRECKS
UNKNOWN WRECK PARADISE. Join this very special
and different liveaboard cruise through the stunning
archipelagoofPalauinMicronesia.Adivedestination
well-known for its wildlife and deep walls. But not
many people know that below the surface you can
explorealotofwrecksfromWorldWarII.
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WorldWarIIwrecks
36Japanesevessels,aswellassundryaircra8
Steepwallswithabundantfishlife
MantaRaysandReefSharks
Stunningarchipelago
LuxurystayonPalauSiren
WreckdivingworkshopwithMichaelWolhardt
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PalauWreckExpedi;on
Asmanypeopleknow,duringWorldWarIITrukLagoonwastheEmpireofJapan’smainbasein
thePacifictheatre.However,whatislessknownisthatbeforeandduring‘OperaXonHailstone’
in February 1944, which resulted in the wreck diving mecca that Truk now is, some 200 plus
vesselswereevacuatedtoPalau.
Only six weeks later the American Navy launched ‘OperaXon Desecrate One’ on Palau, to
destroyasmuchoftheremainingJapanesefleetaspossible.Over2daysinMarch,morethan
36Japanesevessels,aswellassundryaircra8,weresenttothewaterydepthsofthelagoon,
andnowyouhavethechancetoseethemaspartofthisspecialiXnerary.
During this safari you will explore many of these wrecks and whilst on 10-night trips you will
alsoexplorethedeeperwallsoftheouterlagoon.
The majority of shipwrecks and regular dives within this iXnerary are deemed suitable for
recreaXonaldiversandoffervaryingdepthsformulX-levelprofiles.Somesitesdohoweverlie
beyond,orhaveinteresXngfeaturesdeeperthan,therecognizedrecreaXonaldivingdepthlimit
of40m(1308).Assuchtheymaybemoresuitedtodiverswithdeepdiverortechnicaldiving
qualificaXons.
The Republic of Palau is Micronesia's western most island chain. The Xghtly clustered Palau
archipelago, consists of over 200 islands covering a distance of around 200 km. Palau is the
hometooneoftheworld'suniquephenomena,theRockIslands.
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PalauSiren-Yourliveaboard
The 40 metre S/Y Palau Siren luxury liveaboard was launched in July 2012. She has the same
specificaXonsashersisteryachts,theS/YPhilippineSirenandtheS/YIndoSiren.
Thecabinsofferflexibilityandcanbeusedastwinordouble-beddedrooms.Thediningareais
very spacious offering a great sefng for all your meals. The dive deck is perhaps the most
spacious and comfortable you would have experienced. Designated areas for charging and
preparaXonofyourcameraandvideoequipment,theS/YPalauSiren,asallSirenFleetyachts,
trulysetsouttobetheproschoiceforunderwaterphotographyandvideography.
YouwillfindnootherdiveliveaboardasbeauXfulinthewatersofMicronesia,andbeingthat
shewasbuiltbydiversfordiversyoucanrestassuredeveryneedhasbeenthoughtofandis
beingimplemented.AboardtheS/YPalauSirenweshallwelcomeupto16guestsoneachtrip.
Thisensuresabundantspaceforalldivers.
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GeCngtoandfromPalau
Palau is situated on its own in Micronesia, in the midst of the Pacific Ocean, and it requires
several flights to get there. The flight schedule is published approximately ten months before
thetripsdepartureandatthatXme,wewillcontactyouwithaflightsuggesXon.Thebestflight
routeiso8enthroughManila,withone,ortwostopsinEuropeenroute.
We recommend a minimum of a one night stop in Manila on the way to Palau, as the Xcket
from Manila to Palau are purchased separately from your other internaXonal Xcket. Scuba
Travelcanarrangeallflights,aswellasanynecessaryhotelnightsalongtheway.
Shouldyouwishtoextendyourholiday,thereareseveralgoodopXons,thePhilippinesbeing
thebest.Forinstance,youcanaddaweekinPuertoGaleraforsomebeachandtropicaldiving.
ContactusformoreinformaXonandopXons.
It might be that the flight to Palau will go via Guam. As Guam is an American territory, all
passengersmusthaveanESTAvisaapprovedaminimumof72hourspriortoarrival,justasin
theUSA.Thisismandatoryforallpassengers,eventhoughyouwillnotbestayinginGuam.The
ESTAvisacanbepurchasedonlineandcostsapproximately17USDperperson. Asthevisais
onlyvalidforoneyearataXme,wesuggestthatyoupurchaseitattheXmethatwebuyyour
flightXckets.HereisthelinktotheESTAwebsite:hlps://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/
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DIVESITESONPALAUWRECKSAFARRI
Amatsu Maru - One of the largest wrecks in Micronesia, the Amatsu sits perfectly upright in
40m of water with the deck at 23m - 30m. A huge wreck of a tanker with many places to
penetrateforthoseexperiencedandqualifiedtodoso.Thiswreckdeservesatleast2visitsif
divingwithinrecreaXonallimitsand,forTecdivers,a3hourdiveonlyjustbeginstocoverallthe
highlightssuchasthepumphouse,themainsuperstructureandtheengineroom,thoughthis
receivedheavydamagefromtheAmericanbombers.
Bichu Maru - This wreck lays close to the Rock Islands and as such the visibility can o8en be
challenging, however, the penetraXon on this wreck can be extensive. It’s possible to swim
through the empty cargo holds and to the engine room area which received heavy damage
duringthebombing.A8ertheengineroomtheoldfunnellaysbrokeninthesandybolomat
around24m,withmorecargoholdsleadingtothesternwherethedeckgunpointsskyward,
sXllreadytorepelalackers.A8ercoveringthelengthofwreck,whichlaysonit’sside,youcan
moveuptothestarboardsideandexplorethelovelymarinegrowth.
Kesebeku Buoy No. 7 wreck - Not the biggest wreck in Palau, believed to be an auxiliary
submarinechaser,thiswreckneedstobedivedonslackcurrentsasitlaysperfectlyuprightina
channel close to Malakal. When the Xdes are just right, however, the life on the wreck in
magnificent.
ChuyoMaru-ThiswreckisclosetotheAmatsuand,whilstsmaller,istheperfectexampleofa
wreck dive!! Laying perfectly upright and in great condiXon there are many opportuniXes to
penetratethroughoutthiswreck.IdealwreckforbothTecandRecreaXonaldiversalike.
Iro-ThisismostlikelythemostdivedwreckinPalau.Lyingin40mofwater,withthebowat
18m and the Stern at 30m there is something for every level of diver on this wreck. With
abundant marine life and many places to penetrate, this wreck should be dived a couple of
Xmes to ensure you cover all the highlights such as the bow and stern guns, hold with many
artefactssXllinsideandahugeengineroomwitheasyaccess.
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©RichardBarnden.com
KamikazeMaru-ClosetotheBichuMaru,theKamikazeo8ensuffersfrompoorvisibilitybutfor
theadventurousdivertherewardscanbeworthitasthisistheonlywreckinPalauwhereyou
canseetheadvancedweaponrytheJapaneseusedagainstshippingthroughoutthePacific,the
Long Lance Torpedo. Many sXll liler the holds and even the deck, but heavy bomb damage
meansthewreckhassignificantdamageanditisamiraclethatthetorpedoesdidnotexplode!!
KibiMaru-TheKibiwaspartofaconvoytryingtoescapetherelentlessAmericanbombersby
leaving the Lagoon and heading out to open ocean, but she never made it. She was heavily
damagedinthealackandwasgroundedonthereefforanumberofyearsbeforefallingdown
thesteepchanneltolieinabout36mupsidedown.ThelifeonthekeelisfantasXcand,forthe
adventurous, the opXon to slip underneath her starboard side and into the cavernous empty
holdsisagreatadventuredive.
NagisanMaru–Withbelowaveragevisibilityandheavilydamaged,thiscanbeachallenging
diveforthelessexperiencedbutanadventureforthetruewreckexplorer.34mtotheseabed,
longdiveXmescanbeundertakenforthosequalified.
RaizanMaru-AnotheroftheconvoythattrieddesperatelytoescapePalaubutfailed.Shelays
in 38m of water but was heavily salvaged a8er the war, though the fish life abounds and the
localnameofthe'FishLocker'iswelljusXfied!!
RyukoMaru-Layinginaround34mofwaterthisisawonderfulwreckforalllevelsofdivers.
Artefacts sXll remain on the bridge and visibility can be great so this is a real favourite for
photographers.Thedeckisshallow,at20m,solongdivescanbeachievedforbothrecreaXonal
andTecdiversalike.
SataMaru–TheSatamaybelyingupsidedownbutsheisanamazing'real'tecwreckdive.The
sister ship of the Iro, laying a lille over a mile away, the Sata is a Tec divers dream. With a
maximum depth 38m there are amazing penetraXon opportuniXes for the qualified and
adventurous.Fromtheenginetothesuperstructureandthebombdamagedholds,thiswreck
candrawyoubackagainandagainforwhatcanbeachallengingbutamazingdive.
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Helmet/depthchargewreck-Onlyfoundaround20yearsago,theHelmetwreckisafavourite
amongstrecreaXonaldiversasitisrelaXvelyshallow,withthesternataround12mandthebow
at23m.ManyartefactssXlllilerthewrecksuchastheholdsfilledwithdepthchargesandthe
warXmehelmets.AgreatdivefortherecreaXonaldiver.
TeshioMaru-LyinginthemiddleofthelagoontheTeshio,onherside,hassomeoutstanding
visibility. With holds, bow gun, superstructure and a heavily damaged engine room there is
somethingforeveryoneonthiswreck.Atonly24mmaximumdepth,thisisarelaXvelyshallow
wreckbutwithlotstoexploreandlookat.
TransportT1-LayingupagainstoneoftherockIslands,upsidedown,thiswreckisessenXallya
destroyer that the Japanese converted to transport duXes. With the rudder and prop sha8
clearlyvisibleatthesterntotheheavilydamagedengineroom,thisisoneofthefewchances
youwillgettodiveawarshipinPalau.
Urakami Maru - The Urakami was a repair ship staXoned in Palau and would have been very
busyattheXmeshewasalacked.Alargevesselsatin42mofwater,thereishugeopportunity
forexploraXon.ThesterngunsXllpointsskywardandveryclosebyontheseabedthereare
sXllfullboxesofammuniXon,readytobeloaded.Swimmingforwardtothebridgeareatheold
compassbinnacleissXllvisibleandonceatthebowareathehugebowgunnowliesinthesand
perfectly upright surrounded by boxes of ammuniXon. A great Tec dive due to the depths, or
theneedforatleast2recreaXonaldivestocoverallthehighlights.
Op;onalac;vi;esduringyourliveaboardsafari(addi;onalchargesapply)
Peleliu Island WWII Land Excursion - A local tour guide will escort you around the historic
remnantsofWWIIballeswhichtookplaceontheisland.Thetourisapproximately2hoursin
duraXon.
JellyfishLake-Oneofapproximately70inlandmarinelakesfoundthroughoutPalau.Herethe
goldenjellyfish(MasXgias)haveadaptedoverXmetoshedtheirsXngingcellsallowingforthis
one-of-a-kindexperiencewiththem.Thejellyfishfollowthesuneachdayusingthesunlightto
helpalgaeproducesugarswhichitinturnshareswiththehost.
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MickeWolhardt
With over 20 years of experience with diving, 15 of which
havebeenfocusedonadvanceddivingonwrecks,Mickehasa
lotofXpsandtrickstoshare.JoiningMickeonawreckdiving
trip adds flavor to the experience and a new dimension to the
wreckdiving. “Mygoalisforeveryonetoappreciateandunderstand
what a fantasXc trip through Xme wreck diving offers with the right tools and
knowledge”.
Ali\leaboutMicke
IgotmyfirstmaskwhenIwas7yearsandthenIdecidedthatIwasgoingtobeadiver!Iwas15
whenItriedscubadivingforthefirstXme.IhadmanyotherinterestsincludingmarXalartsand
fixingupoldcars,butbytheXmeIwas25,Iwashookedonscuba!
In1995IquitmyjobasacarpenterandstartedtoworkfullXmewithdiving.Today,over15
yearslater,Ihavenoplantoquitworkingwithdiving.Workingwithdivingalsomeansworking
with people, and that is very saXsfying. I have educated divers on my own since 1999 and I
becameaNAUITechinstructorin2000.IhaveeducateddiversthroughNAUI,PADIandIANTD
andin2003IstartedSwedTechDivingasatechnicaldivingeducaXonalsystem.
Although my true passion is wreck diving, I appreciate all styles of diving. I think that the
contrastsbetweendifferentdivesitesiswhatenrichesthedivingexperienceandIhavebeen
seenwithasingletankonmybackcheckingoutthefishonacolorfulreef.
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WreckworkshopwithMickeWolhardt
Wreckdivingcanvarydependingonthewreckandtheenvironment.Duringtheworkshopyou
willhavethechancetoincreaseyourknowledgewithinthesubjectofwreckdiving.
PlentyofXpsandtrickswillbeprovided.Wewillcoverthefollowingduringthetrip:
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Properuseoflinehandlingandreeling
Manoeuvringandswimtechniques
EquipmentconfiguraXon
Howtonavigateandfindthe“good”partsofthewreck
Diveplanning
ForquesXonsaboutwreckdivingortheworkshoppleasecontactMickeWolhardtviaemail:
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YOUR PALAU WRECK EXPEDITION
DAY BY DAY
ThursdayNov8
YouleaveyourhomeandflytoManila,Philippines.YoumightevenleaveonMarch1dependingon
theflightscheduleanddepartureairport.
FridayNov9
You arrive to Manila and make a stopover for the night. This since it is separate flight Xckets
betweenScandinaviaandManilaandManilaandPalauandwewanttomakeitsaferincasewerun
in to any delays. You get transfer to a hotel close to Manila Airport and stay there for 1-2 nights
dependingontheflightschedule.TheextracostforthestayinManilawillbepresentedtogether
withtheflightbooking.
SaturdayNov10
YouleaveManilaandflytoPalau.Whenyouarriveyouwillgettransfertotheliveaboard.Thesafari
startsandfinishinKoror.
SundayNov11-FridayNov16
Thesesixdaysareyourdivingdays!Howmuchyouwillbeabletodiveisdependingontheweather,
butusuallyyourdaywillbelikethis.Youwakeupandhavealightbreakfastfollowedbyyourfirst
dive.Youwilleatafullbreakfast,relaxandthendotheseconddive.Youwillhavelunch,relaxand
thendoyourthirddive.Youwillthenhaveadeliciousdinneranddoeitherasunsetornightdive.
Lastdayyouwilldomaybetwodivesorlessdives,dependingonwhenyourflightleave.
SaturdayNov17
You will check out from the boat and get transfer to the Palau airport. Today you will fly back to
Manila. Most likely you will land the same day. You will get transfer back to the hotel in Manila,
whereyouwillbestaying1-2night(extracost)beforeyouleavetoflybackhome.
PleaseNote!
PleasenotethattheiXneraryisonlyapreliminaryplan.AcXviXescanchange,ormayneedtobe
exchanged, in the case of adverse weather condiXons or other unexpected incidents. The dates
mightchangeadayortwobackorforward,sincewedonotknowtheflightscheduleyet.
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ABOUT THE TRIP
Date November10–17,2018(liveaboardonly)
Des;na;on Palau-Micronesia-PacificOcean
Liveaboard PalauSiren
Includedintheprice
➔TransfersKororAirport–boatr/t
➔7nightsinsharedcabinwithen-suitebathroomonboardPalauSiren
➔3mealsaday,snacks,water,tea,coffee,sodaandbeer
➔6daysdiving(3-4divesaday)incl.guide,tank,weights,mask,fins,wetsuit(3mm
shorty),regulator,BCDandSMB
➔Free32%Nitroxonboard
Notincludedintheprice
➔InternaXonalflightto/fromKoror,Palau
➔ExtranightsandtransfersinManilabeforeand/ora8erthecruise
➔Marineparkfeesaround€155(paidonboard)
➔Departuretax$20plus“greenfee”$30
➔Divecomputerandlight:€5peritemperday
➔AddiXonalacXviXes,diveequipment/gasesandmealsnotspecifiedabove
➔Tipsforguidesandcrew(recommended,butnotamust)
Priceperperson34500SEK
HowcanIpayformytrip?
Youcanpaybybanktransferorouronlinepaymentsystem.WeonlyacceptVISAand
MasterCard.Contactusifyouwouldliketopayinanothercurrency.Donotmakethe
currencyexchangewithoutourpermission.Pleasenotethatallextrapaymentfeesmustbe
paidbythecustomer.
HowmuchdoIpayandwhen?
When you have accepted the offer from Scuba Travel Scandinavia, you will receive a
bookingconfirmaXonwithinonetotwoworkdays.Toconfirmyourspot,adepositof3000
SEKisrequiredwithin7daysfromthebookingdate.Thisisatripwithascheduledflight,
youwillneedtopaythetotalflightcostforustobeabletoconfirmyourflight.Beforethis
hasbeendoneflightcostandavailabilitycanchange.Flightswillbeavailablecatenmonths
beforeyourtripdeparture.ThefinaltrippaymentshouldbeinScubaTravelScandinavia's
accountaminimumof14dayspriortoyourdeparturedate.
Contact
ScubaTravelScandinavia
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ABOUT THE TRIP
Extras
➔Equipmentrental
Complete equipment rental is available. See above for details. Please contact us about Tech
equipmentandgases.Technicalequipmentmustbepre-bookedaminimumof6monthsbefore
yourdeparturetomakesureitisavailableuponarrival.Palauissoremotethatittakesalong
Xmetoshipthingsthere(i.e.sorb).Pleasecontactusforthemostupdatedprice.
➔Cancella;onInsurance
PleasemakesureyouhavecancellaXoninsurance.Ifyoudonotwecanhelpyoutobookwith
ERVinsurance.Itisavailableforacostof6%ofthetotaltripcost.
Important
➔ Your passport must be whole and valid for more than six months a8er your arrival back
home.PleasenotethatyouneedtoapplyforanESTAifyouareflyingthrough,ortotheUS,and
do not hold an American or Canadian passport. The applicaXon must be done online via:
hlps://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/ and a fee is incurred which is not included in the price of this
trip.TheapplicaXonmustbedoneaminimumof72hoursbeforearrivaltotheUS.Pleasealso
readthisnewrulesforESTAforthoseofyouwhohasvisitedSyria,Irak,IranorSudan:hlp://
sweden.usembassy.gov/vwpchanges.html
➔AlldiversmusthaveadivecerXficate,divelogbookandproofofdiveinsurance.
➔DivingaroundPalausuitsalllevelsofdiver,howeverseveralsiteshavesomecurrents.Toget
the most out of your trip we recommend that you have an Advanced Open Water cerXficate
and a minimum of 30 logged dives. If you have not been diving within one year of your
departurewestronglyrecommendthatyoucompleteascubareviewcourse.
➔Pleasemakesurethatyouhaveavalidinsurancewhichincludesscubadiving.Ifyoudonot
have insurance or need a complement, we strongly recommend you to purchase a diving
insurancesuchasDANorsimilar,diversalertnetwork.org.
➔Duetotheever-increasingrestricXonsplacedonchecked-inbaggageonflights,overweight/
extrabaggagemustbereportedtoandacceptedby,theflightcompany.Wewillhappilyassist
youtobookyouextraweightthatisrequired.Pleasenotethatpricesandbaggageallowance
variesbetweenflightcompanies.ContactScubaTreavelingoodXmebeforeyourdeparture.
WereservetherightforpricechangesduetocurrencyfluctuaXonsorflightpriceincreases.Whenyou
bookyourtripyouacceptScubaTravelScandinavia'stermsandcondiXons.ThegiveninformaXonthat
ScubaTravelScandinaviahasinitswrileninformaXon(i.e.thetripcontent,amountofdives,divingata
special locaXon) is provided under the pretense of opXmal condiXons, and unforeseen circumstances
mayaffectthis.Thediveleaderorboatcaptainthatisinchargeofthetripalwayshastherighttochange
the contents of the trip due to such unforeseen circumstances such as e.g. weather/wind, poliXcal/
governmentaldecisions,orotheractsthatlieoutsideoftheircontrolthatcanaffectthesafetyofthe
customersorship.InthissituaXon,thecustomerhasnorighttocompensaXonorrefund.
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