German Channel

A man-made channel blasted through the reef in the German colonial era, now a manta ray cleaning station. Divers kneel on an 18 m sand bed and wait for manta rays with 4 m wingspans to circle overhead.

The German Channel is a roughly 1.5 km man-made passage that German colonists blasted through the barrier reef southwest of the Rock Islands in the 1900s, so that phosphate could be shipped from Angaur Island to Koror. Today it is Palau's most famous manta ray dive site. Currents carry plankton into the channel, and near its mouth are several “cleaning stations,” where manta rays hover while small cleaner wrasse pick parasites off their skin. Divers kneel or lie on the 15 to 20 m sand bed and stay still while manta rays, with wingspans of 3 to 4 m and occasionally more than 5 m, circle again and again just a few meters overhead. On days with plenty of plankton and rising tides, especially December to March, you may see 5 to 10 mantas on one dive. Grey reef sharks, whitetip reef sharks, sea turtles, schools of fusiliers, and eagle rays are also common, and garden eels and rays live on the sand. The dive is moderately challenging and suitable for Open Water divers and above. When currents are mild, snorkelers can see the dark shapes of manta rays from the surface. Dive operators usually pair the German Channel with Big Drop-off or Blue Corner as two dives. The channel is also the route boats take to Blue Corner and Peleliu, and the speedboat ride through the narrow turquoise channel is a sight in itself. If you're lucky, you may see mantas leap from the water from the boat. The fee is included in dive tours, about USD 150 to 200 for two dives, and a Koror State permit is required. Getting there: about 45 minutes from Koror by speedboat. Note: do not chase or touch the mantas, stay on the sand, and avoid kicking up sediment. Control your buoyancy so you do not damage the organisms on the sand. Bring a reel hook in case currents are strong. The channel has heavy boat traffic, so signal with a surface marker buoy when ascending.

German Channel

Opening hours

Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby