Peleliu Island
Peleliu
The site of one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific theater in WWII. The island still has tanks, the ruins of Japanese headquarters, and cave fortifications, and there are top-tier dive sites offshore.
Peleliu lies about 40 km south of Koror. In 1944, U.S. and Japanese forces fought fiercely here for more than two months, and both sides suffered heavy casualties. The island still has scattered tanks, aircraft wreckage, the ruins of the Japanese headquarters, the Bloody Nose Ridge cave fortifications, and American and Japanese memorials. Orange Beach was the U.S. landing site. You can reach the island on a one-day boat trip, about 1 hour one way, and hire a vehicle on the island to visit the relics. Offshore, Peleliu Corner and Peleliu Wall are advanced dive sites. Facilities on the island are limited, and a separate state access fee is required, so bring plenty of cash, drinking water, and sun protection.
Opening hours
with day tours 08:00–16:00
Nearby sights
- Big Drop-off (Ngemelis Wall)
- German Channel
- Blue Corner
- Seventy Islands (Ngerukewid Islands)
- Jellyfish Lake
- Clam City
- Long Beach (Omekang Sandbar)
- Rock Islands Southern Lagoon