Palau February 2018

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BIKINI SWIM WITH JELLYFISHGreat group from Weaver’s experienced phenomenal dives while enjoying fabulous accommodations on the recently renovated 105’ Rock Island Aggressor. The berths and salon were comfortable and well-appointed, and the Weaver’s group of eight were the only guests on the boat – bonus! Dives were easy to negotiate with the hydraulic lift which raised and lowered the tender, making access a breeze. The crew was friendly and professional and looked after our every need to ensure we had the best possible experience while in their care. Big shout outs go to Captain Ike and Andrew, our Divemaster/Photographer/Cruise Director! They – and all the crew – worked hard to make our trip truly memorable.

The high current Blue Corner dive never disappoints, and this trip was no exception. Just as we hooked into the reef to ‘fly’ in the current, a wall of sharks graced us with their majesty. We had several great dives with Manta Rays in German Channel – we watched the graceful cleaning station choreography, and saw them feed as they swam through a giant bait ball right over our heads. Of course there were the typical schools of jacks and barracudas, but the big highlight was witnessing the very rare sight of a Bumphead Parrotfish spawning event. This mating ritual only occurs once a year, three days after a full moon, and we were lucky enough to be there exactly at the right time. We hung in the blue water, absolutely mesmerized as we watched hundreds and hundreds of Bumpheads swim around us. Every few minutes a small group of them would cluster together and shoot toward the surface while releasing their eggs and sperm. It was …PHENOMENAL! Valentine’s Day was not forgotten this year as love was definitely in the air (or water)!

It turns out we had a couple celebrities in our group: We were honored to have Juan Leca, owner of Dive House (Cozumel) join us for his first Weaver’s group escorted trip; and kudos to Erica S who was given the “Iron Diver” award by the Aggressor staff for not missing a single dive of the 25!

We disembarked from the boat early morning in Koror on our last day in Palau and spent the time sightseeing, shopping and dining in style. It was the perfect transition from sea to land, culminating in one last group dinner at Elilai restaurant where the cuisine was first-class and the views of the countryside were stunning. A great way to wrap up a memorable trip with an awesome group!