AD 2017 Q4

A DELUGE OF LIFE
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY ANDY
AND ALLISON SALLMON
We’ve arrived in the middle of a special weather advisory: downpours,
gusting winds, the works. The unusual, unseasonal storm has
pummeled the islands for days, and the dive staff have developed a
sense of humor about the situation. One wannabe comedian cracks a
joke as we lug our gear to the boat: “Sometimes they’ll name a typhoon
in retrospect. This might qualify.” We respond gamely with the best
laughs we can muster. The rain is coming down hard, and I put on my
mask for the skiff ride.
As we motor through the iconic rock islands it doesn’t take long
for admiration to take hold. Palau is otherworldly beautiful. Even in
the rain, even through a misty mask, the colors grab me and won’t
let go. It’s as if a benevolent giant threw a handful of emerald-green
marbles onto an impossibly turquoise backdrop. Underwater, the vivid
splendor is magnified: The offshore waters are crystalline blue, the
lagoon a rich aqua. Neon soft corals and anemones pop, while silvery
barracudas and jacks shimmer. Sharks and mantas exude gravitas with
their crisp monotones.
From left: A snorkeler enjoys the shallow reef surrounding a rock archway amid Palau’s
ethereal rock islands. A reef manta waits at a cleaning station at German Channel.
A diver hovers over one of Palau’s signature soft-coral-studded reefs. A leaf
scorpionfish rests gracefully in the current amid a swarm of glassfish.
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