Kategorie: News
Where Sharks Still Rule
Palau is one of the few places on Earth where the locals are outnumbered by sharks. This tiny island nation in the western Pacific has a population of just 18,000 - and its waters hold one of the densest shark populations anywhere. More sharks than tourists is not a marketing gimmick here, it is simply how things are.
The secret lies in the fish. Palau sits on a network of spawning aggregation sites where thousands of snapper, moorish idols and other reef fish gather in enormous schools to breed. And where the bait goes, the hunters follow. Grey reef sharks, white-tips and black-tips patrol the aggregation sites, joined from time to time by true ocean wanderers such as hammerheads and the rare oceanic white-tip. During the Moorish Idol (Zanclus cornutus) spawning in 2023 - an event so spectacular it drew a BBC camera crew - divers counted hundreds of sharks circling among the spawning fish. Nothing quite like it has ever been documented anywhere else.
Palau's abundance is no accident, it is policy. In 2009 the country became the first nation on Earth to declare its waters a shark sanctuary, banning shark fishing outright and outlawing the trade in shark products. The Palau National Marine Sanctuary followed in 2020, closing 80 percent of the country's exclusive economic zone to fishing entirely. It is rare to see a government put protection ahead of profit so clearly - and divers get to enjoy the payoff.
If you want to make shark encounters the centerpiece of your trip, Shark Week is the way to do it. From February 28 to March 7, 2027, Fish 'n Fins - Palau's legendary dive operation in Malakal - runs the next edition of its celebrated event. Guests pick a five- or seven-day program, diving Palau's best shark sites every day, with seminars from international experts and evening debriefs. For many, the highlight is the citizen science element: participants log data on every dive, which the Micronesian Shark Foundation then analyzes alongside scientists from Stanford and National Geographic. A video contest adds some friendly rivalry, with prizes ranging from a GoPro to a professional camera. And if your trip lines up with the March full moon, you get a bonus - snapper spawning season, which pulls in even more sharks.
Getting there is easier than you might expect. China Airlines flies nonstop from Frankfurt and Vienna to Taipei, and from there it is just four hours onward to Koror, Palau's main island. One stop, one ticket, and you are standing at the gateway to the world's biggest shark paradise. The sharks are already looking forward to your arrival.
More information:
Fish'n Fins Palau Website
Mail Fish'n Fins
Fish'n Fins on Taucher.Net