Boating with the Kregenows

LB and Dave decided to get a small boat so Dave and the kids could go out during the week while LB is at work and then tour around on the weekends. While the waters are not rough, the reefs are everywhere and can make navigating difficult for those new to Palauan waters. Dave and LB are still learning to navigate, so Paul, one of the AGs who has a boat, volunteered to accompany them on Saturday to give navigation pointers. Christy and I were invited to tag along. The boat is 21 feet long with a single outboard engine and fit the five of us comfortably. We headed out with Dave at the controls and Paul helping him identify the channel and reef spotting. We headed southwest out and around one of the groupings of rock islands. Our destination was a small grouping of islands Paul called Fantasy Island. We tied up the boat and dove in to snorkel around the island. I was surrounded by lots of brightly colored fish and interesting looking coral. Snorkeling here is very relaxing. Calm waters and mild currents allows you to hang around one area for a long time and just observe how the fish and coral interact. Towards the end of our snorkeling I saw a turtle swim by that LB had startled; they can move fast when they want to. We climbed back aboard the boat and drove a sort distance to a small island LB calls Three Coconuts because it prominently features three large coconut trees. It had a small sandy beach and we took our lunch ashore for a picnic. The sand was very soft and my feet sunk into it just as in a snowbank. We ate our lunch and lounged on the beach.

Eventually, we packed up and continued through the islands until we reached Cemetery Reef, a popular snorkeling site. It is an expansive reef with lots of fish, including a really big Napoleon Wrasse. Also at the reef with a few other boats with Taiwanese tourists. Instead of snorkeling separately, they all grouped together and hung onto a small buoy which a guide dragged to different areas. They were easy to avoid and I enjoyed swimming around the reef. I saw another turtle. By that point, I had seen a half dozen turtles, but Christy had managed to miss all of them despite being in the same general vicinity as me each time I had seen turtles. Once I saw the turtle, I alerted Christy and begun following the turtle as it swum lazily along the reef. Christy was too far away and was unable to catch up before it swam away, just missing seeing a turtle. We spent an hour snorkeling before climbing back on the boat. We headed for home as Dave got more comfortable navigating. We went by a natural arch created by the coral. We also did a little fishing, but didn't catch anything. Dave successfully drove us home and to dock. It was a very enjoyable day amongst the rock islands.

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