Sharks and manta rays

Blue Corner or German Channel...When the diving guide tells the captain the destination at 8:30 a.m., you can feel a high level of anticipation among all the divers on the boat. It is not without reason that they are one of the best diving spots in Palau and the whole world and are therefore very popular.

First of all, Blue Corner: Characterized by mostly strong currents, so strong that the divers have to hold on to the reef with a hook and rope. Like helpless drifting buoys, they then observe the performance of the fish, especially the sharks. In a sense, these are the underwater Formula 1 because they have the perfect flow adjustment.

The skin, the numerous fins, everything seems to be maximally adapted. It soon looks as if the strong current is providing forward momentum. Numerous sharks circle around seemingly effortlessly and enjoy the water flowing through their gills. Rapid changes in direction or speed are easy thanks to their strong muscles. So for me it's like underwater Formula 1: high horsepower, wide tires, perfect aerodynamics!

You could happily watch the performance for longer, but there are a lot of other divers here too and it continues after 20-30 minutes.

Completely different and not so far away: German Channel. At a cleaning station, the divers kneel in the sand at around 17 m. Manta rays appear out of nowhere.

Without any noticeable hassle, they float above the divers and let the cleaner fish clean them of parasites. They also seem to be interested in the divers and come very close.

Very elegant looking with spans between 4-7 meters. If some sun comes through from above, it is even more beautiful and you can see the shadow created by the large body.

Beautiful fish, but also threatened because too many people kill these animals.

PS I read that sharks use 2/3 of their brain to detect smell…..oh if I could do the same with the wine….:-)