BLACK PEARL

47m / 155ft MAX 28 NITROX WIFI

PRICE PER DAY FROM USD 442

LOWEST PRICE GUARANTEE SPECIAL OFFERS APPLY

At a glance:

All cabins with private bathrooms
Purpose-built aluminium dive tenders
U/W scooters and cameras available
Kayak, SUP, water slide
Jacuzzi, gymnasium
Large steel hulled boat

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The Black Pearl liveaboard is a huge 47m (155 ft) state-of-the-art yacht that operates weekly dive safaris in the scuba paradise of Palau. This gem of a yacht was built in 2019 from steel and aluminium and its modern features are creating plenty of waves in the liveaboard diving market.

Guests are attended to by the Black Pearl crew of 16 and are accommodated in 14 well-fitted and proportioned cabins across lower, main and upper decks. Each cabin features a separate shower cubicle in the en-suite bathroom and is sound- and odour-proofed for guest comfort. Guests can also use their own high-definition television equipped with satellite TV programmes. There is also satellite internet throughout the liveaboard.

A favourite spot on the Black Pearl is on the sundeck which was designed to create a relaxed ambience with ‘beach club’ loungers, hammock stand, and 360 degree views of the surrounding scenery. There is a saloon on the upper deck, which features gym equipment, cosy sofa seating, 2 HD TVs, movies, gaming consoles (PS4 Pro & Nintendo Switch), and a dartboard. There is also a large Jacuzzi if you prefer just to relax. In water yacht toys include a kayak, stand-up paddleboard, inflatable water slide and floats.

The spacious dedicated restaurant is located on the main deck and was carefully designed to make use of natural sunlight to brighten up the room. Daily meals include different varieties of Asian cuisine and are served buffet style. There is free flow of a wide varieties of hot beverages and drinking water dispensers. Eco-friendly water bottles are given to all guests since the boat is a Green Fins (marine conservation) member. Delicious and healthy snacks and smoothies are provided every afternoon to recharge energy for the next dive.

Among the best features of this liveaboard yacht are the 2 aluminium tenders that are used to conduct the dives. These purpose-built boats are equipped with twin 170 HP internal diesel engines, with a top speed of 40 knots. Each boat is designed to carry 14 divers and 1 captain, with front facing seating to ensure guest comfort. They are equipped with VHF radio, GPS, fresh water shower, first aid kit and DAN emergency equipment.

While the Black Pearl does its best to keep its guests entertained, it also takes its commitment to environmental conservation and guest safety very seriously. The use of plastic is minimised, eco-friendly and bio-degradable washing and cleaning products are used, and a BIOCON septic waste system is installed. The yacht also has a mooring drill to set up safe anchorage points. The yacht features twin 477 KW Cummins auxiliary propulsion engines, twin generators and compressors; 4 water makers, and the latest maritime communication and satellite navigation system. All these back ups have been installed to ensure that no single failure would cause a cruise to be cancelled. Divers are also provided with Nautilus Lifelines, SMBs and reef hooks; all used to assist safety. The liveaboard also has an onboard portable emergency decompression sickness (DCS) chamber.

The Black Pearl features 14 guest cabins, each featuring an en-suite bathroom with toilet and separate hot/cold shower. There are 2 Seaview Suites with double beds on the upper deck, 4 seaview cabins with convertible twin or double beds on the main deck, 6 lower deck Deluxe cabins with twin beds, and 2 lower deck Tatami cabins (smaller) with twin beds. Twin beds are 200 cm x 120 cm, double beds are 160 cm x 200 cm.

Each room features a hassle-free keyless electronic keypad door lock system. Toilets are equipped with a sewage vacuum system to prevent any unwanted odours in the cabins. Cupboards and doors are equipped with shock absorbers to reduce noise intrusion.

All the cabins have:

Air conditioning
Windows (main and upper deck), portholes (lower deck)
Bathroom with toilet, hot water shower cubicle and hand basin
HD television equipped with satellite TV programmes and Google cast.
High quality cabin face/bath towels and organic 2-in-1 shampoo/bathing gel
Hair dryer
Reading lights
Inter room telephone system

Bedding
Cabinet and clothes hangers
Safe deposit box
Safety devices like smoke detector and fire alarm system, fire extinguisher
Mains outlet 220 volts - 24 hours
USB ports for charging electrical gadgets
Asian style 2 pin and Australian style 3 pin sockets

No. of bathrooms / showers - 14 / 14 - hot water

Palau Islands

Trip highlights: shark action, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: from Palau: Big Drop-off, Blue Corner, Blue Holes, Chandelier Cave, Denges Passage, German Channel, Helmet Wreck, Ngemelis Wall, Peleliu Express, Peleliu Wall, Siaes Corner, Siaes Tunnel, Ulong Channel; Rock Islands and Jellyfish Lake tours

Day 1
Guests may begin boarding the Black Pearl after lunch on the first day. As the liveaboard does not depart Malakal harbour until the early morning of the following day, arrival times are flexible. Upon arrival, the crew welcomes guests aboard, conducts a boat briefing, and assists with cabin assignments. The remainder of the day is at leisure, allowing guests to relax on the upper deck, enjoy the Black Pearl's entertainment facilities, or socialize with fellow travellers over the dinner service.

Core Days
A liveaboard diving cruise in Palau promises an unforgettable week exploring one of the planet's most spectacular marine hot spots. The destination is world-renowned, with the legendary Blue Corner standing as its centrepiece. This site is celebrated for its sheer density of marine life, where scuba divers can typically expect to be surrounded by vast schools of jacks, barracuda, and snappers, alongside numerous reef sharks, turtles, and eagle rays. Under the right conditions, the action intensifies with potential sightings of hammerhead sharks, mantas, and even tiger sharks.
Beyond Blue Corner, this Black Pearl tour offers a thrilling array of diving experiences. These include adrenaline-fueled channel dives propelled by swift currents, serene explorations of beautiful caverns and tunnels, and dramatic wall descents. The adventure isn't limited to large pelagic life - the macro world is equally impressive, featuring exotic creatures like leafy scorpionfish, nudibranchs, and flaming scallops. The experienced Black Pearl dive team manages the daily schedule to showcase the best sites, with selections made based on optimal weather, tides, and conditions to ensure a premium liveaboard experience.
The voyage is also punctuated by iconic tourist visits, including the stunning Rock Islands, and a stop at the world-famous Jellyfish Lake, before the liveaboard returns to harbour on the final evening.

Final Day
On the final morning, you are welcome to disembark the liveaboard at your leisure following breakfast

Palau Spawning Trip

Trip highlights: shark action, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: from Palau: Big Drop-off, Blue Corner, Blue Holes, Chandelier Cave, Denges Passage, German Channel, Helmet Wreck, Ngemelis Wall, Peleliu Express, Peleliu Wall, Siaes Corner, Siaes Tunnel, Ulong Channel; Rock Islands and Jellyfish Lake tours

Day 1
Your spawning trip adventure begins with boarding the Black Pearl after lunch. The crew will welcome you, provide a safety briefing, and show you to your cabin. With the liveaboard remaining in port overnight, you have a relaxed afternoon and evening to unwind on the deck, socialize with fellow guests, and enjoy dinner before your journey commences the next day.

Core Days
This unique specialty diving cruise with the Black Pearl is scheduled to coincide with either the full or new moon, offering a front-row seat to one of the ocean's most dramatic natural phenomena: mass coral reef spawning events. These immense aggregations of fish create a powerful feeding signal, actively drawing in Palau's most formidable predators to hunt within the concentrated schools. In the days surrounding the full moon, you will have the unparalleled opportunity to observe the spectacular spawning aggregation of the red snapper. During early morning dives before sunrise, the spectacle unfolds as tens of thousands of snappers ascend from the depths, gathering to initiate their energetic mating manoeuvres. The event is a frenzy of excitement, heightened by the fishes' remarkable ability to change their coloration from deep red to a pale white.
Similarly, in the 4-day window leading up to and including the new moon, you will witness the equally breathtaking mass spawning of the bumphead parrotfish. At dawn, hundreds of these colossal fish assemble for their climactic mating ritual, where males audibly clash their heads together with loud bangs in displays of dominance to win over females, all while undergoing vivid colour changes. The climax occurs as the fish, rising from the sandy seabed to the shallows in a display reminiscent of a firework show, repeatedly release their gametes into the water column.
Beyond these events, you will enjoy the world-renowned diving of Palau, an area celebrated for its sheer abundance of marine life. On any given dive, you can expect to encounter vast schools of jacks, blackfin barracuda, and snappers, alongside numerous reef sharks, tunas, wahoo, groupers, eagle rays, the iconic humphead wrasse, and turtles. Under optimal conditions, the action intensifies with potential sightings of hammerhead sharks, as well as manta rays and sailfish. The liveaboard itinerary is designed for thrill and variety, featuring high-adrenaline channel dives with swift currents, explorations of beautiful caverns and tunnels, visits to active manta cleaning stations, breathtaking wall dives, and intriguing wrecks. For macro enthusiasts, the environment is rich with exotic small life, including leafy scorpionfish, diverse nudibranchs, boxer crabs, cleaner shrimp, flaming scallops, and well-stonefish.

Final Day
Your adventure concludes with breakfast, after which you are welcome to disembark the Black Pearl.

[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].

A typical day on the Black Pearl liveaboard begins around 6 am with light snacks, morning coffee and tea, followed by a briefing, then Dive 1. Full breakfast follows, then a surface interval followed by the 2nd briefing, then Dive 2. Lunch, surface interval, then the 3rd briefing and Dive 3. Then it’s a snack and beverage break. During each surface interval you can make use of the great in-water features, such as kayaks, paddleboard, even a water slide! Finally, there is a briefing for a sunset or night dive, then dinner.

The Black Pearl's chef prepares a variety of delicious meals, served in the spacious dedicated restaurant. Breakfast is a hearty spread including cereals, yoghurt, toast, fresh fruit, juice, and hot dishes like eggs or sausages. Lunch and dinner feature diverse and flavoursome Asian cuisine, such as curries, stir-fries, and fresh seafood, with the menu changing daily. complimentary snacks such as fresh fruit and smoothies are served throughout the day. A wide range of beverages are available from the bar. Complimentary offerings include water, soft drinks, young coconut, smoothies, barista-style coffee, and tea. For your enjoyment, the bar also stocks a selection of beers, wines, and cocktails available for purchase.

DEPARTURE SCHEDULE & PRICES

MORE TRIP DETAILS

Dive experience: 50 previous logged dives are recommended for divers to join these Black Pearl Palau liveaboard cruises, as well as being comfortable diving in strong current conditions.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, hot drinks, fruit juice, round trip transfers between hotel or local airport to Malakal Port (cruise start and end days only), dives (as detailed in the trips above), experienced English-speaking divemasters (max. 5 divers to 1 dive guide), nitrox fills for enriched air divers, reef hook, SMB, tanks, weights and weightbelts, sales tax.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment rental including dive computer and GPS (USD 45 per day), dive insurance (available onboard), marine park permit & port tax USD 200. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival.

Optional extras: Soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, barista coffee, 15 litre tank (USD 15 per day), torch (USD 7 per day), private dive guide, satellite internet packages (1 GB, 2 GB, unlimited use options). Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival. Note: prices of items purchased onboard are subject to change.

How to get there: Boarding the Black Pearl begins at 3 pm (but the yacht only departs the harbour early on the next morning). Disembarkation at the end of each cruise is at 8 am (although the liveaboard returns to harbour on the previous evening). The last dive of the trip is at 2 pm on the penultimate day of the trip. Please wait 18 hours before flying after diving. Round trip hotel transfers are provided. Round trip Koror airport transfers are also provided in the unlikely event that is possible to fly on first or last day of a cruise. For more details, including airlines, see our Palau travel information section.

Non-diver rate: 10% off the published price (only usable onboard as credit).

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travellers may choose to share a cabin or pay a supplement of 80% of the normal published price.

Dive clubs and group discounts: Pay for 12 guests and 2 additional persons can join the cruise free of charge (FOC) (total 14+ guests). FOC applies to the cheapest per person rate.

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 24 guests and 4 additional persons can join the cruise free of charge (FOC) (max. 28 guests). FOC applies to the cheapest per person rate.

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