Philippines – Palau snorkeling tour April 2026 Trip Report
Date: April 11 – 25, 2026
Water Temp: 28.5 C / 83 F (generally for both locations)
Seas: Calm
General Itinerary
Philippine – Palau combination is a virtual one-two punch for any marine enthusiast. From magnificent cliffs and macro life of El Nido to big fish and the Rock Islands of Palau. Add marvelous weather and a great group of snorkelers and we had one of the best trips we could imagine.
El Nido, Palawan, Philippines
Bacuit Bay started its life (and journey) more than 250 million years ago. It took nearly all of that time to migrate from its origins in SE Asia coastal mainland to its current place at the western edge of the Philippine archipelago. The bay consists of about 45 islands that seem to erupt from the water to dizzying heights. Made of metamorphosed limestone (now marble) the highest peak is over 2000 feet! Marine habitats around the islands include fringing reefs, sheltered lagoons, sea grass, shallow coral gardens, steep walls, and marine lakes. And we explored them all!
I hadn’t been back to El Nido since I stopped doing tours here in 2015. If anything changed the most, it is definitely the town! It has come a long way since I first arrived in 2000. At the time, I knew nothing about El Nido and was a bit skeptical. That all dissipated the moment I saw the enormous marble islands surrounded by crystal clear water. Finding a boat to hire, or even a place to grab a bite was a challenge. Compared to today where there are over 100 boats for hire and a Jolly Bee fast food franchise!
Ahhh, but get into the islands and it’s all good…
Lagen Island Resort
Lagen Islands Resort is a 5-star property that is situated in one of the most amazing settings imaginable. A picture is worth a thousand words…
Reefs and Habitats of El Nido
Our snorkeling activities started around Lagen Island and with one of the more unique snorkel sites. One of the smaller islands possesses one of the larger semi-submerged caves. The added bonus is the east-facing window at about 70 ft. high allowing for morning sunlight. Schools of snapper and soldierfish congregate around the entrance and we snorkeled inside the cave to see rare sponges. The shafts of light aiding our vision and adding to the beauty. This place is special just to see from a boat, let alone also as a snorkel. Snorkeling to the other side of the island we ended on a shallow reef flat with great coral diversity.
These unique types of habitats are common in El Nido, which is what makes it so special. We snorkeled the seaward-facing reefs in front of the resort. It’s not often we have the chance to see reefs usually pounded by waves. My favorite sighting was the blue-lined grouper, a fish I haven’t seen in another place we visit.
Another fantastic habitat was the channel between Simuzu and Paglugaban Islands. This narrow channel is packed side-to-side with coral and the currents encourage schools of fish to feed. Some of the more interesting coral colonies are at the end of the channel. Huge coral heads measuring several meters in height and girth, and probably over 400 years old, dominate the slope. This is a great spot for nudibranchs and it certainly came through for us!
Kayaking in El Nido
We also did some old school activities. We kayaked into Big and Small Lagoons. I have always done in the past, with a snorkel in Big Lagoon to see juvenile fish nurseries. These days, it is one of the most popular tourist destinations, so I didn’t even consider it as an option. But kayaking, we could do without too much disruption and more flexibility and everyone was up for it! These scenic lagoons were ancient caves carved by the weather and seawater over millennia of exposure. The intimate curves and grottos within the lagoons are perfect for kayaking.
Palau!
Our biggest worry was the international flight between the Philippines and Palau. If it cancels, we’re not going to Palau. Fortunately, the flight was on time and uneventful, unless you count a 100-ton weight off our shoulders an event.
Palau is awesome. I’ve been visiting Palau pretty consistently since 2016. Covid disrupted my every-other-year streak, but I’m back on track! We had fantastic weather in Palau! Lots of sun, calm seas, and generally good visibility. Our itinerary was based almost entirely on tides. We were experiencing low tides so we had to be careful with where we asked the captain to go. Some days were a mix of lagoon and outer reef sites and some days fully dedicated to either.
Nikko Bay and Risong Bay
Our time in the Rock Islands was incredible. Reefs in Nikko Bay are in great shape. Shallow coral gardens consist of mainly species of Porites with brain, staghorn, and mushroom-plate corals strewn about. The other dominant occupants on the reef are sponges. Lots of colorful sponges mixed in with the large stands of Porites. It is such a pleasure to snorkel in Nikko Bay. High limestone islands create snorkeling environments that are calm and serene like being in a private pool. We snorkeled through a tunnel into Disney Lake and at PICRC reef, over WWII debris, beautiful reefs, and saw mandarinfish!
Risong Bay possesses a series of lagoons and a super lush sea grass bed along the outside perimeter. We snorkeled the sea grass beds to see giant clams and juvenile reef fishes, and in Mandarinfish Lake for…crocodilefish? Mandarinfish Lake is one of the best places to see both adult and juvenile crocodile fish. We had a teenager and a very tiny juvenile. It does have mandarinfish, but we have better places to see them.
The Rock Islands
Tides forced us to design a day around the island group of Ngeruktabel. Literally around the island group. Usually we spend a day on one side or the other. This time we spent the morning at Einstein’s Garden and the Milky Way and the afternoon at Cemetery Reef and Soft Coral Arch. Einstein’s Garden is a reef dominated by species of Lobophyllia, commonly called brain coral. Colorful colonies grow packed along the limited space along the edge of the rock islands. We snorkeled to the Tunnels of Doom, main conduits for water flowing into the large marine lake nearby. With big tides, huge volumes of water exited the marine lake. We ‘surfed’ those jets of water, taking several turns in the fun. The combination of hard coral at Cemetery Reef and soft coral at Soft Coral Arch made for one of the best afternoons of the trip.
Of course, a visit to Palau would not be complete without a visit to Jellyfish Lake. One of Palau’s most famous sites, this marine lake is one of many that possess ‘stingless’ jellies. It’s a surreal experience that most of our guests put up there as one of their favorite experiences.
Palau’s Barrier Reef
Palau’s main draw are the dive/snorkel sites along the southern portion of the barrier reef. We knew it was going to be a great day when cruising through German Channel proper, we encountered mantas! Quickly jumping in, we spent 20 minutes with one of the largest rays in the world. Afterwards we relocated to the false channel. In the afternoon we went to Big Drop-Off to be surrounded by huge schools of fish, sharks, and turtles. Big Drop-Off looks great. Plenty of hard and soft coral and insane amounts of fish. German Channel as well. Healthy, diverse coral with extensive fields of Acropora staghorn coral. A bit reminiscent of old school German Channel.
Ulong Channel is at the western edge of the barrier reef and is my favorite snorkel site in Palau. This relatively narrow channel is packed with coral along the sides and swift currents attract huge schools of fish. We started from inside the channel and drifted out in the light current. About halfway through the snorkel, currents picked up and turned a relaxing snorkel into a high-speed tour of the channel! All good, everyone was super pumped by the big schools of jacks and barracuda. Plus sightings of all three reef sharks; blacktip, whitetip, and grey reef. We decided to snorkel at Double Arch. It was a site we used to go to many years ago, but a bleaching event killed most of the shallow staghorn coral. I was very happy with the new coral growth and reviews from the guests agreed concurred. It looks fantastic!
Overall Impression of the Philippines and Palau
This was a really fun tour with a complex, but doable itinerary. We saw a huge diversity of habitats and reef types, more so than on any other tour. Both destinations still look great and their diversity will ensure a puncher’s chance against future disturbances or changes in the environment. Furthermore, communities in both places are committed to preserve their natural beauty which gives hope to their survival. We look forward to doing this again in 2028! Check out the video highlights below and more photo here.