Chandelier Cave

Chandelier Cave is a natural sea-eroded limestone cave in Palau, located near Koror, with its entrance hidden beneath a limestone island. The opening is small and unassuming, but the interior opens into a broad cavern that comfortably holds multiple divers. Bottom depth reaches 10–15 m, with the floor covered in silt and coral rubble, and the shallowest point around 5 m. The cave's defining feature is a series of four interconnected air chambers, their ceilings and walls covered in stalactites and stalagmites built up over thousands of years, along with mineral crystals that catch torch light and refract it across the rock. Divers follow a guideline through the chambers in sequence; in the third chamber, which is the most spacious and stable, it is possible to surface, remove the regulator, breathe freely, and talk. There is no exit at the back of the cave — divers must return the way they came, passing back through the second and first chambers before exiting through the entrance.

Visibility inside reaches up to 30 m and there is no current, making conditions calm and clear. The site is rated Open Water level, though good buoyancy control is specifically required to avoid disturbing the silt floor or damaging the formations.

After exiting the cave, the shallow coral area around the boat holds mandarinfish (also called dragonets or 麒麟魚). These small, blue-and-orange patterned fish are shy and hide within hard coral heads; they can typically be found with patience by scanning coral patch by patch, and individual coral clusters sometimes shelter two or three individuals.