Mandarinfish Lake

Palau2 m maxbeginner

Conditions & tides

Channel site — tidal current funnels through here and can run fast, changing quickly with the tide. It is usually strongest around mid-tide and eases near the slack windows below. Dive with a local operator who knows the timing.

Mandarinfish LakePalau · 2 m

Good · 5/5

conditions visualisation

Good5/5

Calm and diveable right now — best window today 9 AM–4 PM.

Wind12 kn SW

Current~0.1 kn ESE · model

Swell

0.4 m · 5s · W

Water

29 °C

Conditions through the day

5 AM5 PM

Calmest current near slack — 11:15 AM & 11:45 PM local

Sunrise 05:50 AM · Sunset 05:57 PM local

Show details

Tide · local

Outlook — select a day for full conditions

On-face swell 0.5 m — the component of the swell aimed at this site’s exposed face. Strong-current reef: plan a drift and enter near the slack windows above. Current is a regional model value (Copernicus, ~9 km grid) — a guide to the area, not a precise reef measurement. Imagery © Esri · not depth or visibility.

Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model

Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.

Dived here today? How were conditions vs. what we showed?

About this site

Mandarinfish Lake lies within Palau's island waters at very shallow depth, reaching a maximum of only about 2 metres, and is considered a beginner-level site. Sites of this type in Palau are typically sheltered spots visited at dusk, timed around the mandarinfish's mating behavior near the surface.

AI overview

Marine life here

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

Lollyfish Sea CucumberHolothuria atraReported here · unconfirmed
Boring Giant ClamTridacna croceaReported here · unconfirmed
Blue LinckiaLinckia laevigataReported here · unconfirmed

Diver notes

Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.

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