Vessels
Ocean Hunter I
Ocean Hunter One at sunset (Fish 'n' Fins)
Owned, designed and operated by the highly regarded and well established Fish ‘n Fins, Ocean Hunter I is a very comfortable and stable 19 metre steel-hulled motor sailing vessel designed to accommodate just 6 divers in 3 cabins. Cabins 1 & 2 each have two bunk beds, with the lower bed being much wider than a standard single. Cabin 3 is more spacious, having a king-sized bed and a single bed side by side. All cabins have private shower/WC and are air-conditioned. All cabins are on the main deck along with the lounge and dining area, where the chef prides himself on providing fresh, low-fat gourmet cuisine. There is an entertainment centre with LCD TV, DVD, VCR and stereo and a scientific library in the lounge area along with a well-stocked bar, so you can enjoy a drink while you relax after the diving is over for the day. The dive deck is also on the main deck, so it is an easy walk from your cabin or from the lounge to the dive platform. The vessel is designed for professional underwater photography with a large working area and more than 60 electrical outlets (110 volts and 220 volts). Nitrox is available on board and Nitrox certification can be undertaken.
The Ocean Hunters offer ‘unlimited diving and unlimited bottom time’. You can dive whenever you wish. With only 6 (Ocean Hunter I) or 16 (Ocean Hunter III) divers as a maximum on any sailing, there is freedom and flexibility to create diving profiles to suit your specific needs. Personal attention, uncrowded dive sites and easy water entry are what makes the Ocean Hunters the choice for many divers (plus fabulous food, which many divers say is the best on any liveaboard!).
After giving a briefing the divemaster will enter the water with you on every dive. Night dives are offered every night. All levels of divers, from experienced to beginner, are welcome on the Ocean Hunters. Most dives are done from the main boat, with only a few dives from the chaseboat. Because of their small size and shallow draft, the Ocean Hunters will usually take you directly above the dive site so you can enter the water directly from the dive platform. Some of Ocean Hunters’ dive sites are inaccessible to day boats or the bigger liveaboards. When your dive is over, you can climb back onboard and take a warm, freshwater shower on the dive deck before enjoying a delicious snack such as home-baked cake or a fresh fruit smoothie. On the Ocean Hunters, where you live is where you dive.
A typical day on the Ocean Hunters would start at 0630 with coffee and continental breakfast followed by the fist dive of the day at 0700. A full breakfast is served at 0830 followed by the second dive. After a snack, the third dive follows before lunch. The fourth dive is offered in the afternoon and dusk and night dives are offered before dinner is served at 2015.
Ocean Hunter I and Ocean Hunter III offer a series of 7 and 10 nights cruises throughout the year departing from the Fish ‘n Fins dock in Koror.
Cruise itinerary (7 nights cruise): On your first day you will be collected from your hotel at 1030 and transported to the boat for lunch on board. In the afternoon you will take the first dive at Helmet Wreck, a shallow dive on a WWII Japanese ship where you can check out your gear and weights. In the afternoon the boat heads across the lagoon to German Channel or Big Drop Off. On days 2, 3 and 4 diving is done in the area of German Channel, Big Drop Off, New Drop Off, Blue Holes, German Wall, Blue Corner, Turtle Cove and Ngedebus Wall. On day 5 the boat moves south to the Peleliu area for dives that may include Peleliu Wall, Peleliu Corner, Peleliu Express, Orange Wall and Peleliu Cut. A land tour of Peleliu Island (a major WWII battlefield) will be offered. On day 6 the boat moves to the Ngemelis area for another dive before making its way to Jellyfish lake, after which the boat visits the Ulong Island area. On day 7 there will be a dive in the Ulong area and then, as the boat starts to return to Koror, you will visit a wreck site and then Chandelier Cave. If time permits there may be chance to do a Mandarinfish dive before returning to the dock in the late afternoon. On the day of departure breakfast is served at 0700 before disembarkation at 0800.
10 nights cruises follow the same itinerary for days 1-4. Days 5 and 6 are spent in the Peleliu area and day 7 sees the boat visit Blue Hotel and the Ngemelis area. Day 8 is spent in the area of Ngerechong Island and also visits Jellyfish Lake before moving to Ulong Channel and Ulong Wall. On day 10 the boat moves towards Koror and takes in a couple of Japanese wrecks including the Jake Seaplane where possible, before the third dive at Chandelier Cave followed by a return to dock in the late afternoon. On the day of departure breakfast is served at 0700 before disembarkation at 0800. All itineraries are subject to local weather conditions, tides and currents.
Price from $3150 for a 7 nights cruise, from $4500 for a 10 nights cruise. Includes: Transfers between local hotels and the boat; 7 or 10 nights cruise on Ocean Hunter I on a twin/share basis with full board; 7 or 10 days of diving (up to 5 dives per day, including night dives). Nitrox costs $200 for a 7 nights cruise or $285 for a 10 nights cruise. Koror and Peleliu State Dive Permit fees of US$55 (subject to change) are not included in the package price and will be collected on board. The Koror state permit is valid for 10 days, the Peleliu permit for 14 days. Single Occupancy Supplement: 90% of the cruise cost (but you can avoid paying the supplement if you are willing to share a cabin).