German Channel
Palau · Micronesia
German Channel is Palau's most celebrated manta ray destination, a dredged passage between the Rock Islands where oceanic manta rays gather at a permanent cleaning station year-round. Resident mantas return daily to be serviced by wrasse and butterflyfish, making predictable sightings almost guaranteed. The surrounding reef walls, drift corridors, and sandy flats add sharks, turtles, and macro life to one of diving's most concentrated wildlife experiences.
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
Live coral covers 19% of this reef.
Coral cover
Fish life
Heat
Fishing
Open to fishing, and the water is fairly quiet.
Sources · MERMAID and the survey teams · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
Coral cover over time
Live coral cover, by survey year
Across surveys in 2024 and 2026, live coral cover here has fallen from 45% to 19%. Every point is a real survey reading, never a projection.
Live coral cover, percent by year
| Year | Coral cover |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 45% |
| 2026 | 19% |
What you will see
32 species across the dive sites here
Bluefin Trevally
Seen 1 month ago
at Manta Cleaning Station
Least concern
Humphead Wrasse
Seen 1 month ago
at Shark City
Endangered
Blacktip Reef Shark
Seen 1 month ago
at Manta Cleaning Station
Vulnerable
Grey Reef Shark
Seen 1 month ago
at Shark City
Endangered
Whitetip Reef Shark
Seen 1 month ago
at Manta Cleaning Station
Vulnerable
Green Sea Turtle
Seen 2 months ago
at Turtle Cove
Least concern
Hawksbill Sea Turtle
Seen 2 months ago
at Turtle Cove
Critically endangered
Picasso Triggerfish
Seen 3 months ago
at Turtle Cove
Least concern
Bumphead Parrotfish
Seen 4 months ago
at Manta Cleaning Station
Vulnerable
Cleaner Wrasse
Seen 4 months ago
at Manta Cleaning Station
Least concern
Bigeye Trevally
Seen 4 months ago
at Shark City
Least concern
Nudibranchs (various species)
Seen 6 months ago
at Turtle Cove
Giant Clam
Seen 7 months ago
at Manta Cleaning Station
Critically endangered
Coral Trout
Seen 10 months ago
at Shark City
Least concern
Giant Trevally
Seen 10 months ago
at Shark City
Least concern
Barracuda (Great)
Seen May 2025
at West Passage Wall
Least concern
Sea Fan (Giant)
Seen Apr 2025
at West Passage Wall
Honeycomb Grouper
Seen Apr 2025
at Turtle Cove
Least concern
Barrel Sponge
Seen year round
at Shark City
Black Coral Tree
Seen year round
at West Passage Wall
Blue-ringed Octopus
Seen year round
at Turtle Cove
Flatworms (various species)
Seen year round
at Turtle Cove
Mantis Shrimp
Seen year round
at Turtle Cove
Oceanic Manta Ray
Seen year round
at Manta Cleaning Station
Critically endangered
Ornate Ghost Pipefish
Seen year round
at Turtle Cove
Least concern
Yellowtail Butterflyfish
Seen year round
at Manta Cleaning Station
Least concern
Eagle Ray
Seasonal visitor
at Manta Cleaning Station
Endangered
Flamboyant Cuttlefish
Seasonal visitor
at Turtle Cove
Manta Ray
Seasonal visitor
at West Passage Wall
Oceanic Whitetip Shark
Seasonal visitor
at West Passage Wall
Critically endangered
Sea Turtle (Green & Hawksbill)
Seasonal visitor
at Shark City
Least concern
Sea Turtle (Green/Hawksbill)
Seasonal visitor
at Manta Cleaning Station
Least concern
Dive sites
Manta Cleaning Station
oceanic manta ray · eagle ray · whitetip reef shark · blacktip reef shark
Shark City
grey reef shark · whitetip reef shark · bumphead parrotfish · giant trevally
Turtle Cove
green sea turtle · hawksbill sea turtle · ornate ghost pipefish · flamboyant cuttlefish
West Passage Wall
grey reef shark · oceanic whitetip shark · giant trevally · barracuda (great)