Rock Islands

The Rock Islands Southern Lagoon is a group of limestone islands and associated reefs in Palau, noted for its dense clusters of vegetated islets and clear coastal waters. The group forms a large, scenic lagoon system and is recognized for its ecological and geological values.

Visitors typically come for boat tours, snorkeling and scuba diving in the reefs and lagoons, and for sheltered white-sand beaches found on many of the islets. The area includes marine lakes, sea caves and fringing coral reefs that support high biodiversity and popular dive sites.

The islands are uplifted fossil coral and limestone formed over geological time and modified by erosion to produce rounded, vegetation-covered islets. The Rock Islands Southern Lagoon was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for its combined natural and cultural values.

Geographically the Rock Islands lie in western Palau between the main islands of Babeldaob and Koror, forming the southern lagoon off the populated island groups. Access is normally by boat from Koror and other nearby islands.

• Scale: The protected area comprises several hundred limestone islands and islets - often cited as about 445 - forming a distinctive pale-green coastline and lagoon mosaic.
• Activities: Boat tours, snorkeling and diving are the primary visitor activities, with many dive sites and sheltered bays accessed from Koror and nearby islands.

What to See #

• Jellyfish Lake: A small marine lake on Eil Malk island famous for dense populations of golden jellyfish that can be snorkelled with; the lake is part of the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon system.
• Southern Lagoon: A shallow lagoon and island group of limestone karst formations and fringing reefs that includes hundreds of vegetated islets, beaches and sheltered bays used for boating and snorkeling.