Corals and fish pulsed around us as black and brown blobs inched along the bottom.
Suddenly, one of them heaved itself upward toward me, a sea cucumber rising to stare us down.
It was just the latest unexpected delight on my visit to the pristine seas of Palau.
Four Seasons Explorer sails the islands of Palau.Credit:Courtesy of Four Seasons
For example, theres no fixed departure; guests can check in and out on any day.
(During my five days aboard, several couples cycled through.)
But theres also plenty of cruising.
Guests gearing up to dive.Courtesy of Four Seasons
Every day, we had a choice of following either the Diver or Explorer program.
While the daily itineraries were packed, they were also flexible, with plenty of room for modification.
In the evenings, we all got back together for meals in the ships main dining room.
As a vegetarian, I was never overlooked and had plenty of excellent options.
At the same time, niche operators are going even smaller while still going big on excitement.
Learning in Ecuador
After an extensive refurb, the six-cabinGalapagos ExplorerfromandBeyondhas been brought up to five-star standards.
