The Macro Side Of Palau

Nigel Marsh · Issue 148, Jan/Feb 2026 · pp. 51–55

Products mentioned: Nikon D500, Nikkor 60mm lens, Tokina 10-17mm lens, Isotta Housing, Inon Z330 strobe, 18-300mm lens

Palau is one of the most outstanding all round dive destinations in the world. The island nation has wonderful reefs, amazing ocean caves, healthy shark numbers, impressive schools of pelagic fishes and an incredible collection of World War II wrecks to explore. It is a brilliant location for wide-angle photography; but is it equally great for those that love macro photography? The Republic of Palau is a small island nation in Micronesia, located north of Papua New Guinea and east of the Philippines. It is the fourth smallest country in the world, made up of 340 islands and home to some of the richest coral reefs on the planet. I first visited Palau in 1990 and was stunned by the beauty of the place, above and below the water line. On that trip, with my trusty old Nikonos V and 15mm lens, I concentrated on the endless wide-angle opportunities, and I only swapped to the macro lens on a ha…