Rock Islands Pictures, Images and Stock Photos

Palau- October 6, 2015: Palau is a beautiful island in the Philippine Sea, Northern Pacific Ocean. It is well-known for its race scenery, the Rock Islands. When you take the airplane over the Islands, you can see stunning view of reefs, jungles, beaches, lagoons and turquoise color sea waters, no words can describe the beauty of the "Garden on the Ocean".

Female scuba diver encounter with a Manta Ray in German Channel. The Republic of Palau and their islands are a unique destination for dive lovers with pristine reefs and abundant marine underwater life.

Kayak adventure in the Rock Islands, Palau, Oceania. UNESCO World Heritage Site

Limestone rocky tropical islands of the Palau

Beach with palm trees in the Rock Islands, Palau, Oceania. UNESCO World Heritage Site

Jellyfish Lake or Ongeim'l Tketau as it is called in Palauan, is one of approximately 70 marine lakes scattered throughout the stunning limestone Rock Islands of the southern portion of the main Palau archipelago.

Palau- October 6, 2015: Palau is a beautiful island in the Philippine Sea, Northern Pacific Ocean. It is well-known for its race scenery, the Rock Islands. When you take the airplane over the Islands, you can see stunning view of reefs, jungles, beaches, lagoons and turquoise color sea waters, no words can describe the beauty of the "Garden on the Ocean".

underwater photography

Image with a female diver, a boat and the navy floatplane, an Aichi E13A1-1 or Jake type reconnaissance seaplane. It's one of the most intact wrecks in Micronesia, resting at 45 feet (15m) in Koror, Palau - Micronesia

The Republic of Palau and their islands are a unique destination for dive lovers with pristine reefs and abundant marine underwater life.

An aerial view of Palau's famous Seventy Islands Nature Reserve.

Kayak adventure in the Rock Islands, Palau, Oceania. UNESCO World Heritage Site

A snorkeler floats above a submerged sink hole on Palau's barrier reef. This popular dive site is known as Virgin Blue Hole.

Image of the Pacific ocean and the sunbeam

Woman swimming at the Jellyfish Lake or Ongeim'l Tketau as it is called in Palauan, is one of approximately 70 marine lakes scattered throughout the stunning limestone Rock Islands of the southern portion of the main Palau archipelago.

Sailboat in Rock Islands with multi colored bright blue water and tropical islands.

Manta ray in shallow waters eating small a "brunch" of fishes. These big mantas have a tactic to push the schools of fishes toward the surface, when they are eaten in a frenzy feeding action. They are filter feeders and eat large quantities of zooplankton, which they swallow with their open mouths as they swim.

Split photo of endemic golden jellyfish in lake at the Republic of Palau. Snorkeling in Jellyfish Lake is a popular activity for tourists to Palau.

Areal view of coral reef in turquoise waters meeting the Rocks Islands of Palau.

Female diver behind a big sea fan by the dive spot called Big Drop-Off (Ngemelis Wall). The drop-off starts in extremely shallow water and falls to depths greater than 900ft. Palau has incredible dives to offer including the drop off's where the dives come along walls covered with stunning corals.

An aerial view of Palau's Rock Islands.

Split photo of endemic golden jellyfish in lake at the Republic of Palau. Snorkeling in Jellyfish Lake is a popular activity for tourists to Palau.

View of the pier by the entrance leading to the Jellyfish Lake (Palauan: Ongeim'l Tketau, "Fifth Lake") is a marine lake located on Eil Malk island in Palau. Eil Malk is part of the Rock Islands, a group of small, rocky, mostly uninhabited islands in Palau's Southern Lagoon, between Koror and Peleliu. There are about 70 other marine lakes located throughout the Rock Islands. Millions of golden jellyfish migrate horizontally across the lake daily.

Jake - Aichi E13A1-1 Navy Floatplane. Beautiful scenario of a II WW Japanese seaplane sunken in Palau - Micronesia. The Jake, name given by the allies, could be found in many lagoons where the land mass did not support an airfield, but they also operated from cruisers and battleships. The Jake is located Northwest of Palau Pacific Resort, 500 yards west of Meyuns sea ramp

Manta ray feeding in the famous dive spot German Channel.

Manta ray in shallow waters eating small a "brunch" of fishes. These big mantas have a tactic to push the schools of fishes toward the surface, when they are eaten in a frenzy feeding action

There are about 70 marine lakes located throughout the Rock Islands, but the Jellyfish Lake is the famous one. Millions of golden jellyfish migrate horizontally across the lake daily. Jellyfish Lake is connected to the ocean through fissures and tunnels in the limestone of an ancient Miocene reef. However the lake is sufficiently isolated and the conditions are different enough that the diversity of species in the lake is greatly reduced from the nearby lagoon. The Golden Jellyfish, Mastigias cf. papua etpisoni in this lake has evolved to be substantially different from the close relatives Mastigias papua living in the nearby lagoons, they lost lost most or all of the blue pigmentation, they have a reduction in the number, length and thickness of the terminal clubs , and they are non-stinging, so swimming in that lake is truly magical! Populations of older marine lakes often have medusae with no terminal clubs and when present, the terminal clubs are only about 0.17 of the bell diameter in length. Palau, 7°9'39.06" N 134°22'30.68" E at 0.5m depth

Female scuba diver encounter with two Manta Rays in German Channel. The Republic of Palau and their islands are a unique destination for dive lovers with pristine reefs and abundant marine underwater life.

This navy floatplane, an Aichi E13A1-1 or Jake type reconnaissance seaplane is one of the most intact wrecks in Micronesia, resting at 45 feet (15m). Beautiful scenario of a II WW Japanese seaplane sunken and a female scuba diver in Palau - Micronesia. The Jake could be found in many lagoons where the land mass did not support an airfield, but they also operated from cruisers and battleships. Two of the planes can be seen (in Palau) in very shallow waters in a cave of Babelthuap.

Diver in the safety of reef hooks, enjoying the shark's view in the famous Blue Corner. The strong currents in Blue Corner can change with no advise, for that, and in order to stay at the edge of the wall, where most of the activity happens, divers use what local people call the reef hook. Attached to the rocks the divers can enjoy the view without expending energy. The Republic of Palau and their islands are a unique destination for dive lovers with pristine reefs and abundant marine underwater life.

Stunning sunset at the Rock Islands of Palau, also called Chelbacheb, are a small collection of limestone or coral uprises, ancient relics of coral reefs that violently surfaced to form Islands in Palau's Southern Lagoon, between Koror and Peleliu, and are now an incorporated part of Koror State. There are between 250 to 300 islands in the group according to different sources, with an aggregate area of 47 square kilometers (18 sq mi) and a height up to 207 metres (679 ft). They are a World Heritage Site since 2012.

Rainforest trees in the Rock Islands, Palau, Oceania. UNESCO World Heritage Site

Sea turtle swimming among the rich coral reefs of Palau

A snorkeler explores a shallow, healthy coral reef growing in Raja Ampat. This tropical region is known as the heart of the Coral Triangle due to its marine biodiversity.

A Lake in Palau

A School of Jellyfish in Jellyfish lake in Palau

Palau and their islands are a unique destination for dive lovers with pristine reefs and abundant marine life underwater

Underwater photo of endemic golden jellyfish in lake at Palau. Snorkeling in Jellyfish Lake is a popular activity for tourists to Palau.

Female scuba diver swimming among a big school of barracudas. The Republic of Palau and their islands are a unique destination for dive lovers with pristine reefs and abundant marine underwater life.

Female scuba diver swimming among a big school of jack fishes. The Republic of Palau and their islands are a unique destination for dive lovers with pristine reefs and abundant marine underwater life

Female diver in Palau, with the iconic Rock island Arch in the background

Manta ray in shallow waters eating small a "brunch" of fishes. These big mantas have a tactic to push the schools of fishes toward the surface, when they are eaten in a frenzy feeding action. They are filter feeders and eat large quantities of zooplankton, which they swallow with their open mouths as they swim.

Guide leads a kayak tour in the Rock Islands, Palau, Oceania on a sunny day. The Rock Islands form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

underwater photography

Kobba Klintar, an old pilot station in Aland Island archipelago in summer.

There are about 70 marine lakes located throughout the Rock Islands, but the Jellyfish Lake is the famous one. Millions of golden jellyfishes migrate horizontally across the lake daily. Jellyfish Lake is connected to the ocean through fissures and tunnels in the limestone of an ancient Miocene reef. However the lake is sufficiently isolated and the conditions are different enough that the diversity of species in the lake is greatly reduced from the nearby lagoon. The Golden Jellyfish, Mastigias cf. papua etpisoni in this lake has evolved to be substantially different from the close relatives Mastigias papua living in the nearby lagoons, they lost lost most or all of the blue pigmentation, they have a reduction in the number, length and thickness of the terminal clubs, and they are non-stinging, so swimming in that lake is truly magical! Populations of older marine lakes often have medusae with no terminal clubs and when present, the terminal clubs are only about 0.17 of the bell diameter in length. Palau, 7°9'38.833" N 134°22'30.915" E at 0.5m depth

A female diver exploring the wreck Teshio Maru a Japanese Army Cargo Ship with 321 feet (98) on it's length, and was built in 1942-1944. The Teshio is one of the fishiest wrecks in Palau