Ngedbus Coral Garden
Location: South of Turtle Cove and West of Carp Island.
Distance from Koror: 28 miles (45 kilometers) southwest of Koror, 50 minutes by speedboat from most dive shops in Koror.
Visibility: 40 to 80 feet (13 to 27 m) depending on the tides.
Level of Diving Experience: Novice.
Diving Depth Summary: Top of the reef to bottom of slope: 2 to 70 feet (0.5 to 23 meters). Slope to bottom: 70 to 120 feet (23 to 40 m).
Currents: Moderate to none.
General Information: Ngedbus Coral Garden is a beautiful coral garden. Many deep canyons and crevices, both horizontal and vertical, cut through this slope and offer residence to a large variety of marine life. There is usually no current here. Visibility is best during incoming tide. The area also offers good snorkeling. Dive boats often use this area for a lunch break.
Reef Formation: The reef formation starts at Turtle Cove's Blue Hole and runs southwest to Ngedbus Corner. The coral garden starts in just a few feet of water; during extreme low tides, the top of the reef will be exposed. A gentle coral slope drops from the top of the reef down to 70 feet (23 m) before it changes to a run-off of broken corals and sand.
Marine life: Just about every variety of tropical fish can be found here. Three creatures are often seen here are the well-camouflaged Crocodile fish, stingrays and Cuttlefish. Other rare and weird critters found here and documented, include Blue Ribbon Eels, Snake Eels, Crocodile Eels and a rare Scorpion fish (Rhinopius aphanes). Schools of Black Tip Reef Shark usually greet the approaching dive boats. No fear, these sharks are very shy.
Diving: This is an easy dive for beginners and is often used by dive shops as a good place for a checkout dive. Start thedive from the shallow area and go down the slope to approximately 75 feet (25 m) where very large coral heads dominate the bottom. These large coral heads give shelter to many Lionfish of all sizes and color. Follow the slope to the southwest, rise up to and keep a depth of 30 to 45 feet (10 to 15 m). The area is large and there are many canyons and cuts in the reef to explore. The patient and observant diver will find many surprises
Fascinating Facts: Matthew's Place (Ngedbus Coral Garden) is named for one of Palau's pioneer dive guides, Matthew Elebelau. Most likely you have Matthew's signature in your passport. Matthew is an immigration officer at the Koror International Airport.