Dive Palau - Ngerchong Coral Garden Outside

THE TRIDACNA CLAM
Like the majority of bivalve mollusks, Tridacna gigas can filter particulate food, including microscopic marine plants (phytoplankton) and animals (zooplankton), from seawater using its ctenidia ("gills"). However, it obtains most of its nutrition from photosymbionts living within its tissues. These are unicellular algae (often called zooxanthellae) that are farmed by the mollusk host.

MODERATE LEVEL :: DRIFT DIVE (SLOPING DROPOFF)
Clownfish Like Inside Coral Garden, this dive is also in the Pacific Ocean on the more protected east side of Palau - but that's where the similarity ends. This reef has considerably more action, begining at 30 feet (10m) and sloping down to over 1,000 feet (300m). The water is usually very clear with, lots of gray reef sharks and schools of fusiliers. Diving here is usually reserved for times when storms in the area prohibit diving on the western side of the islands, and as such, a dive here is a special treat for all - even in bad weather, there's always some well protected spot in Palau to dive.

Outside Coral Garden is one of the better sites in Palau for giant tridacna clams, which can reach 1.5 meters in length and live for 150 years or more. There is one very large sea fan in 70 feet (21m) of water and numerous other, smaller fans, sea whips and groups of soft coral. Other animals found here include the Harlequin sweetlip, bumphead parrot fish, lion fish and schooling jacks.


« BACK					FORWARD »

another graficom design