After a great morning of searching a fossilized coral reef near Cockburn Town, we hopped in the van after some lunch and drove south 20 minutes from the research center to Snapshot Reef. Upon arriving, I could see a bunch of dead coral on the shoreline, specifically brain coral which is my favorite, and also a few conch shells laying around. I then looked out and could see in the water the coral reef that we were going to be swimming towards. Shortly after we hopped in the water and started swimming towards the reef, I immediately started seeing fish everywhere. At the reef, we could see parrotfish, which are bright blue and green and a pretty good size, probably around a foot long. On top of that, we saw some giant schools of Blue Chromis. Most of these fish were about 8 inches long, and around 50 fish were in the school swimming together. The reef itself was also flourishing with life beyond the fish. Lots of healthy coral, including brain coral and star coral, and purple soft corals, and sponges peeking out from the rocks. We then swam back to shore after a fight with the current, and enjoyed the sun before we headed back. It was a very good afternoon for everyone.
-Contributed by Bryce
Photo credit: Bryce
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