Where to see coral reefs?

I want to make a trip to the Caribbean and see the coral reefs. But
I've heard/read that a large portion of the coral in the Caribbean has
died. Does anyone have any up-to-date info about where live coral
reefs can still be observed? I've search online but I just keep
getting articles about the coral dying, none about where there is still
some alive. I'm interesting in knowing which islands and which areas
around the island to dive/snorkel.

Thanks!

starscapes@********** wrote:
> I want to make a trip to the Caribbean and see the coral reefs. But
> I've heard/read that a large portion of the coral in the Caribbean has
> died. Does anyone have any up-to-date info about where live coral
> reefs can still be observed? I've search online but I just keep
> getting articles about the coral dying, none about where there is still
> some alive. I'm interesting in knowing which islands and which areas
> around the island to dive/snorkel.
>
> Thanks!
>


Bonaire is a great place to snorkel; you need a car

Thanks for the great ideas everyone!


starscapes@********** wrote:
> I want to make a trip to the Caribbean and see the coral reefs. But
> I've heard/read that a large portion of the coral in the Caribbean has
> died. Does anyone have any up-to-date info about where live coral
> reefs can still be observed? I've search online but I just keep
> getting articles about the coral dying, none about where there is still
> some alive. I'm interesting in knowing which islands and which areas
> around the island to dive/snorkel.
>
> Thanks!

Apparently starscapes@********** wrote:

>I want to make a trip to the Caribbean and see the coral reefs. But
>I've heard/read that a large portion of the coral in the Caribbean has
>died. Does anyone have any up-to-date info about where live coral
>reefs can still be observed? I've search online but I just keep
>getting articles about the coral dying, none about where there is still
>some alive. I'm interesting in knowing which islands and which areas
>around the island to dive/snorkel.

Best coral I've seen was in Cuba (on undeveloped parts off the south
coast, diving with a guy out of the back of his rusty old VW beetle).
There is some very amazing scenery there.

Curacao was also excellent; I hear Bonaire was even better, so that
would be tops too.

Other places have some quite unique features, like Dominica's diving
around the volcanic thermal gas/water ("Champagne") and St Eustatius's
marine park with very large examples of regular reef fish and lots
of gorgonians and soft corals.

Coral dies primarily for two reasons: global/ocean warming, and the
physical impact of human presence (ships, pollution, divers).
The second has wiped out a lot of Mexico's east coast gems, and
in the case of the first, perhaps coral will start to move north
more if better marine parks can be formed and enforced. As it is,
most islands have some particular things of interest.

Generally, the islands around Venezuala are pretty impressive, and
I've heard good things about Belize but never been there. Cuba is
great, but you'd have to go off the beaten track and would probably
need Spanish.


--
Ken Tough

starscapes@********** wrote:
> I want to make a trip to the Caribbean and see the coral reefs. But
> I've heard/read that a large portion of the coral in the Caribbean has
> died.

There has been an IMO significant decline in coral reef health in the
Caribbean. Its not been a recent thing, either: much of it probably
goes back to the 1983 blight that wiped out 95% of the black
long-spined sea urchins. Because coral and algae are in a constant
battle for "reef real estate", these algae eaters help to shift the
balance to favor coral over algae, and their loss has meant that the
algae has been winning for the past 20 years.


> Does anyone have any up-to-date info about where live coral
> reefs can still be observed? I've search online but I just keep
> getting articles about the coral dying, none about where there is still
> some alive.

You need to realize that in most areas, it is still there: its merely
that it is now "X Percent" of the reef, with the rest of the reef
either being coral lost from bleaching or areas that have been overrun
and taken over by algae. Because of the accumulation of factors
(including the urchin blight), the Caribbean reefs typically are not
proverbially "90%" of what's down there (if it ever was). This
doesn't mean that you'll not find a nice healthy brain coral or other
similar specimen, but rather that you're not going to typically find
large, "perfect" intact fields like you see in photographs from the
Pacific.


> I'm interesting in knowing which islands and which areas
> around the island to dive/snorkel.

As a general rule of thumb, you want an island with minimal agriculture
and minimal surface water runoff, because these factors reduces the
amount of fertilizer nitrates transported into the local seawater that
would promote algae growth. Having deepwater close nearby is also
generally a good thing, since littoral waters tend to also be warmer,
and "hold in" any nitrates, rather than for it to be flushed away with
a more open ocean pelagic flow. You'll notice that these factors are
also the ones generally also associated with destinations with superior
water clarity (viz).

As far as which island(s) specifically, you'll really need to decide if
you're snorkeling or scuba diving, as the operational depths are
meaningfully different.


-hh

recscuba_google@huntzinger.com wrote:
> starscapes@********** wrote:
> > I want to make a trip to the Caribbean and see the coral reefs. But
> > I've heard/read that a large portion of the coral in the Caribbean has
> > died.
>
> As a general rule of thumb, you want an island with minimal agriculture
> and minimal surface water runoff, because these factors reduces the
> amount of fertilizer nitrates transported into the local seawater that
> would promote algae growth. Having deepwater close nearby is also
> generally a good thing, since littoral waters tend to also be warmer,
> and "hold in" any nitrates, rather than for it to be flushed away with
> a more open ocean pelagic flow. You'll notice that these factors are
> also the ones generally also associated with destinations with superior
> water clarity (viz).
>
> As far as which island(s) specifically, you'll really need to decide if
> you're snorkeling or scuba diving, as the operational depths are
> meaningfully different.
>
>
Maybe not the Carib proper, but Turks and Caicos is a dry Isle, minimal
runoff from the light rains and great reefs for both snorkle and scuba
(and lots of lobster to eat)

Give it a try, but don't wait too long, Provo is getting "ugly"
developed.