Have you seen the documentary Chasing Coral? It's streaming on Netflix right now. (At the risk of sounding like a Netflix commercial, even if you don't have Netflix, you can get a one-month free trial. If you have any love for the ocean, it's worth it just to watch this video.)
The video follows a mixed group of folks who set out document the coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef. It is a beautiful, amazing, enlightening, heartbreaking film. I won't say any more about the film, other than to say - watch it!
We've watched it three times since it was released on July 14. It made me curious and concerned about some of the coral stands near us.
I've written before about the elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata). Once ubiquitous throughout the Caribbean, since 1980 90% to 95% of the elkhorn is dead. The causes are all the usual suspects: rising sea temperatures, human activity (over-fishing, farm runoff, wreckless divers and snorkelers), disease.
For some reason there is a huge healthy stand of elkhorn in the Marine Reserve along the coast of Rincon. Granted, the protected status of the Marine Reserve has a lot to do with it. But that doesn't completely explain it. The Marine Reserve can't protect against higher ocean temperatures for example.
I haven't snorkeled at Steps Beach in Rincon since 2015. After watching Chasing Coral, I wanted to see how it looked. On Thursday I had the privilege of snorkeling there with three amazing ladies. For two of them this was their first time at Steps.
We were very pleased and a little surprised to find the elkhorn healthy and thriving and beautiful.
So there were two best moments in that trip to Rincon: finding the coral healthy and sharing it with good friends.
You can see more photos of the elkhorn in a new Flickr album.
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