Post storm Reef conditions

[kidspot]

After a 16 day weather induced vacation, from my part time job aboard the glassbottom boat "Reefdancer", I finally got back to work. I normally dive this same area 8-12 times each week and have gotten to know it quite well over the past year so I was very surprised and saddened to see how much damage the last storm caused to the coral . Entire Cauliflower coral heads had been broken off and were strewn across the bottom (I came across 100+ yesterday) and there were large patches of finger coral that looked freshly crushed by the wave action. What surprised me most was seeing the small heads of lobe coral that had broken off - these are the young colonies that are less than 12" high.

While to a lesser extent we saw a lot of storm damage in Molokini crater on Friday as well.

What kind of effects have you noticed on your recent dives?

Aloha, Tim

 

[DiveMaven]

It's always so sad when storms come through and damage the coral.....but it's even sadder when idiot divers lay on or kick the coral to destroy it. At least the storm damage is part of nature.

 

[Shaka Doug]

We had a lot of damage on the south shore Tim. The more northern parts got it worse than down in Makena. I still see lots of black water up near the old Suda store. That's going to take months to clear I'll bet. No real currents to sweep it out and then you have the outer barrier reef there too. It's really sad. Most of the real dark silt is from all of the construction runoff in the area.

Out at Ulua there are complete trees on the reef. I was able to move a couple of them out to the sand (it's amazing how light a tree can be when it's under water!! My guests said I looked like a helicopter moving those trees around! LOL!) There's also a lot of silt in between the corals. I was very saddened to see one coral in particular. I know you know which one I'm talking about. It was right at the beginning of second reef, on the edge. It was the mid sized antler coral with the small colony of white spotted damsels. We used to regularly see a pair of harlequinn shrimps in it about a couple of years or so ago. Well, it was a major landmark on the reef, especially helpful in low vis or night time conditions. It had been going through a bleaching or dieing phase for over a year now. I've been documenting the spread of the diseased section and have taken pictures of that coral from the same spot every time I dive there. I don't know for sure but I'll bet I have at least 75 to 100 photos of it and they are all dated. I was so bummed out when I dove there last Wednesday to see that it has been smashed into little pieces. The fish were still hanging around but looked lost and confused. I did my best to gather up the biggest living pieces and try to reassemble it in a crevice but who knows what will result from that. I think the living sections will all die quickly now but at least it's a temporary shelter for the crabs and fish that made that coral head their home.

Makena Landing shows some signs of the heavy surf but the diving was surprisingly nice there the last couple of days. There were small schools of fish that I don't typically see there...like a group of about 30 small yellow tangs, small schools of ulua's and a big bunch of large red goatfish. I personally lost 11 days of diving from the storm. Ouch!! My drying gills!!

 

[ScubaSeanMaui]

We saw at least a few large Antler Corals toppled going from Reef's end over to En'e Nu'i. Molokini is so tightly packed with coral I'm sure it's going to be occupied soon. I wonder how long the coral can live when it's been toppled. One Antler coral has had some limbs broken off down at the end of the finger at 5 Graves but they are still looking alive...I think they were broken off deliberately to get at the critters inside... pretty sad!! Tim and I plan to dive Ulua Beach tonight... I hope it's good!

Sean

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

I was very saddened to see one coral in particular. I know you know which one I'm talking about. It was right at the beginning of second reef, on the edge. .

Oh I know that coral well. I doubt I've ever gone by it without snapping a couple of pics. It's been a year since we've dove Ulua but on our last trip we did see quite a lot of bleaching occurring, so we knew it's time was limited.

Sad it hear it came to an end so soon. Like losing an old friend.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

The first really nice antler colony going north from Wailea Beach looks like someone hit it a few times with a hammer. The sand has been moved around exposing lots of bare rock and old dead coral, definately not as pretty as before the storm. Wailea Point seems to be mostly unscathed from my limited experience.

Sorry to hear about the Ulua coral head, it will be missed. Speaking of divers laying on or kicking the coral, pitty the coral near a tasty oyster (from today's dive).

Always make sure you have one shot before moving in

If I were a tiger shark I'd have a tasty ray for happy hour

Lucky for the Ray it's a tasty oyster happy hour​

 

[fishtal]

Here is a link to some of the devastation a friend has run into on his reefs in Cebu... unfortunatley it wasn't natural causes... A huge regret

 

[ScubaSeanMaui]

Just got back from Ulua... Some really long branches/trees in some spots... the vis was nice, mild surge with very small 1 footer waves... quite a nice dive with Tim!

Sean