Coral Spawning

Alex Tyrrel · Issue 72, May/Jun 2013 · pp. 51–54

Products mentioned: Nikon D7000, Subal ND7000, Tokina 10-17mm, Zen mini Dome, Sea & Sea YS-250 Pro, Sola 600 Photo focus light, Canon S100, FIX housing, Inon Z240, Nightsea Fluorescent filters, Canon G11

As we approached the large Brain Coral, I checked the time on my dive computer. It had just turned 7pm. I looked up as I heard muffled shouting coming through my buddy, Shin’s, regulator, accompanied by wild arm movements! Looking closer in the direction he was gesturing, I could see small pink spheres slowly starting to emerge from the coral, floating gently up into the water column and then gradually disappearing into the watery darkness. A small school of Yellow-Backed Fusiliers (Caesio xanthonota) passed over the coral head, feeding on the erupting eggs, while Shin ascended to get the word out to the other divers that it was finally happening. I had seen this amazing event on documentaries and earlier that day had even been looking at Alex Mustard’s great backlit-photo from Grand Cayman for inspiration. But now I was seeing it with my own eyes – Coral Spawning. I had to act quickly, …