New corals are born every September in the Cayman Islands and you can get a front-row seat with Ocean Frontiers.
The timing of synchronized coral spawning is connected to water temperature and to the lunar cycle, though the exact triggers are unknown. Over the last 18 years Ocean Frontiers and their coral whispers have put divers in the right place at the right time to experience this wonder of the underwater world.
Corals sexually reproduce by releasing gametes into the water column which are then scattered by the current. Some eggs will be eaten by fish, some will wash ashore and die, but a small few will be successfully fertilized, develop into coral larvae and settle on a suitable surface, at a depth with the right amount of light and begin the slow process of growing into coral.
A small fraction of the fertilized coral eggs will land in environments that it can bind to, either rock, existing reef structure or metal, for example, a shipwreck. If the conditions are right, it then starts to grow and within a few years, a microscopic egg can grow into a golf-ball-sized piece of coral. The large heads of brain coral and star coral that form some of the most spectacular structures on a reef can take hundreds of years to grow to what you see today.
You can never be completely certain when chasing corals, finding that twenty-minute window out of a whole year is part of the thrill and the reward when the corals finally perform.
Coral Spawning Dive Event details:-
Prepare to be in the right place at the right time for this underwater wonder of the world.
Join the coral whisperers of Ocean Frontiers to witness the annual coral spawning event. Without a doubt, this is THE night dive of the year, not to be missed.
Book now, only the last few spots remaining.
Call 345-947-0000 or
email- reservations@oceanfrontiers.com