Corals

Slow down and look for distinctive texture, symmetry and color rather than a familiar fish-like silhouette.

Its movements may be subtle, but feeding, filtering and defensive responses are constantly reshaping the reef at close range.

Specialized tissues, stinging cells, regeneration or chemical defenses solve survival without speed or heavy armor.

Perfect your buoyancy and observe from above without touching the animal or the surface supporting it.

They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps.

Look closely on reef walls, coral heads, sand, seagrass, jetties and shaded overhangs.