Bumphead Parrotfish

Photo: Mark Rosenstein · CC BY-NC

Schools of bumphead parrotfish visit Santa Carolina's southern point on incoming tides, their forehead impacts against coral producing an audible crack as they bite off chunks of carbonate substrate to extract the algae and coral polyps within — each individual generating hundreds of kilograms of white sand per year that forms the island's beaches. They are among the most ecologically important yet globally threatened coral reef fish, having been eliminated by spearfishing from most accessible Indo-Pacific reefs, and their survival at Bazaruto reflects the archipelago's genuine protection from fishing. Dawn dives at the southern point offer the best chance of encountering schools before they disperse to deeper reef areas.