Flare Point

A dramatic corner of the Holmes Reef atoll where the outer wall curves sharply and an upwelling effect concentrates nutrients along the reef face. The combination of nutrient-rich water and zero fishing pressure has produced a coral community of staggering vitality. Lettuce corals, brain corals, and massive Porites heads over a metre in diameter cover every surface. Smaller creatures thrive in the complexity — Spanish dancers, ornate ghost pipefish, and mantis shrimp in the rubble — while turtles feed on the abundant soft coral growth at mid-depth.