Aussies To Promote "Bleached Coral" Dives?

Posted Feb 8th 2006 1:50PM by Willy Volk
Filed under: Dive Sites, Flora & Fauna, Pacific

A diver
inspects bleached coral I recently mentioned that the GBR might be facing the worst bout of coral bleaching in its history. Interestingly, Australia’s tour operators are hoping to turn bleached coral heads into lemonade. Er…well, you get my meaning. According to the Mercury News, Queensland’s tourism officials are trying to figure out how to sell divers trips to see bleached coral wastelands. Banking on the unusual-ness of the attraction, the dive operators are hoping to keep the divers coming, despite threats that up to 60% of the reef – equivalent to roughly 70 million football fields! – could turn white from warming waters. To me, it sounds like an intriguing idea. After all, while I've seen bleached coral, I've never dived on a reef that's described as a "glowing white aura." At the very least, it’s less hare-brained than erecting giant tarps to protect the reefs. What do you think? Is it worth the boat ride?

[Via Underwater Times]

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Aussies To Promote "Bleached Coral" Dives?

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