Can anyone give me an update on reef damage after Lenny. We were there 2 weeks after Lenny and the reefs down to about 60 feet were destroyed. The wall was full of sand and the Hilma Hooker looked like a white ghost with a tunnel hollowed out below the wreck.I am sure that the sand has gone but how is the reef, especially infront of Sand Dollar and Buddy dive?

We were there last October (2 years post-Lenny) and the October before (1 year post-Lenny). The corals in the shallows are growing quickly. I saw staghorn coral that'd grown a substantial amount in the intervening year, at the same dive sites.

Witch's Hut, for example, shows great staghorn growth, as well as elkhorn growth.

The initial coating of sand you describe on the reefs and on the Hilma Hooker are not in evidence. The reefs appeared quite healthy all around.

What's even better is the fish life. With lots of stuff churned up, there's more for the corals and fish to eat, and this really shows. There's more fish and bigger schools than we'd seen prior to Lenny. Visibility as of last October still seemed to average lower than before Lenny, due to this excess of stuff in the water.

Dan

Dan,

Is the 'stuff in the water' plankton, also a result of 'lots of (nutrient) stuff churned up', that is feeding the fish and corals?

Dan,

About what is the visibility?

Ida