The Mystery of the Healthy Coral Reef

Local Honduran fishers mostly avoid fishing in Tela Bay on the country’s Caribbean coastline. Nonetheless, they have a name for the shapes and forms on the seafloor that waft in and out of view with the shifting glint of the sun. They call them “rocas” or rocks.

Just over a decade ago, Antal and Alejandra Börcsök, newly-trained divers, heard about the rocas and, curiosity piqued, donned their scuba gear to explore. On the seafloor, rather than inorganic geologic forms, Antal and Alejandra discovered rocks that were very much alive. Everywhere they looked they saw growing, thriving coral.

The Börcsöks knew that Caribbean coral were plagued by disease, bleaching, and death. Yet as novice divers, they hadn’t seen enough to judge Tela’s coral. So, they invited friends who were active in coral monitoring to have a look.

Diseases that have ravaged other Caribbean reefs are apparently absent from Tela Bay.

Back on the surface, Antal recounts how their friends gushed, “That is the greatest reef we’ve ever visited! Is there more like that?” Now, having dived throughout more of Tela Bay than anyone, Antal can say that