For our second post in the Swain Reefs series, we take you to the Central Reefs in the mosaic.
Having had 10 days of exploration in the Southern Reefs, we were a bit starved for healthy colourful coral. We followed the advice from the Marine Parks boat and focused the next phase of our expedition on the Central Reefs which were reported as healthier. We wanted the awesome foursome of reef hopping: gentle winds, good light, lots of fish, colourful coral.
The reefs in the Central region are very close together but few provide suitable shelter for two catamarans. We were a bit choosy: we wanted a U shaped reef wrapping around a protected anchorage, with a clear seafloor, not too deep, and easy access rather than having to meander our way through a maze of bommies. Pike Reef, Isobel Bennett Reef, Baz Reef, East Cay were the spots we visited. All but Baz Reef met our criteria.
We did not manage the awesome foursome of reef hopping. The elusive healthy coral kept evading us. We found the Crown of Thorns Starfish (COTS) devastation extended far beyond the southern Swains.
But we made the most of our explorations and focused on the “little patches” of recovery rather than the ravaged seascapes. We saw COTS destruction, we saw the aftermath of bleaching, we saw storm damage, but we also saw survival, we saw recovery, we saw positive energy.
Here are six photos to remind you of how beautiful the reef can be and how much there is to protect.
These are but a small sample of the many underwater and aerial images we took, the best of which will be featured in our full cruise story.
Our third and last post in the Swain Series will focus on the northern reefs and our exit out of the Swain Reefs before a SE blow.
Sv-Anui 
Oh My to the Giant Clam. Beautiful colours!
Hi Trish, it was striking!
How wonderful the colours of the sky and sea and the life beneath are on another grey, damp Melbourne morning.
Again, a case of a picture being worth a thousand words! Remember way back reading about the Crown of Thorns damage – does one really understand until one actually sees what has happened!! Great to read some of your words. like ‘survival’ and ‘recovery’ . . . we need such in other areas of life as well !!!
Hi Eha, the reef is resilient and fights hard, but in some areas there is nothing left alive. And yes there are a few lessons in survival and recovery to draw from this.
On a differing topic I feel somewhat retrospectively ashamed – in my family-raising days we kept big tanks of tropical and salt-water fish in our home – oh, they were well looked after and appreciated for their lively colourful beauty, but seeing them enjoying total freedom in nature . . . . . what did we think . . .
Yes there are still plenty of people keeping aquariums! Nothing can prepare you for being surrounded by colourful little fish as far as the eye can see. We even got to swim in the middle of baitfish balls spiralling around us… in their thousands. Mind blowing!
Thoroughly enjoying my vicarious cruise through the Swains!
Great to hear, Chris! Thanks for the feedback.
More envy Anui! Those giant clams are amazing with their intricate patterns & vibrant colours. Like you, I’m always drawn to them. Great photo too. You are getting so high with your drone which is providing us with amazing photos of the protected reefs you are anchoring in. I’ll have to dust off the drone cobwebs! And get out to the reef!!
Hi Amanda, with drone shots you really need a mix of high and low shots for variety and so the don’t all look the same! I have switched the obstacle avoidance sensors at the reef and taken to lending the beast in the nets to minimise stress!
Agree re mixing up the heights with our drones. All the reef anchorages can look somewhat the same if we don’t mix up heights & angles. But, these photos do add so much more to our story out there.
Yes, game changer to show what it is like.
Fantastic photos and what a fantastic experience. Keep it up.
More coming Alex!
Love the clam. The shot of the COTS is amazing. They are such destructive creatures and do sooo much damage. Difficult to get rid of as well
Hi Susie – yes the COTS are a menace. It is especially hard to.control and eradicate at the Swain Reefs because they are so remote, difficult to get to and so vast. And once they settle somewhere they produce enzymes that attract more of them. We reported what looked like the start of another outbreak at East Cay.
More epicness! Mixed blessings eh, the live corals v the degraded ….
Yes as usual, high and lows, but the sights and feelings you got in this wild network of reefs were hard to beat.
Thank you for taking the trouble to write this. We are about to head out to the Swains from Middle Percy, heading southwards. It is great reading about your experiences, but what we are really interested in is your suggestions for which reefs to visit.
Hi Anthony, we have just come back from another trip to the Swain Reefs from Middle Percy on our way south. You do need to be prepared to go east first!
Here is the link to our latest post about it. https://sv-anui.com/2023/11/10/swain-reefs-foray/
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