Kuwait: Near shore reefs

Hooking up to the well-sited  reef-protection buoy of the Kuwait Diving Team at 'His Highness Jabar Conservatory'.

June 2nd 2014 South Kuwait

We are continuing our dives in the south of Kuwait, this time targeting near shore smaller reefs near Ras Zour. We visited two today with Alpha Divers. First, one  that is really very close to shore and is totally trashed by anchor damage; and is over-run by sea urchins. This was a shallow dive, max 6.7 m. and averaged at 4.4 m. But it is no lost cause - it was rich in fish species and had a variety corals, turnicates (bright green and red) and many other life forms. 

The second site was a pleasant surprise: megalithic-like domes of Poritis compressa in very shallow waters (4 to two meters depth at high tide). It treated us to some amazing 'brain corals' Platygyra daedalea also. Amongst them was a nudibranch that had marks just like the meandroid patterns of this coral. Also, I realized that a lot of the 'black-spot snappers' are actually Russel's Snappers today. The Shrimp Gobies are Luther's, but other species are also present. Each reef seems to have its own composition and community of corals and coral fishes. So much to learn...

Next to a remarkable 'brain coral' in really bleak high-turbidity conditions at the Porites-dominated reef (Photo: Aris Vidalis)