10 coral reefs to visit in 2026

By wildgirl -

Dr Anjani Ganase, coral reef ecologist, urges everyone to visit the reefs of Tobago. Photos of Tobago reefs courtesy the Maritime Ocean Collection.

The Reef is calling. Will You answer?

 Visit ten coral reefs in 2026. This is the challenge to know your marine backyard and help drive its protection. Exploration can take different forms: swimming, snorkelling and diving. There’s also virtual exploration through Google StreetView, or via the Maritime Ocean Collection (maritimeoceancollection.com). All images are available in 360-degrees and can be uploaded to a VR headset for the immersive vibe.

 

See to save the Reef

Our coral reefs need you to visit them now more than ever! Coral reefs are important to living on islands and should be regarded as precious assets. At this time, their health is critically compromised, and we must actively support their management and protection. Having eyes on them and knowing what to look for when they are not doing so well is critical for their protection. We need to bring our reefs front and centre; and a lesson in understanding coral reefs will help us to look for signs of sickness in the form of disease or coral bleaching, invasive species (lionfish, soft coral), while we enjoy the beauty and rich marine life the reefs offer us. Let’s open our eyes to the reefs around Tobago worth protecting.

 

A threat to corals is a threat to us

Threats to the reef are many, and we need more allies to speak out against issues such as unchecked coastal development, over exploitation, pollution and littering. Over exploitation of fish species is common on reefs and it is driven by both industrial and recreational fishing. It is especially disastrous for small reef systems such as we have around Tobago. And what about coastal development? Many of Tobago’s reefs have suffered from construction of large infrastructure (hotels and other attractions) taking place on the coast. Reefs like Culloden Reef, Arnos Vale, Bopez Reef have been decimated by coastal development. How many more are we willing to lose with a major hotel approved in Kilgwyn, which will impact the mangroves and the reef, and the proposed development at Rocky Point. Active management of reefs and the surrounding coastal areas in the form of Marine Parks, and through the integrated coastal zone management policy is key to maintain reef ecological function so we can continue to benefit.

 

Explore Coral Gardens!

Take a dip this Christmas and in the New year, to see why reefs are worth saving. You’ll see that it’s not too late to protect our coral reefs. Start in south Tobago, home to the only designated marine protected area in the country at Buccoo. Although management needs to be improved, here you’ll find the most popular reef on the island – Coral Gardens.

If you get a chance to snorkel or swim among the coral heads known as the boulder star corals, there is vibrant marine life at every turn. These reefs have survived many bleaching events, despite being a shallow warmer lagoon. They are resilient but require special attention to prevent boats from anchoring too near, or from scraping over the shallow reef.

 

Coral Gardens (Maritime Ocean Collection)

Rocky Point/ Mt Irvine Reef

Here is one of the most popular diving, snorkelling, and surfing locations on the island. It is also a site that is threatened by large-scale development. Mt Irvine Reef rivals Buccoo Reef in health and biodiversity, largely because it has been protected by having limited construction on its shores.  

 

Mt Irvine (Maritime Ocean Collection)

Castara Reef

Moving along the Caribbean coast we come to a Caribbean treasure trove for little creatures, from tiny crustaceans to seahorses, juvenile turtles seeking shelter among the giant barrel sponges and the gorgonian, soft corals.

 

Castara (Maritime Ocean Collection)

Culloden Reef

In its heyday, the bay of Culloden was full of thick branching corals. A lot of this was lost to disease, coastal erosion and construction. Outside of the bay, you’ll see the most expansive spur and groove reefs on Tobago’s Caribbean coast. Culloden Reef deserves protection and rehabilitation.

 

Culloden (Maritime Ocean Collection)

Arnos Vale

Reefs in the bay of Arnos Vale have been destroyed already from development and poor management. However, outside of the bay to the east are underwater canyons that divers can swim through among schools of fish.

 

Arnos Vale (Maritime Ocean Collection)

Booby Island

Off north-east Tobago, reefs support some of the largest colonies of corals on the island not just the ancient brain corals but large mountainous star corals as well.

In Man O’ War Bay, look for the reef between Booby Island and Campbleton. You will see a reef that is home to visiting turtles, eagle rays. There’s large coral structure to remind us of what was there. Dead coral colonies blend into the background like rock but their skeletons show where large stands of elkhorn corals used to exist in the shallows. Here’s a place to look for recovery, because it is possible if herbivorous fish are protected.

 

Booby Island (Maritime Ocean Collection)

Melville Drift

Outside of Man O’ War Bay, this remote reef runs along the south face of St Giles Island. This dive is not for beginners, but it is a brain coral paradise. This reef supported many like the biggest brain coral in Speyside. However, in the 2024 bleaching, many of these majestic giants lost their lives. For those visiting this reef, the mission is to look for recovery. Many reef fish and pelagic visitors frolic on the reef and should help keep the corals clean of algae, thereby facilitating recovery. However, if the parrotfish are gone, the corals are unlikely to return.

 

Melville Drift, St Giles (Maritime Ocean Collection)

Blackjack Hole

Along the south face of Little Tobago, there’s a remote reef teeming with fish life. This unique reef is flushed by the Atlantic Ocean, and has had an interesting history of bleaching disturbance and shifting marine communities. Today, extensive marine sponges have spread across the reef competing with the corals.

 

Blackjack Hole (Maritime Ocean Collection)

Angel Reef

Off Goat Island, this is the one of the best reefs on the island. You’ll find big towering corals at least a few hundred years old to the teeniest creatures such as nudibranchs not commonly found elsewhere.

 

Angel Reef (Maritime Ocean Collection)

Swim among the mangroves

Healthy reefs are associated with healthy mangroves, but would you snorkel in the mangrove? The Bon Accord Mangrove system is fundamentally different from those found in Trinidad. In Tobago, clear waters around Bon Accord support a vital nursery with fish and marine organisms commuting from reef to mangroves. If only we could actually protect it from the pervasive pollution and coastal development up to 50 metres from the water, we can replenish this system. I’ve snorkelled protected mangroves on the Great Barrier Reef full of green turtles, nurse sharks, barracudas in clear and clean tropical water. This is my wish for Bon Accord Lagoon, with the right enforcement.

 

Bon Accord Mangroves

All our reefs have been impacted by chronic pollution, coastal development and over-exploitation. Once you can see the impact, your next action should be to demand change from the relevant government authorities, such as Tobago House of Assembly and Environmental Management Authority.

Since our independence, as a nation, we have not enacted or enforced legislation to conserve and protect the marine spaces. Endless development projects continue chipping away at the coasts degrading the healthy ocean. Let’s make 2026 a year to action marine protection and advocate for the reefs by bringing them into view and top of our mind.  Share photos with NGOs, politicians, regulators because without our protection, our coral reefs may certainly be lost within our lifetime.

 All photos courtesy the Maritime Ocean Collection (maritimeoceancollection.com).


 

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