Manta Ray Bay Resort & Yap Divers
- Nitrox
- Internet
- PADI
- Swimming pool
- Camera Station
- Airport Transfer
- Child Friendly
- Spa/Massage
- Bar
Built by divers, for divers. The Manta Ray Bay Resort was designed for hospitality luxury and dive convenience and is the only dedicated dive facility on the island. Each of the 35 individually themed rooms are just a few steps from the dive shop, boat dock and the operation’s unique restaurant & bar. Standard double-occupancy and ocean view rooms are available as well as deluxe ocean view suites with private plunge pools or a rooftop jacuzzi. All rooms are equipped with air conditioning and a ceiling fan, DVD player, an International Direct Dialing phone, in-room internet connection, optional refrigerator, and a large private bathroom with built-in hair dryer. Five-star service meets island traditions at the Taro Leaf in-house spa and shopping boutique.
Accommodation
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1 Deluxe Ocean View
price per day: 194 USDThese rooms feature stunning ocean-views, king-sized beds, private patios and unique interior features. Some of these rooms have private plunge pools, or fantastic stone showers or even a private rooftop jacuzzi! They are all unique and equally elegant.
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2 Ocean View Room
price per day: 134 USDEach individually themed Ocean View Room features a breathtaking view of the lagoon. Wake up to a beautiful sunrise reflecting off of the still waters. Ocen View Rooms are well appointed in tropical style and feature either one or two queen-sized beds. Some rooms even have waterbeds!
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3 Standard Room
price per day: 109 USDEach Standard Room is well appointed in tropical style and features either one or two queen-sized beds. The standard rooms are on the opposite side of the resort with views of the hills and beyond.
All above-mentioned rates are per room per person for maximum 2 adults excluding 10% Hotel Tax. Maximum occupancy per room is 2 adults and 2 children.
Room amenities include
Air Conditioning & ceiling fan, In-room Refrigerator (upon request), IDD Telephone, TV with DVD player, Fully portable in-room hot & cold tap water, Built-in hair dryer, Built-in electronic safe, Internet Access, Complimentary Coffee & Tea Service.
Dining
Mnuw Restaurant & Bar
The Mnuw is a 100-year old Indonesian Schooner sailing ship and Yap’s most unique restaurant and bar complete with formal dining and meeting room, nautical lounge and an open-air bar and dining area.
Open daily from 6:00 am to 9:30 pm for meals and the bars close at 11:00 pm every evening. Breakfast is served on our main deck or the lounge between the hours of 6:00am-10:00 am. Afternoon and evening meals can be served on either of our two upper decks – Nautical Weaver Bar (2nd deck) & the Crow’s Nest Bar (3rd deck). Daily Happy Hour is provided between the hours of 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm or at the sound of our antique cannon when fired off the ship.
Diving
Yap has 100 miles of barrier reef with several channels and large lagoons creating diverse underwater environments, dive conditions and interactions with a wide array of marine life. The hallmark of diving Yap is the big animal guarantee that is here everyday year round. Diving Yap is an uncrowded personal experience with only you and your dive buddies or group on the reef. The pace is relaxed with easy diving over healthy South Pacific reefs.
All Dives include tanks, weights/belt, towel, hot tea, water, guide, and boat.
2 - tank dives include: snack + above.
- 1 Dive 69$
- 2 Dives 145$
- 3rd Tank Dive 49$
- 4th Tank Dive 39$
- 1 Shore Dive 9$
- Mandarin Fish Dive 69$
- 1 Tank Shark Feed 89$
- Guided Snorkeling 49$
- Private Boat 349$
- Nitrox 12L Per Tank 5$
- Nitrox 12L 5 Days 45$
- Nitrox 15L Per Tank 9$
- Nitrox 12L 5 Days 79$
Dive Courses
Yap Divers is the original and most knowledgeable dive operation in Yap, established in 1986 by Scuba Diving Hall of Fame dive pioneer, Bill Acker. Yap Divers is an SSI Platinum Dive Center, PADI Gold Palm Resort and Mares Premium DC offering all levels of dive training.
- PADI Discover Scuba Diving
- PADI Scuba Diver
- PADI Open Water Referral
- PADI Open Water
- PADI Adventure Diver
- PADI Advanced Open Water
- PADI NItrox Course
- PADI Deep Diver
- PADI Night Diver
- PADI Drift Diver
- PADI Underwater Navigation
- PADI Underwater Naturalist
- PADI Digital U/W Photography
- PADI EFR
- PADI Rescue Diver
- PADI Divemaster
- SSI Try Scuba Diving
- SSI Scuba Diver
- SSI Open Water Referral
- SSI Open Water
- SSI Advanced Adventurer
- SSI Advanced Open Water
- SC Boat Diving
- SC Deep Diving
- SC Drift DIver
- SC Navigation
- SC Night & limited Visibility
- SC Perfect Buoyancy
- SC Underwater Photoghraphy
- SC Waves, Tides & Currents
- SC Nitrox
- SC Shark Diving
- SC Stress & Rescue
- SSI React Right
Equipment Rental
- BCD
- Regulator
- Dive Computer
- Wetsuit
- Mask
- Fins
- Snorkeling equipment
- 15L Tank
- Full set
Facilities
- Restaurant
- Bar
- Swimming pool
- Spa
- Lobby/Reception
- Micro-brewery
- Dive Center
Services
- Daily Housekeeping
- Laundry Service
- Room Service
- Massage
- Free Wi-Fi
- Airport Transfer
- Kayaking Tours
Activities
Apart from the year-round Scuba Diving activities, Manta Ray Bay Resort & Yap Divers offers daily island excursions, cultural tours, beach trips, kayaking and fishing tours.
Getting There
You can check your luggage from almost any airport in the world direct to Yap. Easily connect to/from Palau, Truk (Chuuk) Lagoon, Tokyo or Manila.
When to Visit
Dec-Jan- Holidays in Yap are unique and kick off the mating season of the manta rays and some of Yap’s best big animal experiences.
Jan-April- Manta Mating Season, one of the most exciting times of the year to be here for diving with the rays with daily dives with active rays in shallow water.
March- Yap Day traditional culture and heritage celebration is the most colorful day of the year with dances, food, crafts, and presentations.
June-October- Calmest seas, clearest water, and the most available dive sites
June- Yap / Palau Homecoming festival celebrating Yap and Palau’s heritage (2015 will celebrate the diving industry in Yap)
June-July- Annual Kids Sea Camp adventure week with diving and non-diving family activities
August-September- All-levels photography workshop contest and photo party,
November- Canoe Fest is an island traditional sailing and heritage festival celebrating traditional navigation and seamanship.
Customised Packages Available Upon Request
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4 Nights Standard Room + 9 Dives
price: 1058 USDPackage Includes
Book now
4 Nights Accommodation at Standart Room
10% Government Room Tax
Diving (tanks, weights/belt, towel, hot tea, water, guide, and boat)
Nitrox
Morning wake-up call with coffee/tea delivered to your room
Breakfast
Lunch on diving days
Internet/Wi-Fi
Airport Transfers
Package Excludes
Gear rental
Departure tax
Lunch on not diving day
Dinner
Other services not mentioned above -
7 Nights Standard Room + 15 Dives
price: 1758 USDPackage Includes
Book now
7 Nights Accommodation at Standart Room
10% Government Room Tax
Diving (tanks, weights/belt, towel, hot tea, water, guide, and boat)
Nitrox
Morning wake-up call with coffee/tea delivered to your room
Breakfast
Lunch on diving days
Internet/Wi-Fi
Airport Transfers
Package Excludes
Gear rental
Departure tax
Lunch on not diving day
Dinner
Other services not mentioned above -
10 Nights Standard Room + 24 Dives
price: 2508 USDPackage Includes
Book now
10 Nights Accommodation at Standart Room
10% Government Room Tax
Diving (tanks, weights/belt, towel, hot tea, water, guide, and boat)
Nitrox
Morning wake-up call with coffee/tea delivered to your room
Breakfast
Lunch on diving days
Internet/Wi-Fi
Airport Transfers
Package Excludes
Gear rental
Departure tax
Lunch on not diving day
Dinner
Other services not mentioned above -
4 Nights Ocean View Room + 9 Dives
price: 1138 USDPackage Includes
Book now
4 Nights Accommodation at Ocean View Room
10% Government Room Tax
Diving (tanks, weights/belt, towel, hot tea, water, guide, and boat)
Nitrox
Morning wake-up call with coffee/tea delivered to your room
Breakfast
Lunch on diving days
Internet/Wi-Fi
Airport Transfers
Package Excludes
Gear rental
Departure tax
Lunch on not diving day
Dinner
Other services not mentioned above -
7 Nights Ocean View Room + 15 Dives
price: 1888 USDPackage Includes
Book now
7 Nights Accommodation at Ocean View Room
10% Government Room Tax
Diving (tanks, weights/belt, towel, hot tea, water, guide, and boat)
Nitrox
Morning wake-up call with coffee/tea delivered to your room
Breakfast
Lunch on diving days
Internet/Wi-Fi
Airport Transfers
Package Excludes
Gear rental
Departure tax
Lunch on not diving day
Dinner
Other services not mentioned above -
10 Nights Ocean View Room + 24 Dives
price: 2678 USDPackage Includes
Book now
10 Nights Accommodation at Ocean View Room
10% Government Room Tax
Diving (tanks, weights/belt, towel, hot tea, water, guide, and boat)
Nitrox
Morning wake-up call with coffee/tea delivered to your room
Breakfast
Lunch on diving days
Internet/Wi-Fi
Airport Transfers
Package Excludes
Gear rental
Departure tax
Lunch on not diving day
Dinner
Other services not mentioned above -
4 Nights Deluxe Ocean View Room + 9 Dives
price: 1338 USDPackage Includes
Book now
4 Nights Accommodation at Delux Ocean View Room
10% Government Room Tax
Diving (tanks, weights/belt, towel, hot tea, water, guide, and boat)
Nitrox
Morning wake-up call with coffee/tea delivered to your room
Breakfast
Lunch on diving days
Internet/Wi-Fi
Airport Transfers
Package Excludes
Gear rental
Departure tax
Lunch on not diving day
Dinner
Other services not mentioned above -
7 Nights Deluxe Ocean View Room + 15 Dives
price: 2258 USDPackage Includes
Book now
7 Nights Accommodation at Deluxe Ocean View Room
10% Government Room Tax
Diving (tanks, weights/belt, towel, hot tea, water, guide, and boat)
Nitrox
Morning wake-up call with coffee/tea delivered to your room
Breakfast
Lunch on diving days
Internet/Wi-Fi
Airport Transfers
Package Excludes
Gear rental
Departure tax
Lunch on not diving day
Dinner
Other services not mentioned above -
10 Nights Deluxe Ocean View Room + 24 Dives
price: 3158 USDPackage Includes
Book now
10 Nights Accommodation at Deluxe Ocean View Room
10% Government Room Tax
Diving (tanks, weights/belt, towel, hot tea, water, guide, and boat)
Nitrox
Morning wake-up call with coffee/tea delivered to your room
Breakfast
Lunch on diving days
Internet/Wi-Fi
Airport Transfers
Package Excludes
Gear rental
Departure tax
Lunch on not diving day
Dinner
Other services not mentioned above
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Vertigo
Vertigo is a very special experience where divers interact with a healthy school of grey and black tip reef sharks in clear blue water year-round. Photographers will be pleased with the amount of and proximity of sharks. The shooting environment is outstanding for wide angle with reef sharks right up in your dome and multiple animals in a single frame, in stunning visibility. The opportunity to shoot at the surface offers an excellent natural light exposure scenario, at depth divers can get as close as they feel comfortable to these animals to get the right shot. Shooting against the sun, out into the blue or down the reef wall allows for nearly unlimited creativity. There is no dive time limit and it’s recommended to save some battery life for some final shots at the surface from the boat. The best shark dive in Micronesia is right here at Vertigo - a full hour of excitement and heart pumping action. A true year-round rain or shine experience that should not be missed. Conclude your dive week with the most excitement you can get underwater.
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Sunset reef
The Western reef in the Philippine Sea has some of the most interesting hard coral formations in Yap. Cuttlefish encounters are frequent here as well as white tip reef sharks and reef fish. This site has unique coral formations with dramatic overhangs where divers see turtles, anemones, and fish cleaning. Sunset Reef is where divers are frequently interacting with one or two cuttlefish in 15m/45f of water over a hard coral jungle. Brilliant carpet anemones in every color pepper the outer reef. Fish, shrimp, and crabs can be found on many of them while moray eels, blennies, reef shrimp, nudibranchs and more are found by those who look.
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Cheery Blossom Wall
Cherry Blossom Wall is a special dive site that is inside a marine protected area on the Philippine Sea reef. Special permission is required to dive here. These MPA’s are sponsored by the Yap State Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. This site is where more and bigger reef fish will be seen, along with turtles, moray eels, reef sharks as well as nudibranchs, crabs and macro life. The marine protected areas of Yap are great for divers as more fish species and numbers are seen. The smaller side of things starts with nudibranchs, reef shrimp, juvenile reef fish, Krops hermit crabs and includes coral crabs, anemones and the things that live underneath them.
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Big Bend
Big Bend is a long section of the barrier reef that joins the West coast with the southern walls. The site can be dived deep or shallow, with or without current and is home to some of Yap’s biggest shark encounters. Silky, Tiger, Silvertip and schools of Grey Reef sharks have been seen here. An outer reef with a hard coral covered sheer wall, sloping coral garden and as close to the Yap’s deepest water you can get. One of Yap’s biggest dive sites and home to the largest pelagic encounters. Big Bend is where deep underwater topography joins a large trench with the barrier reef. Dives here have turned up the biggest shark encounters of diving Yap that include Tigers, Silky, Silvertip, families of Grey Reefs and more. Drifting the walls of Big Bend can turn up some fun macro encounters. Look under anemone for shrimp and porcelain crabs and check crinoids for colorful squat lobster. The largest channel on the west side of the island is where the Philippine Sea fills the inner lagoon through Mi’l Channel with several of Yap’s best dive sites that start from the clear blue all the way to deep inside the lagoon.
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Yap Corner
Yap Corner is where the barrier reef, Mi’l Channel and the clear blue water come together with sharks, schools of fish, mantas and eagle rays. When the blue water pushes up against the barrier reef on incoming tide, the visibility can be stunning which reveals a dramatic view of the underwater landscape with both channel walls visible at the start of a drift dive into Mi’l. The ridge is a transit point for the manta rays, where fish school and reef sharks congregate.
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Mi’l Channel
Mi'l Channel has five dive sites. This is where the whole Yap food chain can be seen on one dive. Home to the biggest schools of jacks and snappers. Mi'l channel is also the primary manta ray transit route to the cleaning stations and where three types of reef sharks frequent along with turtles, eagle rays, and stingrays. The inner channel is an excellent macro site offering divers the big animal to critter dive experience. Mi’l Channel is home to several of Yap’s best dive sites from the clear blue water all the way to deep inside the lagoon with all sizes of life. Channel drifts are frequented by transiting manta rays with consistent whitetip and grey reef shark encounters.
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Mi’l Ridge
At Mi’l ridge eagle rays, green turtles and stingrays are seen consistently along with Yap’s richest schools of fish above a fire coral forest in clear water. The best animal size diversity on a single dive in Yap is here in Mi’l.
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Stammtisch
Stammtisch is the German word for a table in a pub or restaurant for the locals - here in Yap the locals are the resident manta rays. Dives here offer very close interaction with multiple manta rays in shallow water making it a very special experience. Yap State created the world’s first government-backed manta ray sanctuary in 2008 - the rays and their habitat are forever protected. Yap is home to hundreds of resident manta rays and due to the numbers and consistency of sightings, the island’s lagoons are a field research site for Manta Trust. Cleaning station manta ray interaction is a very special and personal experience. The mantas of Yap frequent these cleaning stations with divers every day and will come within inches passing overhead during a typical dive. Yap, with it’s protected manta ray population, is still one of the world’s special places where divers can interact with these animals on daily basis. Manta diving is year-round with a peak of activity during the mating season where the cleaning station is rich in action. December through April offers the most behavior and consistent interactions with multiple animals. The best manta show happens during their courtship displays where mantas dance over the reef and over the heads of divers in a mating train. Down South is where you’ll find Yap’s richest walls, schools of fish, pelagic encounters and swim through caverns.
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Yap Caverns
Yap Caverns is home to the richest reef and soft life wall diving offering the strongest diversity at any single dive site. White tip and grey reef sharks, abundant coral, pelagic fish, schools of bump head parrot fish, eagle rays, turtles, scorpion leaf fish, dragonettes, blennies with cleaning stations for sharks, eels and big fish await divers year -round. Yap Caverns amphitheater is one of Yap’s best environments for macro subjects at every depth. Porcelain crabs, moyers dragonettes, nudibranch, leaf fish, scorpion fish, antheas, flame angels, cleaner and ghost shrimp, as well as more exotic subjects such as ghost pipefish and ornate ghost pipefish, reside at this site.
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Yellow Wall
Yellow wall is a deep wall at the southern tip of the barrier reef most noted for its rugged soft coral covered overhangs and small swim-thru caverns. in clear water and gentle current. Grey reef sharks patrol the blue, schools of fish swim out of canyons and sleeping nurse sharks take refuge under soft coral overhangs. Turtle encounters are common as well as some macro with nudies, anemones, and reef shrimp. Yellow wall will remind divers how nice wall diving in light current is with a brilliant forest of yellow soft coral that opens with the water movement of changing tides. Fish, sharks and turtles will be encountered along the dive. One of Yap’s richest walls with soft coral blooming in clear water on interesting vertical topography. A brilliant yellow soft coral and fan-covered wall comes to life in a gentle current. This dive is best explored with a torch looking into the cracks, crevices or overhangs for sleeping sharks, turtles and swim through tunnels just big enough for safely transiting - keep a look out into the blue for pelagic encounters and grey reef sharks.
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Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom is one of the richest environments along the southern walls. Expect schools of black snapper, jacks, sightings of eagle rays and encounters with reef sharks. The topography is unique with a plateau of coral bommies to an infinite hard coral sloping wall. Rock overhangs and crevices harbor resting turtles, nice macro subjects and reef fish being cleaned. One of Yap’s most attractive underwater landscapes with marine life encounters big to small. White tip reef sharks patrol the wall, schools of fish are found waving in the current and turtles can be found napping in their hiding spots. Other sightings include pelagic fish such as large Tuna, marble rays and eagle rays. Check under coral overhangs for cleaner shrimp, nudibranchs and carpet anemone with fish, crabs and eggs.
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Buenavista
Buena Vista is an infinite hard coral slope along the southern barrier reef wall where divers will experience some of Yap’s clearest water over a healthy reef. One of the dive sites where cuttlefish and turtle encounters are the most frequent. Schools of fish, reef sharks as well as anemones hiding macro opportunities can be expected. Diverse topography, rich hard coral and clear blue water with fish schools, sharks and more. The southern walls of the outer reef are home to some of the most interesting encounters - large pelagic fish and sharks have been seen as well as exotic reef life such as mating cuttlefish, ghost pipefish and schooling barracuda. The environment is an infinite sloping wall with deep cuts and canyons as well as sheer walls with interesting landscapes and life at every depth.
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Cabbage Patch
Cabbage Patch is named after a bank of brilliant yellow lettuce coral set in a sloping wall along the southern barrier reef. Divers can expect clear water, a variety of hard coral, schools of fish, sightings of eagle rays hanging in the current, reef sharks, anemones and macro life. This drift dive can be done in two directions offering different topography with a sloping wall and a mini wall and slope combination. Clearwater drift dive over Yap’s most colorful hard coral reef, attractive scenery and underwater landscapes. Sharks, turtles, eagle ray and cuttlefish encounters are common on this part of the barrier reef along with schools of barracuda and reef fish. Nudibranchs, reef shrimp, crabs, anemones with colorful fish and porcelain crabs can be found. Yap’s East Pacific coast is a summertime favorite with manta diving in Goofnuw channel, also known as Valley of the Rays, named one of the top 10 dive sites in the world. Daily macro and critter diving is minutes away at Slow ‘n Easy and Eagle’s nest is our pumping current ride with the most to see.
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Goofnuw channel
Valley of the Rays: “Valley of the Rays” Yap’s summertime manta hotspot with several cleaning stations at one site. A small shallow channel that feeds a large lagoon with more than mantas. This site is dived on either current - Mantas prefer to clean in the outgoing current and drifting in from the channel mouth makes for a wall to channel dive. Goofnuw Channel is two dive sites in one offering a mini wall/channel drift-in, or a static manta ray experience at the beginning of the outgoing tide. This site is named one of the top 10 dive sites in the world due to the personal encounters with Yap’s resident manta rays. There are several manta cleaning stations in close proximity to each other at easy depths. Manta encounters happen while drifting the channel, at static cleaning sites and while navigating the inner channel. Here divers will encounter more than mantas. Large stingrays, schools of snapper, trevally and big bumphead parrotfish are seen along with carpet anemone, eels, crocodile fish and interesting macro.
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Pelak corner
Pelak corner is a summertime dive on the East Pacific coast that has big fish, eagle rays, sting rays, reef life and macro in clear water. This site has very diverse topography with a reef plateau, huge pinnacles, a sloping coral garden and a wall with a white sand bottom. A clear water wall drift with a white sand bottom with schools of bumpheads, eagle rays, cleaning turtles and fun macro. At Pelak Corner schools of bumphead parrotfish congregate and get cleaned. Big coral pinnacles are favorite stops for turtles and fish getting cleaned. It’s a deep wall dive with a white sand bottom to a sloping macro wall and plateau. White tip reef sharks rest under divers and eagle rays glide into the blue overhead. Dive a wall dotted with colorful anemones, next to rock ledges with groups of signal gobies, nudibranch, reef fish, morays and more.
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Slow ‘n Easy
Critter diving close to home with all things macro, year-round, day or night. The most species of nudibranchs are found here in a myriad of colors, shapes and sizes. Photographers will have subjects on every dive, from fish to shrimp, to nudi’s as well as crocodile fish, anemones and more. All things critter can be found here from jumbo white Mantis shrimp to tiny glass shrimp on anemones. Expect many different shrimp, crabs, sea cucumbers and more.
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Eagle’s Nest
Yap’s rocking drift dive with big fish, sharks, turtles and eagle rays that hover over rock pinnacles in the current. Eagles Nest is a drift dive that needs current to see it all. The nickname for this site is “An aquarium on a conveyor belt”. Summertime is the season for drifting the Southern Pacific reef. When the current runs, the life comes out. Grey reef sharks bank and turn in the blue with barracuda in the background. Reef fish frolic in the water movement with big fish harboring in cracks and under overhangs. Stingrays nestle in white sand and giant sponges, whips and soft coral vibrate along the wall. Several pinnacles are cleaning stations for eagle rays. This dive site needs some current to deliver the whole food chain experience. With a few knots of water moving, life explodes out of the reef.