The Cayman Islands are a great place to scuba dive
. With the clear waters and diverse reefs its no wonder that this destination is on most divers' must sees.
However coral reefs are delicate, so it's easy for them to be destroyed by storms, disease and by careless divers and snorkelers. In fact two corals that were once abundant are now listed by the US Endangered Species Act. These two are Staghorn coral and Elkhorn coral.
The Staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) is know as a branching coral. It has cylindrical branches ranging from a few centimetres to over two meters in length and height. It has been one of the three most important Caribbean corals in terms of its contribution to reef growth and fishery habitat.
Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) is also considered to be one of the most important reef-building corals in the Caribbean. It got its name as the structure closely resembles that of elk antlers. These branches create habitats for many other reef species such as lobsters, parrot-fish, snappers, and other reef fish. Elkhorn coral colonies can eventually grow up to 3.7metres (12 ft) in diameter.
Both these types of coral provide an important baffling structure along the fringing reef (reefs that are closer to shore than barrier reefs) which absorb the force of the breaking waves. This allows other organisms to get established.
So if you are diving among these or any other types of coral you should take great care. You can look, but do not touch; even the brush from a diver's flipper could cause irreparable damage. Do not use an anchor unless in a designated spot.