Yesterday afternoon I witnessed a terrible travesty! As I paddled out to Al Barakat reef there was barely a soul to be seen in the sea. Clownfish darted by not stopping to say hello and fragments of corals seemed to be drifting towards me.

I was on my way to visit my good friends, Amadou and Maryam, two butterfly fish who lived in a cosy cave on the coral frames planted by Landaa’s Reefscapers team.

But as I approached where I knew their home to be, I stopped in my tracks; their entrance was nowhere to be seen.

I called out and Maryam peeped out from under a neighbouring coral frame. “Kaku, quick!” she whispered. “Come in here where it’s safe.”

I barely had time to rotate my shell when there was a commotion overhead: a rush of bubbles and a loud snap as a huge flipper loomed! I raced to the frame where my friends cowered with gobies, damselfish and the rest of the reef gang as fragments of coral rained down.

Yesterday afternoon I witnessed a terrible travesty! As I paddled out to Al Barakat reef there was barely a soul to be seen in the sea. Clownfish darted by not stopping to say hello and fragments of corals seemed to be drifting towards me.

I was on my way to visit my good friends, Amadou and Maryam, two butterfly fish who lived in a cosy cave on the coral frames planted by Landaa’s Reefscapers team.

But as I approached where I knew their home to be, I stopped in my tracks; their entrance was nowhere to be seen.

I called out and Maryam peeped out from under a neighbouring coral frame. “Kaku, quick!” she whispered. “Come in here where it’s safe.”

I barely had time to rotate my shell when there was a commotion overhead: a rush of bubbles and a loud snap as a huge flipper loomed! I raced to the frame where my friends cowered with gobies, damselfish and the rest of the reef gang as fragments of coral rained down.

It was devastating. Years of growth was destroyed in an instance. I looked over at Cosmos, a friendly starfish, who appeared to be pointing at something. “Don’t look at me like that,” she said gruffly. “Someone else forgot the rules of the reef and tried to grab me so I’ve been bent out of shape.”

When the flippers had swum away, we ventured out of hiding to assess the damage. Poor Maryam and Amadou’s cave had been completely destroyed!

Eyes darting nervously in anticipation of the next footfall, the group explained that while most snorkellers take great care to keep their feet off the reefs, even just one misplaced foot or careless kick can wipe out a whole coral colony, not to mention a home for many other creatures. “Corals might look like hard rocks, but they are very delicate creatures,” explained Amadou.

Although I’m too small to make an impact, I’ll certainly bear this in mind when I’m out on the reef! Please help me spread the word to anyone you snorkel with too!

It was devastating. Years of growth was destroyed in an instance. I looked over at Cosmos, a friendly starfish, who appeared to be pointing at something. “Don’t look at me like that,” she said gruffly. “Someone else forgot the rules of the reef and tried to grab me so I’ve been bent out of shape.”

When the flippers had swum away, we ventured out of hiding to assess the damage. Poor Maryam and Amadou’s cave had been completely destroyed!

Eyes darting nervously in anticipation of the next footfall, the group explained that while most snorkellers take great care to keep their feet off the reefs, even just one misplaced foot or careless kick can wipe out a whole coral colony, not to mention a home for many other creatures. “Corals might look like hard rocks, but they are very delicate creatures,” explained Amadou.

Although I’m too small to make an impact, I’ll certainly bear this in mind when I’m out on the reef! Please help me spread the word to anyone you snorkel with too!