Читать книгу Diving Indonesia Periplus Adventure Guid онлайн

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Fringing reefs. Most of the reefs a diver will be exploring in Indonesia are fringing reefs, coral formations that grow right up to the edge of an island. These reefs can take many forms. The steep coral walls for which Indonesian diving is famous are fringing reefs, with sometimes just a few meters of reef flat, and a reef edge that has an almost vertical slope.

Walls, or drop-offs, fascinate divers because these are where deeper dwelling animals come closest to the surface. Some of the deep-dwelling dwarf angel-fish (Centropyge spp.), damsels, and anthias (e.g., Pseudanthias pleurotaenia) can be found at comfortable depths only along steep drop-offs.

Generally, a fringing reef consists of a reef edge of stout corals, which absorb the brunt of the waves and current; a reef flat, a shallow area exposed at the lowest spring tide; and perhaps a boat channel or back reef, deeper than the reef flat and quite calm.

The reef edge, and the fore-reef area towards the open sea, are the most rewarding areas for the diver. Here the current is strong, bringing plankton and fresh water from the open sea. Here also is where divers will see larger reef fish, and occasional pelagic visitors to the reef. Sometimes the reef edge is indistinct, marked by pinnacles or other formations. And sometimes the area just back of the reef edge will not immediately become part of the reef flat, but instead, protected from the full force of the current, will be rich in more delicate corals and animals.