By almost every measure, the coral in Tela Bay should be dead. Yet despite decades of pollution, industrial degradation, and heat waves that have decimated other reefs in the region, this reef on ...

Coral Bay is a gorgeous natural harbor cradled by lush mountains with around 700 residents, some living on boats. From the mountains, the view is one of the most beautiful panoramas in the Caribbean.

During the same period, turf algae—small, fast-growing plants that can smother coral to death—substantially increased from covering 25 percent of the bay floor in 2021 to 79 percent in 2022.

Coral Bay, on the state's Ningaloo coast, is named for its spectacular coral reefs, which are a major tourist drawcard alongside pristine beaches, turquoise water and diverse marine life.