I’m still stuck on exactly how the Coral Canyons earned the name… Just kidding, of course. The Belize Barrier Reef is known for remarkable stretches of pristine coral, while some are even more remarkable than others – like the famous Coral Canyon dive site, known the world over for a stunning array of coral life, and the many marine creatures that call the colorful bits home. PADI Instructor Dom Evans gave me a crash course in coral before we plunged into the deep. The first thing I was told to remember was to keep a safe distance from all coral, so as not to damage it, or the animals living inside. The second lesson was on coral identification – so that if I did mistakenly touch something like fire coral, I’d know exactly how long I was going to be in excruciating pain. Solid lessons, all the way around. Photo Finish: Nikon 1AW1 | 11-27.5mm f/3.5-5.6 lens | Aperture f/10 | ISO-320 | Shutter 1/160 sec.

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Lessons in the Coral Canyons

I’m still stuck on exactly how the Coral Canyons earned the name… Just kidding, of course. The Belize Barrier Reef is known for remarkable stretches of pristine coral, while some are even more remarkable than others – like the famous Coral Canyon dive site, known the world over for a stunning array of coral life, and the many marine creatures that call the colorful bits home. PADI Instructor Dom Evans gave me a crash course in coral before we plunged into the deep. The first thing I was told to remember was to keep a safe distance from all coral, so as not to damage it, or the animals living inside. The second lesson was on coral identification – so that if I did mistakenly touch something like fire coral, I’d know exactly how long I was going to be in excruciating pain. Solid lessons, all the way around. Photo Finish: Nikon 1AW1 | 11-27.5mm f/3.5-5.6 lens | Aperture f/10 | ISO-320 | Shutter 1/160 sec.

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