WHAT WILL I SEE?
East and West Flower Garden Banks
A typical dive at East or West Flower Garden Bank begins with a leap into crystal blue waters. Upon submerging, you are immediately greeted by several barracuda keeping a watchful eye.
Schools of chub and jack may also pass through the area.
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Looking down, you can already make out the reef 60 feet below. Huge coral heads stretch as far as the eye can see. You can’t see much detail at this point, but don’t worry, there’s plenty to see. Just keep diving.
As you approach the top of the reef you start to see all of the fish hovering near the coral heads, waiting to duck for cover should the need arise.
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There is so much coral that you can hardly believe your eyes! Boulders of coral pile on top of one another creating an amazing seascape. As much as 51% of the bottom is covered in live coral.
Some interesting sponges find space among the corals too.
Bluehead and yellowhead wrasses, schools of chromis and creolefish, and a variety of damselfish are the most prevalent atop the reef.
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Also keep an eye out for butterflyfish, parrotfish and groupers.
Under the ledges you’ll find squirrelfish, pufferfish, and eels.
Crabs and shrimp sometimes venture out onto the reef, but most often hide out in the nooks and crannies.
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Christmas tree worms live right in the middle of coral heads with their bodies burrowed into the coral skeleton and only their colorful gills showing.
As you cruise over the reef, don't forget to look closely at the corals themselves. Some corals may have their polyps extended for feeding.
Eventually you will arrive at an open sand flat or even a sand channel.
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This is where you may find an occasional nurse shark, sea turtle or stingray resting. Queen conchs like these areas too.
Stay still for a while and you’ll find that the barren looking sand is actually full of life. Lizardfish perch motionless on the sand, relying on their blotchy colors for camouflage.
Yellowhead jawfish hover vertically above the sand, ready to dart back into their burrows at the first sign of danger.
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Don’t forget to look up every once in a while or you might miss a passing manta ray, spotted eagle ray or shark. These large animals pass over the reef as silently as stealth bombers. If you’re not looking at the right time, you may never know they are there.
On the way back to the surface, keep your eyes open.
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You never know what you’ll see floating by you...
or cruising beneath you.
Even at your safety stop beneath the boat, there’s plenty to watch.
There’s never a dull moment at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary!
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SPECIES LIST
What you see in the visual tour above is just a snapshot of what lives in the Flower Garden Banks sanctuary. Over the years we've compiled quite a species list of plants and animals within recreational dive limits (down to 130 feet).
Check out our online Species Lists with Photos.
OR
Download a Species List (1.3MB pdf) to take with you.
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STETSON BANK
While many of the same species of plants and animals live at Stetson Bank, the terrain there is quite different.
Take a visual tour of Stetson Bank...
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NOTABLE NATURAL EVENTS
While everything you’ll see at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is pretty amazing, there are some events that truly stand out. Click here to learn more about a few extra special natural events you might want to see.
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