Marine life in the Islas de la Bahia

Marine life in the Islas de la Bahia is more diverse than those of terrestrial life, including coral reefs and their surrounding inhabitants incredible, a real biological treasure more valuable than all the gold of the galleons that went through these seas. The structures of coral reefs are the single most valuable environment for marine life which can be found anywhere in the world.


Coral reefs are composed of millions of smaller individual animals called coral polyps. These fascinating creatures are actually a part vegetable and animal his part, because they live within their tissues thousands of small cells of algae. Through the process of photosynthesis, the algae gives its host animal vital nutrients. The coral polyps also eat plankton, extending its tentacles to capture small animals floating.


Corals extracting calcium carbonate from seawater to build their skeletons protectors. The polyps grow with others of its kind in groups called colonies. The colonies in turn combine to form the basis of the structures we call reefs. The portion of the living coral colony is only the thin outer shell, as each generation builds on the foundation left by their ancestors. A group of seaweed called unique red alga also add their skeletons of calcium carbonate to the solid structure built by colonies of coral. The need for sunlight of red coral and algae helps explain why coral reefs are found only in seawater clear shallow in the tropics.

It's big and impressive as they seem to be coral reefs, are actually very fragile, only needs a stroke of neglect or stalks to kill or injure hundred of polyps, or to open the door to infestations of harmful algae or bacteria over time can destroy entire colonies. The golden rule for swimming and diving around the reefs is "look but not touch"