Coral bleaching seen

I went snorkeling off Oakridge for the first time in awhile and saw lots of coral turned light blue.

This picture isn’t mine, but it’s very similar to what I saw. I asked a dive instructor and he said that this is a defense mechanism when coral starts getting too hot. There is only one buoy that is sending live temperature readings.

It is at White Hole on the north side midisland. It says we’ve been at 30.4 C (almost 87F) for quite awhile now. This is a combination of hot weather and lack of wave action to churn the water. Bleaching is the result. Let’s hope rainy season and cooler waters get here soon.