WATCH: Thompson’s Bay tidal pool leak threatens coral
As the water level drops between tides, more and more coral is exposed to air.
A crack in the wall of the tidal pool at Thompson’s Bay is causing the water to drain and threatening the coral that has made its home in the pool.
As the water level drops, the coral is exposed to air and direct sunlight and eventually becomes ‘bleached’ and turns white. If left exposed for long enough, the coral will eventually die.
Thompson’s Bay is one of the most popular beaches on the Dolphin Coast and the tidal pool teeming with coral, fish, urchins and more is one of the big draws.
The pool is believed to be home to one of the southernmost coral colonies in Africa.
The leak has steadily grown larger as water rushes out, to the point where yesterday (Tuesday) the water level was dropping by up to a metre in the six hour tidal cycle.
Rocks and sand have since been used on the inside of the pool as a temporary measure to slow the leak.
Experts from within the community, who asked not to be named, have come forward to volunteer and are looking at ways to fix the leak before more damage is done.
However, people are reminded that this is an environmentally sensitive area as well as being close to the seafront, so showing up with a bag of cement to ‘help’ will do more harm than good.
Meanwhile – also at Thompson’s Bay – the Dolphin Coast Conservancy has been hard at work removing harmful and invasive plants, tidying up and even taking a hand in repairing the wall behind the tidal pool, which was full of holes and on the verge of collapse.
WATCH: The Courier was live at Thompson’s Bay to see first hand the leak in the tidal pool:
https://www.facebook.com/northcoastcourier/videos/1720505697968770/
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