When a mother-daughter dive turns into one of the most exciting reef discoveries in years.
It starts like something out of a David Attenborough special: a mother and daughter diving in a remote stretch of the Great Barrier Reef, and suddenly, the ocean floor blooms into a rolling, plate-like coral forest.
Jan Pope and Sophie Kalkowski-Pope were taking part in the Great Reef Census when they stumbled on what might be one of the largest single coral colonies ever recorded.
Unlike the usual patchy reefs, this “super reef” stretches endlessly, its surface dominated by Pachyseris speciosa – nicknamed Elephant Skin coral for its wrinkly, textured plates.
But it’s more than just eye candy. This find hints at hope: resilient coral thriving in slightly deeper, cooler waters, proving that parts of the reef might survive heatwaves and bleaching.
And it’s a triumph for citizen science – everyday divers capturing images that professional researchers might never see.
Jan and Sophie – marine biologist and veteran diver – were the perfect team to uncover a secret the reef has been hiding for years.
Since launching, the Great Reef Census has surveyed over 500 reefs, reaching corners untouched for decades.
And thanks to this mother-daughter duo, one of those corners just revealed a secret the reef has been keeping for years.
