Unfortunately, the jacks are now gone but there is still a glittering jewel in Dive and Trek's crown - its giant clams. I've counted more than one dozen in a stretch of 20 or so meters along the reef. The largest specimens were about the size of one of those rolling carry-on suitcases you see in airlines' overhead bins. Mouths agape, exposing their symbiotes to the sunlight filtering through the clear waters, a gauzy, stretched mantle ending in fringed purple lips with blue and white spots. Approach one too closely and SNAP! The jaws quickly clamp shut.

Highly endangered, most of the clams were seeded there under a university-sponsored breeding program. They have thrived and spawned offspring at the site. I can only hope that one day my children will be able to marvel at their size and beauty, for so much has been already lost.