Habili Soraya

"Habili" means "unborn," and "Soraya" means "small," so the name translates to "The Unborn Little Reef." The term "Habili" always refers to a reef that begins a few meters below the water's surface. In the case of Habili Soraya, the reef top lies approximately 3 to 6 meters below the water’s surface.   The best way to describe Habili Soraya is as an upside-down ice cream cone shaped like a drop-off. At the top, the reef is very small in diameter, and it widens as it descends. The walls drop off to a depth of over 60 meters. Then the reef wall transitions into a gently sloping sandy bottom.   Every centimeter of Habili Soraya seems to be covered in marine life—huge schools of jewelfish, black-and-white snappers, and large schools of sea mullet.   On the northwest side, there are two small mini-plateaus at depths of approximately 24 meters and 45 meters. There, too, a great variety of marine life can be found: schools of scissortail sergeant fish, barracudas, tuna, bigeye trevally, rainbow runners, spiny mackerel, and red-toothed triggerfish.   When the waves are calm, the reef top is the perfect spot for a safety stop—beautifully overgrown, it’s where octopuses and scorpionfish hide.