Tropical Reef Habitat
Live Cam
This camera looks straight into a large tropical reef exhibit modeled after the warm, coral rich coast of Palau. More than a thousand animals share the habitat, from schooling silver fish to slow moving rays and the bright flashes of butterflyfish and tangs. It is one of the calmest live views on the internet, and one of the busiest once you start counting species.
Why This Reef? A real Pacific reef is hard to visit and harder to sit with for an hour. Here the water is always clear, the light is always good, and the residents never leave. Divers enter the habitat for live presentations at set times, feeding the fish and answering questions, which turns a quiet fish tank into something closer to a broadcast from underwater.
Tropical Reef Habitat highlights: As you enjoy the live view, be sure to look out for:
- Live Diver Presentations: At scheduled times a diver drops into the habitat to feed the animals and talk to visitors, often trailed by a curious crowd of fish.
- Reef Fish Traffic: Watch wrasses, tangs, butterflyfish and angelfish work the coral heads while larger schooling fish sweep past in loose formation.
- Rays And Bottom Dwellers: Keep an eye on the sand and the lower ledges, where rays glide through and shyer species tuck themselves into the rockwork.
Beyond the Glass: The habitat sits inside the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, on the Southern California waterfront near Rainbow Harbour. The surrounding area is all boats, bridges and sea air, with the Queen Mary moored across the water and the Pacific itself a short walk away for anyone wanting the wild version.
Thanks to the Aquarium of the Pacific and Explore.org, the largest live nature cam network around, for keeping this camera running and free to watch. Their work puts reef life in front of people who may never dive, and it does it without narration or edits.
Tune in whenever you need a few quiet minutes, and stay a little longer if a diver appears, because that is when the whole reef comes to meet the camera.
