Among the hallmarks of a night dive at Town Pier are the abundant and flamboyant orange cup corals. The large numbers of these corals at this site, coupled with the startlingly brilliant polyps extended for feeding, produce a remarkable otherworldly effect.

After the sun goes down they extend their tentacles into the dark to snatch a drifting meal from the current. The pilings of Town Pier are essentially obscured with these heaving polyps.

These guys are terrific for macro photography because of their color but also for their size. The ¾ inch animals permit the observer to get an up-close idea of how hard corals feed.

Plus, they can't swim off.