Australian reef vanishes daily, then reappears with waterfalls

Montgomery Reef (Yowjab) in the Kimberley region of Western Australia is the largest inshore reef on the planet.

The reef spends most of the day submerged but rises up to 26 feet above the ocean during low tide for two to three hours.

As the tide falls, water drains off the reef top, creating dramatic waterfalls that cascade back into the ocean.

The reef is built primarily from coralline algae rather than coral, forming low ridges that trap seawater in shallow pools.

During low tide, marine life including corals, fish, and turtles remain in the pools, while larger animals like dugongs and sharks retreat to deeper channels.