Bit of whimsy facepainting

They called it lost.

A massive coral reef in the Indian Ocean was hit hard by the 2016 global bleaching event. The heat stress turned once-vibrant coral fields ghostly white, killing large sections of the reef. Scientists believed the damage was irreversible and expected recovery to take many decades—if it ever happened at all.

But nature had other plans.

Within just four years, researchers were stunned to find something extraordinary: around 75% of the reef’s living coral had returned. Instead of slow, gradual repair, the ecosystem showed a rapid rebound that defied earlier predictions.

Experts think this surprising recovery came from a combination of factors—an influx of coral larvae drifting in from nearby healthy reefs, plus the survival of unusually heat-resistant “super corals” that endured the initial bleaching. These resilient survivors helped kickstart regrowth and rebuild the reef far faster than expected.

The discovery is reshaping how scientists understand reef resilience and offering new hope that some ecosystems may recover faster than once believed—even after extreme climate events.

🤯 Nature’s comebacks are often more powerful than we expect.

Today is the kings dip event on Weymouth Esplanade, We have spent the past few days gearing up and making designs that will make everyone feel regal. Absolutely cannot wait to see you all today.

Bit of whimsy facepainting is also set up today and friday to help you get the most out of your half term 🙂 Please remember to wear sunscreen and stay hydrated in this heat.

Pudge finally has his summer plans sorted and is heading down to the beach for The King's Dip event on the 7th of June.
We hope you enjoy this summers events in Weymouth & Portland, and hope to catch you over this half term holiday.
Pudge and I will be at Mumma Bee’s Cafe this Sunday and Bank holiday Monday and then heading to The Palm House for some puppet day shenanigans during the week.
Let us know what outfit you want to see pudge in next in the comments down below and feel free to follow us if you want to catch us at any pop up events.

All set up and ready to go for day Bee’s Cafe.
Thank you so much to Glitter Body Art Ltd for the amazing glitter tattoo stencil haul.
And also a big thank you goes out to Igloo Mortgage for being such an amazing follower 🙂

With Sir David Attenborough's birthday being today (his 100th no less!), We will be hosting a face painting event @ Mumma Bee’s Cafe on Saturday this week to celebrate the amazing impact his life so far has made.
The designs on offer will be bugs and beasts of all sizes, so let us know what your favourite animal is in the comments and come and enjoy some amazing food and drink alongside our beautiful nature reserve.

All set up and ready for May bank holiday today, showcasing a new book, new designs and my personal favourite bugs and blooms page to kick off the summer season at The Palm House.