Any Caribbean snorkeler or diver will extol the beauty of coral. They will go on about its grace and its color. But this magnificent creation has its dark side. The stuff is dangerous to humans.

I realized this when I was growing up in St. Thomas. Back then, I was a teen-ager and was bullet proof, as was my brother. So for fun, we sailed a Hobycat into Frenchman’s Bay, right over the coral reef between Green Key and St. Thomas. The coral fingers that lay six inches below the surface were gorgeous to behold. Their graceful fingers beckoned us to touch. We held our breath, chuckled nervously, and glided into the bay, never to repeat the journey.

What happens if you touch coral? Even if you simply brush up against it, you can get a scrape to your skin, like from rough concrete. Some types of coral, such as fire coral and hydroids, will give you a sting and their wounds can take months to heel. Also, coral provides homes for all sorts of creatures, from tiny fish to sharp-toothed eels, to sea anemones – some are peaceful, others not quite. So, it’s fine to enjoy the beauty, but don’t touch. If you do get scraped, seek medical attention.

And never, never sail your Hobycat across that reef.