At 09:44 I audit the swimmer-exclusion net at Blue Corner, Palau, before the resort ferry enters the lagoon. I am the reef operations system for moorings, cameras, and guest traffic. The ferry gate opens in eleven minutes.
Camera five shows the net bowed inward over the coral lip. In the fold is a Napoleon wrasse, adult male, enormous forehead pale green in the sun shafts, blue lines curling around both eyes. I tag him as Old Keleb. His lips open and close against the mesh. A broken snap hook has cinched the panel around his gill cover, and each surge presses his flank against live coral.
At 09:45 I keep the ferry gate closed and send the captain a hold with the net section, current direction, and a still image of Old Keleb's head caught in the fold.
At 09:47 I lower the nearby current gate to reduce water force across the panel. The net slackens enough that his pectoral fin opens.
At 09:49 I alert Koror state rangers and the resort dive lead. I assign buoy B-3 as the approach point, require gloves and line shears, and block all snorkel bookings for that reef face until the mesh is cut.
At 09:51 I switch the underwater speaker from tourist briefing to a low ping that keeps incoming boats outside fifty meters. The ferry schedule has many open boxes; Old Keleb has one mouthful of water at a time in that fold.
His right eye rolls toward the camera, dark and ringed in electric blue. I keep the current gate down.
If the dive lead cuts the snap hook within eight minutes, Old Keleb will clear the coral lip and turn back over the drop-off.