The sea has been plentiful this week. I saw a big old sea turtle...or at least one that has been around long enough to have several barnacles on its back. But one of the most fascinating things to watch now are the reef squid. You may know them as Calamari and find them quite tasty to eat.....I see these cephalopods just about everytime I swim. Usually there are 3 or more but sometimes only a pair.
They are not the giant squid that you see in the movies that attack the boats...but instead they are small, about 12 inches or less. They can change colors and shapes in an instant and do so when they feel threatened and can jet away in a blink. I have read that the pattern of dots is unique on each one and is a way to identify them. They do allow me to hover above them for quite some time before one of us gets bored and moves on. The way they look at you with those big eyes just makes you wonder what the heck they are thinking!
The population of squid is on the rise as their predators (larger fish like Tuna, Grouper, etc) are removed from the oceans. I just love these little guys. And they have 3 HEARTS!
No comments:
Post a Comment