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| My foot gives you an idea of scale of this vibrant cushion sea star. |
We’re amid breathtakingly spectacular scenery that feels like mother nature had a field day using big fat pastels with all the exuberance of a kindergartner playing with finger paints. We’re wowed by the swift watery dramatic flight of rays, dolphins sharks and more. We’re cautiously intrigued by other toothy aquatic predators like the ever-present barracuda, but also their more nervous prey, the colorful tangs and grunts, and a whole host of less flashy fishies….
Thus, it takes some settling down to appreciate life in the slow lane. They’re easier to overlook, but hey, at least they move slow enough to easily photograph – as long as I slow down enough to take a snap.
It doesn’t get much slower than starfish, sea slugs and snails.
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| This more delicate starfish measured about an inch and a half. |
In St. Francis’ harbor, there were hundreds of nudibranch grazing like cows on a forest floor of lime green seaweed. Their less colorful and prolific kin, the black sea cucumber, was also present, though I was unwilling to risk the only sometimes waterproof feature of my supposedly underwater camera to capture them. Maybe Jodi of Country Dancer wants to post or share the videos or images she took with her camera when we snorkeled together that day….
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| We found this nudibranch (a sea slug), beached at Sand Dollar Beach. My sandal offered a safe tool to nudge it gently back into the water. |
Aptly, when we hiked by Sand Dollar Beach, another couple found a perfect sand dollar there. We didn’t, but given the distance still to go to return to our dinghy, coupled with their fragility, it was just as well.
 Happy rescued nudibranch swimming away. |
Location Location
April 2014, BAHAMAS. Recent retrospective of our time in March at Stocking Island near Georgetown (N23.31.877 W75.46.377), pre-posted from the Ragged Islands (N22.14.5 W75.45.3), posting when we first begin our slow alternative return trip to the States via Long Island, Rum Cay, Conception, Cat Island, Little San Salvador, Eleuthra and the Abacos. By the time this posts, we’ll most likely be in Rum Cay.
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| From sea slugs to land snails… wildlife slow enough to photograph with ease. |
