Stings and Things

TriviaQuestionTime!

Look at the video below. What do you think this creature is?

A. Baby Squid

B. Baby Octopus

C. Baby Cuddlefish

D. Baby Sea Spider

Think you have the answer? Write your thoughts in a comment to see if you got it correct next blog!

Anyways, it's Maddy. This is going to be another picture/video blog. We have been seeing a ton of new things. Enjoy!

This is a spotted eagle ray. Spotted eagle rays are part of the eagle ray family. They have a lot of spots and rings on their body and a long tail with stingers. Spotted eagle rays feed on mollusks and crustaceans. We were walking one day on the dock and looked below us to be greeted by a huge spotted eagle ray. He gracefully swam around and then dug in the sand, probably to find food. He stayed long enough for us to get great pictures!

We also saw lots of bananaquits. Bananaquits are little black and white birds that have a yellow crest. I think they look like tiny Emperor Penguins! Their long, curved beak is used to sip nectar from flowers similar to a hummingbird. A little bananaquit ate lunch with us this fine day!

I saw many baby conch, too. Conch shells get their name from the small sea snails that live inside them. Conch look like slugs with a long arm that helps them flip themselves over. They are edible, but not when they are babies. When they are grown, you can eat them.

Guess what?! I saw a lionfish!!!!! We were snorkeling through spiny sea urchins in Shroud Cay. These urchins spines were the size of a baseball bat and the body itself was bigger than my fist![ My fist is not very big! :] ] I looked down at an urchin when I saw a small fish with big red and white fins. It's eyes were dark and spines covered the fish like a strong suit of armor. I realized it was a lionfish! Lionfish are invasive organisms that are not native to reefs in North America. They can wreck the reefs. Lionfish have venomous spines that are very painful. I was so glad I finally got to see one!!

We met a diver who caught a lionfish.

One day, we went fishing and we caught one tuna and one mahi. The mahi was bigger than I was [ again, I m not very big, ], and we ate some of it that night.

I also went knee boarding with my new friends, Elena and John. Elena is my age and John is 7. They' re being homeschooled on their boat, too. I had never been knee boarding before and they taught me how. It was so much fun! Unfortunatly, we forgot the camera so I did not get any pictures, but I will go again sometime!

Well, gotta go but don't forget to answer the trivia! Bye!

P.S. To all of the girls in my class, I like you better than the skeleton!!! Miss you guys!!