The seahorse is an interesting marine critter. It is a fish (in the genus Hippocampus) that swims in an upright position. Its tail is curled, and is capable of grasping seaweed to stay anchored.
Seahorses exhibit an unusual reproductive method of operation. They court for hours, after which the female deposits eggs in the male's brood pouch. After fertilizing the eggs, the male carries the eggs until they hatch. Meanwhile, the female returns daily for a short "morning greeting."
Check the Internet for more fascination information about these curious creatures.
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is research into the origin of the Ocracoke Island Wahab family. You can read the article here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news022115.htm.
Oh Dear, I do hope the comment police do not consider this comment too far "Off topic." As I was studying the image a) I felt sorry for the demise of the little critter b) I noticed the sand flecked with dark spots of something. As I did an inter net search of sand quality of OI I discovered Dr Beache's web page.
ReplyDeleteDr. Beach mentioned big wave days. He seemed to stress that rip currents are more likely to occur on big wave days and advised visitors to the beach to avoid swimming on big wave days as that is when most people drown or get into trouble and panic and find difficulties. In conclusion, PH have you noticed the sand quality changing over the years? Has the history museum collected samples of beach sand over the years to chart the rate of change if any?
I have not noticed any change in the quality of Ocracoke sand. Different colored seashells contribute to the color of the sand. Very old shells often turn black. That probably accounts for the darker sand grains.
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