 | Oceans Live '97 Q&A with South Caicos
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From the week ending March 21, 1997
 While SCUBA diving, do you ever encounter barracuda?...Haig N.,
Riverdale, New York, USA
 by Sylvia Gill, 3/14/97, South Caicos Island
Yes, I have seen barracuda on most of the snorkel and dive trips in which I
have participated. These fish are generally alone because of their territorial
nature. The barracuda I’ve seen have never given me, or the rest of the people
in my group, any problems. Basically, they are very curious and just check us
out from afar. Apparently, these large fish are attracted to shiny objects and
may come in for a closer look if something catches their eye. I’ve seen a range
of sizes (most are about two to four feet long), but I was able to get a glance of
one about six feet long! I enjoy seeing barracuda because of their beauty--it
looks like someone wrapped a long piece of French bread in tinfoil and stuck
eyes and big teeth on one end. Whenever I see barracuda, I gain a new sense
of respect for the ocean and see them as protectors of their waters.
I have heard that the days are longer near the equator. Is this
true? ...Jacqui G., Westborough, Massachusetts, USA
by James Guimond, 3/14/97, South Caicos Island
The length of daylight is determined by the latitude at which you live, and
latitude is defined as your distance north or south of the equator. Those places
that are located closer to the north and south poles have longer days in the
summer and shorter days in the winter. This phenomenon is caused by seasonal
changes in the orientation of the Earth to the sun as it orbits the sun during the
course of the year. For example, the northern hemisphere (where you live) is
angled toward the sun during the summer months, resulting in longer days. In
the winter the northern hemisphere is angled away from the sun, causing short
winter days.
Here on South Caicos we are very close to the equator. As a result, changes in
the Earth’s tilt do not effect the length of day by large amounts.
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