Oceans Live '97 Q&A with South Caicos

  From the week ending April 25, 1997

What is your favorite animal on South Caicos Island?...Wendy W., Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
by Brian Dean, 4/22/97, South Caicos Island

 My favorite animal that lives around South Caicos Island is the Sand Tilefish. It is a funny looking fish that looks sort of like a cross between a fish and an eel. It has a face that looks like it has a silly expression on it that makesit look even funnier. The neatest thing about them, though, is that they dig holes in the sand and hide in them when you get too close. Sometimes, if they are too far away from their holes, they will dive down into the sand and dig a new hole really fast so that they can hide from you. It is amazing to see a tilefish, which can be as long as 18 inches, suddenly disappear into the sand. We see these fish a lot in the sandy patches around reefs and seagrass beds.

What kind of sea turtles do you have on South Caicos Island? ....Mrs. Guimond's Third Grade Class, Westborough, Massachusetts, USA
by Heather Ludemann, 4/22/97, South Caicos Island

The type of turtle we see most often around South Caicos is the Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbriocota). They are one to three feet long, have mouths that look like a hawk's beak and feed mostly on sponges. Sometimes we see Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta), but not often. Loggerheads have shells which are pointed at the tail, and they eat mussels, crabs, squid, fish and plants. Last week my roommate saw a Green turtle (Chelonia mydras). Whenever you ask her about it all she says is "It was huge!"—around 4 feet long and 2-1/2 feet wide. Green turtles are rare sightings here. They have a smooth shell and feed on seagrass. This makes them herbivores, meaning that they only eat plants. Sea turtles are very graceful in the water and they are quite relaxed. They don't seem to be scared of us when we're snorkeling and diving, and sometimes they let you swim right next to them. Although we see turtles pretty often, it's still a magical experience.

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