Best place to find a Sea Star.
Best place to find a Sea Star.
Okay, we are leaving tomorrow--Yippee! My 5 year old son "Spongebob" really wants to see his friend "Patrick". Where do sea stars like to hang out?
Julie
Live from St.John
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Another option, a little different, is to look for them in the mangroves at Princess Bay. It is very shallow, and I've always found huge ones there. We don't go every trip, but it's fun every once in a while. Since the water is so shallow, you can really see the colors. Here is an example:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/738427951/" title="starfish--mangroves by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1244/738 ... b2b1ca.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="starfish--mangroves"></a>
One time we even found a sea star eating a sea cucumber!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/738427881/" title="Princess Bay starfish and sea cucumber by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1185/738 ... 18f87c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Princess Bay starfish and sea cucumber"></a>
There are lots of baby fish hanging out in the mangrove roots here too...it's a nursery for all kinds of fish, including tiny little barracuda! They are only about three inches long, but do their best to seem super fierce.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/738427951/" title="starfish--mangroves by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1244/738 ... b2b1ca.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="starfish--mangroves"></a>
One time we even found a sea star eating a sea cucumber!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/738427881/" title="Princess Bay starfish and sea cucumber by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1185/738 ... 18f87c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Princess Bay starfish and sea cucumber"></a>
There are lots of baby fish hanging out in the mangrove roots here too...it's a nursery for all kinds of fish, including tiny little barracuda! They are only about three inches long, but do their best to seem super fierce.
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
HAnds down I have never seen more in one place than at Waterlemon Cay. Just head stright for the Cay and look down when you get close. They are everywhere.
Bear in mind that Princess Bay is great but Mangrove snorkeling isn't for everyone. It's natures little nursery but at some times of year it can be a bit smelly and if there's cloud cover it can be a bit dark.
It's definitely worth a try tho!
Bear in mind that Princess Bay is great but Mangrove snorkeling isn't for everyone. It's natures little nursery but at some times of year it can be a bit smelly and if there's cloud cover it can be a bit dark.
It's definitely worth a try tho!
*Another fine scatterbrained production
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Are there any poisonous ones in the Caribbean? I've never thought of starfish being poisonous until I went to the French Polynesia islands. There are some there that are highly toxic. I watched them (very large red ones) devour colorful coral and made sure I didn't step near them in the lagoon. I don't think the ones around St. John are toxic, but can others elaborate?