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ANGLERFISH
starters , the giant tube worm has no mouth , no digestive tract and no access to sunlight . They solely rely on chemical energy to convert carbon dioxide into nutrients . Also astounding about these creatures is their size , as they can grow up to 8 feet .
Vaquita
Even as the most endangered marine mammals on Earth , many have never heard of the vaquita . But this rare aquatic animal , which lives in Mexico ’ s Gulf of California , is so imperiled that there are thought to be only 10 remaining on the planet . Thought to be endangered due to entanglement in gillnets , typically set for catching totoaba , vaquita is the smallest marine mammal , measuring between 3 to 5 feet in length and weighing less than 100 pounds . An incredibly rare sight to behold , the vaquita ' s unique facial markings of a black ring around each eye and black curved lips are often compared to the appearance of a smiling panda . Vaquitas are but one of the many species that help make the gulf a place of biological importance due to its unique diversity .
Anglerfish
Venture roughly a mile under the water ’ s surface to discover the anglerfish , which lives in the deep sea within the Atlantic and Antarctic oceans . One of the most interesting adaptations about this fish , which can reach over 3 feet in length and lives in complete darkness , is its dorsal spine . In females , the anglerfish ’ s dorsal spine extends far past its body , almost like a fishing rod , and hangs a " lighted lure " over their mouth . By pulsing the light and moving the lure back and forth , these fish successfully attract pelagic crustaceans and other prey — which can be scarce to find in the deep sea .
Blue Holes
Commonly believed to have formed during the Ice Age , these large sinkholes filled with water when sea levels rose and now serve as rich ecosystems for microbial biodiversity . Due to the lack of oxygen within blue holes and the time period in which they formed , they also contain well-preserved fossils of plants and animals . The majority of blue holes can be found in the Caribbean , namely Belize and the Bahamas , but still others are located in Egypt , China , Malta and even the United States . The Great Blue Hole is the largest blue hole in the world . It is located roughly 60 miles offshore from Belize City and is part of the Belize barrier reef system . It measures about 1,000 feet in circumference and approximately 400 feet in depth .
Bioluminescent Tides
Photographers around the world flock to the sea on late-night adventures in the hopes of capturing the glowing waves of bioluminescent tides . Occurring everywhere
BIOLUMINESCENT TIDES
from California ’ s coastline to Taiwan , the Maldives , New Zealand , Sea Island and beyond , this rare phenomenon happens as the result of algae bloom . When bioluminescent creatures , called dinoflagellates , gather in large colonies , the movement of the water causes the phytoplankton to glow and sparkle with a bright blue hue . It ’ s truly a captivating sight .
Underwater Crop Circles
First located in 1995 , divers identified mystifying 7-foot-wide circle patterns on the seafloor off the coast of southern Japan . In 2011 , scientists discovered that the delicate , symmetrical designs are created by pufferfish as part of their mating process . The male pufferfish flap their fins to make the patterns before decorating them with sediment and shells . While it has yet to be determined what the females are looking for , if they ’ re
84 SEA ISLAND LIFE | SPRING / SUMMER 2023