Cayos Holandeses, San Blas Islands, Panama, Caribbean Sea
Worms . . . words like “colorful” and “elegant” are not usually used to describe them. “Wiggly, brown, dirt-dwelling fish bait” usually seems more fitting. But here on the reefs of the San Blas islands, we found many colorful and elegant . . .worms. Really.
Christmas tree worms tunnel into the hard skeletons of live coral. Most of the worm is hidden beneath the coral surface (the one pictured above is in brain coral), but two sets of feathery tentacles extend into the water for collecting food and oxygen. Their spiral arrangement makes them look like a pair of tiny, layered Christmas trees. In the blink of an eye, those tentacles can be retracted if a small fish tries to nip at them. They look like artificial trees in colors of pink, red, orange and blue . . .but they are only two centimeters tall.
Today we snorkeled and saw these and many other beautiful worms, hard corals, soft corals, and fishes. Some of us paddled kayaks over the clear, turquoise waters, and others took a short walk to visit the home of the Kuna family that calls this island gem home.
Worms . . . words like “colorful” and “elegant” are not usually used to describe them. “Wiggly, brown, dirt-dwelling fish bait” usually seems more fitting. But here on the reefs of the San Blas islands, we found many colorful and elegant . . .worms. Really.
Christmas tree worms tunnel into the hard skeletons of live coral. Most of the worm is hidden beneath the coral surface (the one pictured above is in brain coral), but two sets of feathery tentacles extend into the water for collecting food and oxygen. Their spiral arrangement makes them look like a pair of tiny, layered Christmas trees. In the blink of an eye, those tentacles can be retracted if a small fish tries to nip at them. They look like artificial trees in colors of pink, red, orange and blue . . .but they are only two centimeters tall.
Today we snorkeled and saw these and many other beautiful worms, hard corals, soft corals, and fishes. Some of us paddled kayaks over the clear, turquoise waters, and others took a short walk to visit the home of the Kuna family that calls this island gem home.
