March 10th, 2008

Did you know spiders have a reflective coating on the backs of their eyes that allow them to take in more ambient light and thus see better at night?


One of the newest additions to our nature tours is the “Nocturnal Discovery.” On this tour, guests will discover a world of sea animals, insects and reptiles that are most active at night. What’s nice about this nature tour is it gives members the opportunity to learn about the nocturnal adaptations of the animals we find. We begin our tour by driving out to the south end of Ambergris Cay, flash lights in hand, in search of spiders and snakes along the sides of the road. Once we reach the south end of the island, we prepare to wade ankle deep into the ocean by putting on our wading boots, taking with us essential tools such as a bucket, flashlight and net.


Some nocturnal sea animals we find include sea stars, crabs, sea hares, anemones, mollusks, chitons, silver backs, and even octopuses! Kids have fun picking up the sea hares and watching them ‘ink’ in the water. It’s also fun to play with the octopuses as they climb around in the bucket. Some animals will even change color as a form of communication or camouflage, giving participants on the tour with a beautiful display! Once everyone has collected enough animals in their water buckets, we will talk about the various things people have discovered. The Noctournal Discoveries are a great way to explore and learn all about Ambergris Cays night life!

Filed under: Naturalist |