A CLUB SPINED SEA URCHIN is an ECHINODERM….and so is the GREEN SEA URCHIN (or also called the VARIEGATED SEA URCHIN)…
This post is a continuation of our snorkeling Road Trip To Seashells In The Florida Keys because I had to do a little more research on these SEA URCHINS I saw this past weekend. ECHINODERMS (pronounced ek-EYE- no-derms) include SEA STARS, SAND DOLLARS, SEA CUCUMBERS and SEA URCHINS so I wanted to share this word with you…. I love to say it ….”Echinoderm”. Ha!
It was fun to see this “hairy” BRITTLE STAR (also an Echinoderm) while so many beautiful tropical fish casually swam by painting the sea with bright blues with stripes of yellows and greens.
So come on in the water with me and enjoy snorkeling the underwater world in only 5 to 12 feet of water around the Florida Keys.The water’s fine!
Great Photos Pam!!!
My sisters and I have a trip planned to Big Pine Key in August. We live for our visits to Sanibel and the Keys. We’re staying at the Big Pine Key Fishing Lodge and hope to skindive a little. Were you offshore very far when you all found your treasures? We aren’t taking a boat but want to see some good stuff so we’re hopeful to get lucky close to the shore.
Thanks for sharing your trip with us! :)
Leah
We were out on the boat all of the time we found our goodies. We were not in walking distance from the shore at any time….it was very different for us!
Pam
Loved the video. What type of camera were you using to shoot it?
RC
Pam, thank you so much for sharing your adventures. It is truly a blessing for those of us who are unable to experience it as frequently as you. Your posts have made me (and my family) much more aware of the importance of saving our oceans. I’m sure when you started this you had no idea the impact it would have but, it’s huge and continuing to grow. I really appreciate all of the time and effort you and your hubby put into it! Already looking forward to your next post! Martha :)
WOW! It is just fabulous. Even though we get to Sanibel almost every year, trips to the Keys are few and far between. That might have to change. But I’ve got to learn snorkeling first. :)
Katherine
Just shared on twitter… Pam , I am so grateful to you and Clark, as are many here for taking us with you on your journeys shelling and finding sea treasures. As you know I spend 75% of my time bedridden, but having a deep love for the ocean, you bring me there almost daily… and in such a peaceful way… No one can thank you enough for all you share with us!
Cathy B
pbprojecthope at yahoo dot com @projecthope7
Fun! Fun! Fun! I could watch the colorful saltwater fish all day! Thank you for taking the video and sharing with us. Is this the video you referred to earlier in the week which was taken before your camera open and “flooded”?
You were snorkeling? Seems like you were underwater for a very long time. How could you hold you breath that long? I know that you can submerge with a snorkel but the air supply doesn’t last that long does it? The video is really amazing, Pam. I always find it a bit unnerving to be out of sight of land. I guess I don’t have enough experience boating to get used to it, lol. Looks like a tropical paradise underwater. Danke schoen.
Thank you for taking the time to educate us on all the beauty that a lot of us very rarely have the opportunity to experience. My wife and I were in Sanibel last year and enjoyed it very much. Look forward to making it back.
Yes, I was snorkeling, not diving with a tank so I was only in around….maybe 7 (?) feet of water so I could breath the whole time with my snorkel. It’s fabulous! but you still have to know what you are doing because there are things to watch out for….like barracudas (yes we saw one-yikes!) and Lionfish (we saw one of those too). I took this with a small Fuji underwater camera that flooded right after I took all of the photos and video. I was able to save the pics by taking the SD card out ASAP. I bought the camera at Costco and they were just fine with me returning it. I need to find another good underwater camera that the battery door isnt so sensitive. Anybody have any ideas?
Pam
I went camera shopping after viewing your video. We were wanting a smaller compact to use so we wouldn’t have to worry about the wifes 35mm falling victim to the salt water. While shopping we noticed Olympus has a couple of models out there both of them were much higher than the fuji but one looked to be much tougher and it was suppose to be good to a depth of 33 foot. It was a model TG810 but was around $400. I just couldn’t see spending that much on a compact camera so we settled on the Fuji. Hope we have better luck with it than you did yours.
Pam, enjoyed the video. That is exactly what I see out on the reef, but I seldom, if ever, hear the music in the background. ;~)
Dear Pam,
I arrived home yesterday to two things. One was my the lighted cap that I won in your contest, which had just arrived in the mail. The other was my frustrated husband Ted trying to replace the burned out light bulbs under the microwave. The problem was he couldn’t see to put them in properly because he kept blocking the light from the flashlight with his hand while trying to put them in. You know how awkward it can be to put something in upside down and backward. This afternoon, I looked and the cap and looked at the microwave and had a brilliant idea. I put on the cap, turned on the megawatt lights, and voila! It took me seconds to replace the bulbs! Thank you so much for the timely gift!
Hope to see you some early morning at Sanibel. Now that school is out, we plan to get there as often as possible.
Happy shelling,
Barbara
Ha! And yet another use for the lighted cap! Hey, MK- I bet she heard music in the background after fixing that bulb in a “flash”! heehee