The photograph's eye

Sandy Island : Coconut trees, a golden beach...and hungry rays!

This small island, just 800 feet (250 m) long is tucked away at the very south of the wide Caribbean arc, a few hundred yards from the north coast of Carriacou (Grenadines archipelago, Grenada). Sandy island is virgin: nothing but sand, coconut trees, birds and hermit crabs. Underwater you can witness an aquatic ballet of marine animals.

Published 25/07/2020

By Jonathan Jagot

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Issue: 173

Published: sept. / oct. 2020

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Even the most short-sighted diver couldn’t miss the lobsters under the huge coral outcrops that are surrounded by long, colorful sponges. In addition to turtles, jacks and all kinds of crustaceans, some quiet and discreet hosts line the sandy bottoms: these are the stingrays, common to most tropical seas. All around this charming island, they look for marine maggots buried in the sand. Under their «snout», they have Ampullae of Lorenzini, incredible sensory organs or electroreceptors, that enable them to detect heat gradients and magnetic fields. This equipment is extremely effective when looking for fresh food - even when it’s well hidden! Once it has located a ...

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