![]() ![]() ![]() The above chart shows the high and low tide times at Barataria Pass. Why You Should Check The Local Weather Before Planning Your Day.How to Use the Tide Schedule to Your Advantage.The Surprising Way Weather Affects Your Mood.The Yellow-crowned Night Heron is standing in the rough sand, above the high-water mark of the high tide, where the Ghost Crabs live. This marks the high-water mark of the high tide, the highest point on the beach that the waves could reach at the last high tide. But in the foreground, notice how the sand is rough. The sand on this beach is smooth where the waves have washed over it. Then there is a layer of water on the sand, as the waves wash up and down the beach. Behind it you can see the waves lapping up on the beach at the edge of the sea. It is no wonder that Ghost Crabs live in deep burrows in the sand to keep away from these hunters. Then, fast as lightning, the bird bent over and stood up with a Ghost Crab in its beak. Its long legs give it a good view over the sand. We watched this bird one morning, pacing up and down the beach. Yellow-crowned Night Herons eat Ghost Crabs. Yellow-crowned Night Herons are common in the Caribbean. This long-legged beach hunter is the Yellow-crowned Night Heron. However, unlike land crabs that spend their whole lives out of the water, Ghost Crabs must return to the ocean to breed. Ghost Crabs live in the sand above the high-water mark of the high tide. We have seen Ghost Crabs throughout the Caribbean. Ghost Crabs are common residents of sandy beaches. The crab in this picture was about 7 inches from toe to toe, and its body was about 2.5 inches wide. They can disappear into these holes in the blink of an eye, helping to give them the illusion of invisibility. And they can run very fast, but usually when you are not looking at them. Their bodies are white, yellow, orange, and brown and help them blend in with the sand so well that they seem almost invisible. Ghost Crabs get their name because they are so hard to see. But when I would turn to look, there was nothing there. I had the feeling that out of the corner of my eye I could see the sand move. One evening as we walked along the beach, I thought the sand was moving. These plants reveal that Grand Turk is a desert island that receives only a small amount of rainfall each year. Notice the short grasses and small leaves on the small trees. ![]() These two donkeys were near the top of the bluff overlooking North Creek near the north end of Grand Turk, not far from the Imperial Lighthouse. Almost everyone on Grand Turk has a fence around their yard to keep the horses out of their gardens!ĭonkeys also wander freely over the island. Although they are not wild horses, horses are allowed to wander all over the island, giving them access to the grazing land they need. These two beautiful horses were walking along the beach one morning, grazing on the beach grasses. Healthy mangroves are an important natural resource on many Caribbean islands that we must protect to help keep the reefs in good shape. These roots give good hiding places for young fishes, helping protect them from this hungry Egret. Notice the long roots of the mangrove trees, growing down from the tree trunks into the water like stilts. This Great Egret is hunting for small fish among the mangrove trees that grow at the edges of North Creek. This shallow bay is an important habitat for the juveniles of many species of reef fishes. You can find this bay on the map of Grand Turk. North Creek is a long salt-water bay at the north end of Grand Turk. Here are some of the creatures ReefNews has seen on its expeditions to Grand Turk. But Grand Turk's beaches, shorelines, and desert habitats are home to a wide variety of wildlife as well. Grand Turk's Tropical Reefs are home to countless exotic creatures. ![]()
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