Brittle stars are the most mobile of the sea stars walking rapidly across the sea floor with great agility. Under the microscope they display a color pattern that is exquisite. With a bit of magnification, feathers reveal their 'velcro' style nature. Krill that are but a pink mass in a plankton net become animated swimmers under the lens. And with a computer hooked to our microscope we can take digital pictures of any of these beautiful creations, and put them on the Web site or project them on the lounge's television screen.
The brittle stars were found in a wonderful sea cave on the western side of George Island where we cruised in Zodiacs and paddled in our kayaks. When we first entered the cave with a Zodiac, we were struck by the myriad of colors displayed on the walls. Fortunately we were there on a low tide so the marine life was fully revealed. We found bright orange sponges, sea stars of many colors, pink anemones, and red sponges. As the low swells from the ocean gently lifted and dropped our Zodiac we listened to the sound of the waves hitting the head of the cave as we searched the walls for more sea life. Soon we found 4 inch chitons, large barnacles and fluted snails. In the waters floated jellyfish of numerous kinds.
The marine invertebrate life provides an exciting counterpoint to the larger, better known animals. To see them in a sea cave is a thrilling experience. With magnification we can discover beauty that is not always apparent at first glance. When we emerged from the cave, we found two humpback whales; one surfaced just 20 feet from our Zodiac. We were clearly reminded that large animals are still charismatic.
