Coastal marine organisms
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Lionfish
Lionfish are sometimes encountered in the waters of our deep, offshore sites, close to the gulf stream, and here are some photos of several beautiful examples. Tinged in hues of brown and purple, their long, graceful spines can inflict a painful wound! The Lion-fish feeds on crabs, crustaceans, and other small fishes, while it's stately appearance serves as a warning to fend off other potential predators. Also a popular species with aquarium enthusiasts!
Coral and sponges
Our civil-war era wrecks are encrusted with corals and sponges in a stunning variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. And our artificial reefs, like the Bill Perry and Barracuda Alley are covered by many different types of plants.
Minnows
Minnows like Tomtates, Ring-tails and Cigar Minnows thrive along the coast of South Carolina. For the diver, the experience of being surrounded by one of these vast schools, suspended weightless in space, can be exhilarating! Sometimes these schools of minnows can be so thick they block out the light! The three types mentioned,- Tomtates, Ring-tails, and Cigar Minnows can be found on all of our shipwrecks and reefs in abundance,- No dive is a lonely dive.
sand tiger shark
An encounter with a sand tiger shark is one of the most thrilling encounters a diver can have. Also known as the ragged-tooth shark, sand tiger sharks are ferocious in appearance, but they are normally not menacing to divers. Sand tiger sharks are known to visit our shipwrecks and reefs during their mating season in the spring and fall. Sometimes they will appear individually, and sometimes they will congregate in large schools!
Manatee
The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), one of only four species of sirenians that exist in the world, is the only member of the order Sirenia that lives in the United States. Large seal-shaped creatures with flippers as forelimbs and paddle-like rounded tails, manatees average 10 feet in length and 1,000 - 2,500 in weight as adults. These slow-moving creatures, also known as "sea cows," spend most of their time eating, resting or traveling in the rivers, estuaries, saltwater bays, creeks and canals along the coast.
oyster catcher
Georgia is home to several species of rare birds that nest exclusively on ocean beaches. One of the most colorful coastal birds, the American oyster catcher makes its home on Georgia's wide beach flats and oyster shell bars. American oyster catchers are large, boldly patterned shorebirds that normally grow to 16-17 inches in length. The oyster catcher's dark brown back contrasts with its black head and neck, red eye-ring, and yellow iris to make it distinctive from other shorebirds. A white underside and pale flesh colored legs are also traits of the oyster catcher A flattened 4-inch blunt, chisel like bill ranging in color from deep orange to red with a yellowish tip completes the look of the oyster catcher.
american alligator
The American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) has changed little from its original form some 180 million years ago. Alligators were hunted to near extinction in the 1950's and early 1960's, but protective action by state and federal governments helped keep them from disappearing completely. This type of protection allowed the Alligator population to increase. They were removed from "total protection" status in 1987. The alligator now has a status of "threatened due to similarity of appearance" because of its likeness to other crocodilians worldwide that still receive protection. The removal from total protection status allows Georgia and other southeastern states greater flexibility in managing alligator populations.
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Last updated 4/29/13