Another freezing cold, dreary, manically windy morning. Husband is still snoozing away, and I've just watched dog number 2 get up and trot her way back to the bedroom, choosing body warmth and blankets over the heater that I'm crouched in front of. So unlikely there'll be any real adventures again today, apart from doing the groceries which last time I checked wasn't the most inspiring thing to do. Although I have to admit that I actually don't mind it all. All those options. All those bargains. A trolley to lean on as you swoosh (slowly) up and down the aisles. Anyway.
So I trawled through my photo library and remembered this incredible urchin I found a couple of weeks ago (and then again a few days after that). These Slate Pencil Urchins are common and so distinctive that now I've seen one I'll be able to identify the next from 100 paces. I actually found this one in the shallow pool that I've filmed it in. Right out in the open. I didn't even have to hunt, or turn over any rocks or risk squatting down and getting stuck there, flailing around waiting for help. Nope. Love a critter that makes life easy.
Urchins like to hide away in crevices during the day and come out at night, roaming around, using their incredible teeth to munch away - with this species eating algae, so I was super suprised to find it and once I grabbed a couple of photos and some video I found a more sheltered rock pool for it so it could hide safely away until nightfall. This video is sped up, as the process of it turning itself over, rotating its spines and pushing off against the sides and floor of the rock pool took about 3 minutes. Which if you think about it, isn't a long time for what is essentially an armoured simple animal consisting predominantly of a mouth and gonads and no true brain, to not only work out that it is upside down but to then to right itself.
Slate Pencil Urchin
Sandon Point