Who can help me identify this..?

Exit Zero · Post by **Exit Zero** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 7:28 pm

Looks to be a Flying Gurnard!!

California Girl · Post by **California Girl** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 7:33 pm

I was going to guess flyng fish, but I just want to say it's really pretty!

Exit Zero · Post by **Exit Zero** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 7:35 pm

It is actually a bottom feeder and the wingspread is intimidating and protective - flying fish really do fly!

Diana2 · Post by **Diana2** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 7:38 pm

I second the Flying Gunard. I saw one once at Jumbie a few years ago. Where did you see that one?

Sun4MySoul · Post by **Sun4MySoul** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 7:38 pm

Thanks Exit Zero!! It was very fun to watch, even though I had no idea what it was!

StJohnRuth · Post by **StJohnRuth** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 7:47 pm

That's cool. How big was it?

Sun4MySoul · Post by **Sun4MySoul** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 7:57 pm

His body was about 10" long. And he was in less than 10 feet of water.

He was rummaging around in the sand just off the shore at Hawksnest. It was a totally random discovery. He foraged for a VERY long time and was completely undeterred by me...even when I dove down to get a closer look.

I think I could have hung out all morning with him, but unfortunately, I had a dang ferry to catch!

StJohnRuth · Post by **StJohnRuth** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 8:48 pm

Dang that ferry.

- Ruth

Exit Zero · Post by **Exit Zero** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 1:13 am

The Dengue Fairy?

tinajohnson · Post by **tinajohnson** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 3:32 pm

Sun it is a Flying Gurnard. I saw one at Little Cinnamon back in June.

jimg20 · Post by **jimg20** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 3:38 pm

The SOTB'ers tell me they saw one at Hawksnest yesterday. It was about 10 or 15 feet off the beach in a sandy area. They didn't get a photo.

JIM

XOXO · Post by **XOXO** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 8:36 pm

Sun4MySoul wrote:His body was about 10" long. And he was in less than 10 feet of water.

He was rummaging around in the sand just off the shore at Hawksnest. It was a totally random discovery. He foraged for a VERY long time and was completely undeterred by me...even when I dove down to get a closer look.

I think I could have hung out all morning with him, but unfortunately, I had a dang ferry to catch!

Wow! Cool. I haven't seen anything like that. I would have missed the ferry.

GG

LandLockedBeachLover · Mon Nov 02, 2009 11:54 am

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I didn't have a pic of one from our trip to Waterlemon this summer, but it was the weirdest-looking thing! Mystery solved!

mindehankins · Post by **mindehankins** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 12:21 pm

I saw that same fish, Sun4mysoul, on my last float, at Hawksnest, in the same spot....right as you enter at the sandy area, in shallower water! I was really perplexed by it and took a bunch of photos, though none as good as yours, cause I can't dive down.
It walked like a crab, on the sandy bottom.
Later that day, while I was waiting for ribs at Candi's, I was looking through the St. John Tradewinds, and...serendipity....there was my explanation! Some Gifft Hill schoolkids cleaning up the beach got to see him with a VINP naturist (pg. 10).

usvi-on-line

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Who can help me identify this..?

Who can help me identify this..?