| Ringing in good tidings for the new | | | | independently of each other. Ranging in |
| year, a newly immigrated resident to | | | | size from the tiny 10mm to 35cm, the |
| Krabi was spotted by one of our | | | | largest is the Pacific Seahorse. |
| instructors on New Year's Day. At 4-cm | | | | Seahorses eat small crustaceans which |
| long, he appears pregnant. Yes, "he" was | | | | they catch by staying still and lying in |
| pregnant as the male in this species are | | | | wait till their prey comes near, and |
| the ones to get pregnant and productive! | | | | they snap them up. Then their tube-like |
| Krabi, south of Thailand, is the gateway | | | | mouth creates a vacuum that sucks the |
| to the famous Andaman Sea where scuba | | | | prey in and they swallow their food |
| divers and snorkellors from all over the | | | | whole. |
| world convene as winter approaches in | | | | Sea horses are unusual in a couple of |
| the western world. Famous for its | | | | ways. One is that they are monogamous |
| incredible waters, great visibility and | | | | and have long courtship periods when |
| huge variety of dive terrain, Krabi is a | | | | mating. Monogamy is unusual in all |
| must-stop for all nature and water | | | | animals but particularly among fish. The |
| lovers on vacation in Asia. operates the | | | | longer a couple of seahorses stick |
| premier scuba-diving and eco-tourism | | | | together, the better they are at |
| center in the heart of Aonang, the | | | | producing babies. It is the males of |
| sea-side town of Krabi. Here, you can | | | | seahorses that carry their eggs in a |
| launch off to the amazing Similans, | | | | pouch on his belly, after the eggs have |
| Richelieu Rock, Phi Phi islands, Phuket | | | | been deposited there by the female. The |
| and Lanta. And lets not forget the | | | | eggs are fertilised in the pouch and |
| relatively unexplored local Krabi waters | | | | incubated between 10 days to 4 weeks |
| where the caves and caverns provide a | | | | before they hatch. At hatching, the male |
| great underwater adventure. And here is | | | | gives birth to fully developed but tiny |
| where we found our Tiger-Tailed Seahorse | | | | little seahorses. The natural lifespan |
| on New Year's Day! | | | | of seahorses is not known, but believed |
| Seahorses are amazing creatures. The | | | | to be from one year for small species to |
| seahorse is one of four families in the | | | | five years for the larger species. |
| syngnathiform family which also includes | | | | Highly elusive and difficult to spot in |
| pipefish, flag-tail pipefish and | | | | moving water, finding a seahorse is |
| seadragons. They swim in an upright | | | | every diver's dream come true. |
| position with their tails down and their | | | | So, you can imagine our absolute |
| heads up using their dorsal to move | | | | euphoria when we spotted the little |
| forward and pectoral fins for steering | | | | yellow Tiger-Tail. Being creatures of |
| control. Also unique for their | | | | habit, once settled into a location, |
| prehensile tail (able to twist & | | | | they tend not to move too much. Hence, |
| grasp),tube-like mouth (with no teeth), | | | | we can find it again and would love to |
| and small gill openings. Seahorses (like | | | | show it to you. |
| chameleons) can even move their two eyes | | | | |