One for The Kids
The kids are on vacation
Your kids see you chugging away at your computer and reading away into the night and might be wondering what it is you see on Medium that’s so interesting. And since we’re in the middle of summer vacation you can bet that their eyes are on you more than ever before. Therefore, to help out mothers with school-age children, I thought it wise to write a short informative article for the little people in your household.
You can be a superhero
You’ve probably heard of whales and dolphins caught in low sea currents that land them on beaches. And you’ve probably heard too of people’s attempts at helping our unwieldy sea creatures to make it back to sea. Some efforts are successful and some end sadly. Still, those people who help are superheroes.
It is our duty, as inhabitants of this planet to help all creatures, big and small. So, I want to ask for your help if you can.
If you go to the beach this summer, chances are you’ll see seagulls, crabs, and starfish.
Seagulls eat small fish, bread, and seaweed; there are many seagulls at the beach.
Crabs eat shrimp, small fish, and ocean plants; there are many crabs at the beach and in the water too.
Starfish eat clams, oysters, and small fish, but in the ocean, there aren’t many starfish.
And do you know why that is? It’s because, unlike seagulls and crabs, starfish cannot move well or fast enough on the beach.
Let’s talk a little more about Starfish. How much do you know about them?
Well, for starters, do you know that Starfish, sometimes referred to as Sea Stars, are NOT fish? They do NOT swim either.
Starfish move in the water using a hydraulic (water-powered) system to move their tube feet to make suctions on the ocean floor. They have these cute tube feet with little suckers on the end to walk around on rocks, sand and mud. The little ‘Stars’ aren’t fast, but those tube feet are very strong and can pull really hard.
In an article that I read on google, one author compared their pulling to that of a human lifting a 1,000-pound weight with one hand. Wow, now that’s strong!
But that’s not all, their real talent is keeping up a steady pull for a very long time. Wow, again! Amazing, don’t you think?
But these little ‘Stars’ thrive well only in the water.
Sometimes you might be walking by the beach, usually at low tide, and might catch a glimpse of a Starfish laying there. What do you do then?
Did you know that the only reason why they lay on the beach at low tide is that they’re following their food? At low tide, the little fish that Starfish feed on are often above the waterline.
Side note: Hey, what do you call them? Do you call them Starfish? Or do you call them Sea Stars? In Japan where I live, children call them ‘HITODE’ which translates to HUMAN HAND. If you extend your fingers out wide, you can see that they resemble starfish.
Starfish need to stay fairly wet all the time. They breathe through gills on their underbelly.
So if you see them out of the water sometimes please would you do me a favor? Put them back into the water because if they stay out too long, they will die.
Easy, right? Now go be a superhero.
THANKS FOR READING.
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