FTV A UTV Adventure in Aruba

We picked up the UTVs and we got a guided tour all around the island. We went to Boca beach which was one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever been to.








We snorkeled over a reef and floated in the water. Snorkeling here is pretty good with many fish and corals and a good number of sponges to see on the various sized boulders.

Then we packed up our snorkeling gear and ventured to a place in the park where there is a pond full of fish. Now these fish were not average pond fish these fish give people pedicures! So we all sat around with our feet in the pond and got a pedicure. It was very funny to see because out of our groupof 20 most of them we guys and they were screaming because it tickled so much.

Garra Rufa is called the reddish log sucker. They live and breed in outdoor pools where they feed on the dry skin of feet. During a treatment customers place their feet in tanks of warm freshwater containing dozens of toothless Garra rufa fish, which are about the size of minnows. They are also known as doctor or nibble fish. They suck and gently nibble away at dry and dead skin. The end result is said to leave your feet feeling refreshed and healthy.

This is a great example of symbiosis which is the interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both.

I'd say my favorite part of the tour was when we went to the natural pool and snorkeled, saw some fish, and jumped off the rocks. By the time we were finished it was dark and we went back to drop off the UTV's and called it a day!

Everyone had a wonderful day yesterday and we are excited to get out and see some more of Aruba!

Until next time,
Courtney

Symbiotic relationships are an important component of life in an ecosystem. In such relationships, plants or animals of different species may be dependent on one another for survival. They may share habitats or lifestyles or interact in a specific way to benefit from the presence of another organism.

When two organisms are in a symbiotic relationship, sometimes both organisms benefit (mutualism) and other times one organism may benefit while another is unaffected (commensalism). Not all symbioses are positive for both organisms: in a parasitic relationship, one member benefits while the “host” is harmed.

Although there are many ways organisms interact with one another, most symbioses involve clever ways to obtain food or protection. For example, species of snapping shrimp and gobies inhabit the same burrow; since the shrimp is blind, the goby warns it of unwanted company, while the shrimp keeps the burrow clean. In its juvenile stage, the spider crab can be seen hitching a ride inside the bell of the cannonball jellyfish. At hydrothermal vents, chemosynthetic bacteria live inside of animals in a mutualistic symbiotic relationship where the animals support the existence of the bacteria and the bacteria provide food to the animals in an environment where light does not penetrate.

Learn more about symbiotic relationships in nature
The Real Nemo Lesson Plan
Try this challenge
Symbiotic Relationships
Make it a game
Drama based symbiosis instruction