Kuta Beach
The striking thing about the sea at Kuta is its energy - the waves
break close to shore and there is a long tidal reach, so the shore
is heavily scoured. Few organisms can cope with the heavy surges
of water. But wander along Kuta Beach at low tide and you'll notice
what look like the five-pad footprints of a large dog, but not
arranged in tracks. Brush away the sand and just beneath the surface
You will find Sand Dollars (Echinodiscus bisperforatus), relatives
of the sea urchins. Their flat shape offers minimal resistance
to the moving water and hundreds can be found in a short walk.
Another conspicuous creature is the abundant kremis shell (Donax
cuneata), only about 1 cm long and in various colors: gold, purple,
white and red. The waves uncover these bivalves when they are
just below the sand but their white "foot" drags them
into the sand again, sharp end first, leaving the flattened end
topmost. At the end of the day, when bodies beautiful and otherwise
have retired to the showers and bars, the beach masseuses can
be found collecting the kremis. They're good to eat, if fiddly,
and the water they are boiled in makes a good soup. Much less
abundant is the so-called "common" Olive Shell (Oliva
oliva) which is about 2 cm long and has a shiny, brown-patterned
shell. This moves just below the sand's surface and its winding
tracks are quite conspicuous as it searches for and eats the kremis.
When the tide recedes, tiny Bubbler Crabs (Scopimera) emerge from
their burrows, as many as 100 per square meter. They feed on minute
organic particles in the sand, rolling the processed sand away
from their holes in roughly concentric circles around the burrow
entrance. When the tide creeps up again the sand is covered with
these tiny balls. As the water reaches their burrows, the crabs
busily push small domes of sand over the entrances, sealing the
air in against the rising tide.
Much larger burrows found higher up the beach belong to Ghost
Crabs (Oxypode) which venture onto the beach foraging for organic
goodies at the water's edge. Two aquatic crabs may nibble at your
toes while paddling - the small (less than 5 cm) Moon Crab (Matuta
lunaris) with broad paddles at the tip of its legs, and the larger
Flower Crab (Portunus pelagicus) with long arms and paddles on
only the last pair of legs. These paddles are used both for swimming
and for digging just below the sand surface, where they generally
hide during the day. Both have long and very sharp spines jutting
outward from the sides of their bodies. They feed on small fish,
shellfish and worms.
Their empty shells can often be found stranded on the beach, but
these are usually moulted skins rather than the remains of dead
animals. Kuta is also the best tourist beach to see seabirds.
Black, angular-winged Greater Frigates (obtusely named Fregata
minor) soar effortlessly on unmoving wings in groups of up to
20 individuals. Small white terns dance above the water, picking
up unwary fishes, while grayish Brown Boobies (Sula leucogaster)
sometimes fly in a very determined manner parallel to the coast.
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