Float

Sea tides deposit familiar and curious life forms onto the shore. One of the most intriguing animals that I have encountered are sea cucumbers. With their squishy leathery skin, strange tentacled mouths, and lack of appendages, they seem to have no other option than to tumble around on the sandy sea floor. Remarkably sea cucumbers can liquify their bodies to squeeze into tiny spaces for protection.With over 1750 species, they are diverse creatures, and display a wide variety of sizes, textures and colours.
When I first found one lying amongst seaweed on the beach it looked inflated, and was shaped like a fishing float. I imagined it being carried by waves onto the shore. I have since learnt that sea cucumbers play an essential role as ‘detritivores’ in the marine ecosystem; essentially they are rubbish recyclers, so perhaps it is fitting that this one is made of recycled waste.