Sea nasties. They’re everywhere in the ocean, from stingy jellyfish to Great White Sharks and everything in between. Some people won’t go near the ocean, and others can’t get enough of it.
For those who love to poke around the sandbar in Key West, here’s your guide to all the creepy, gooey, nasty stuff you might encounter.
What Can You See on a Key West Sandbar Charter?
First off, there are, of course, lots of things you can see from a boat that are not nasty. There are many cool critters and marine animals on a Key West sandbar charter: dolphins, manatees, pretty fishies, colorful birdies, etc.
By ‘creepy’ critters, I just mean weird stuff. Like anywhere in the natural world, the closer you look, the weirder, creepier, and nastier things get. Take a magnifying glass to your lawn and see what I mean…creepy! Nasty! Well, the sandbar in Key West is no different.
Sandbar Jellyfish and Things Like Jellyfish
Jellyfish are everywhere. Some are very dangerous, but thankfully, all the other jellyfish nations sent those jellies to Australia. The types you see here may sting, but it is generally like an insect bite—only dangerous if you are especially sensitive or have a reaction. Still, there’s no point in touching the jellyfish.
Turtles eat jellyfish for breakfast; did you know that? But you shouldn’t—jellyfish on toast tastes awful.
Mangrove Jellyfish (Cassiopea Jellies)
Cassiopeas, or Mangrove Jellies, are everywhere in the Keys, and there’s no way you’ll go near the water without seeing at least a couple. What throws people off is that they don’t usually look like jellies.
Mangrove Jellyfish spend most of their time sitting on the bottom with their asses pointed to the sky. That’s how they get their other name: “Upside-down Jellyfish.” This species has a species of photosynthetic dinoflagellates that live in its tentacles. Those little guys need sunlight, so the jellyfish oblige by sitting upside down in shallow water. It’s a symbiotic relationship, so the jellyfish is getting something out of it. Companionship? We’ll never know.
If the jelly is disturbed or just wants to go for a swim, it looks much more like a typical jellyfish. They come in all shades of brown, green, and blue. Mangrove Jellyfish do sting, but most people find it to be about the same as a mosquito bite (in other words, not that bad, but not fun either).
Man o' War Jellies
The Portuguese Man of War is a crazy-looking sack of air floating on the ocean. Tentacles up to 20 feet long trail underneath it, catching fish for supper. Even though the Man o’ War looks and acts like a jellyfish, it’s technically a siphonophore.
Being stung by a Man-o-War is no fun at all; it’s very painful. Sensitive individuals may have severe allergic reactions. If you see one while swimming or washed up on the sandbar, give it lots of space.
Cannonball Jellies
At certain times of the year, Cannonball Jellies seem to take over. They also seem to wash up on the beach often, like they aren’t very good navigators. The internet says that cannonballs are mostly harmless to humans, but they do possess a toxin that can cause cardiac problems, which doesn’t sound ‘harmless’ to me. Perhaps it is best not to touch a cannonball jelly, either.
Echinoderms
Echino-whats? Well, friends, I couldn’t think of a snappy title for this one, so I deferred to science. Echinoderms are a phylum of marine species that includes many of the creepy crawlies you might see on the sandbar.
Sea Stars
Patrick, Spongebob’s best friend, is the most famous echinoderm of all. Starfish are everywhere, and while you can sometimes find a dead one on the beach (sad face), there are lots of living ones in the shallows around the sandbar. The most obvious ones are the giant orange ones, sometimes called Bahamas Sea Stars or Cushion Sea Stars.
There are also Brittle Sea Stars. They are dainty and delicate. Thankfully, a sea star can regenerate a limb if it loses one.
Sea Biscuits
Sea biscuits are a weird cross between sea stars and sand dollars. They’re fat and puffy, like biscuits. Living ones are brown; dead ones are white shells. There’s a five-pointed star on the top of the shell—remember, they are a close relative of the sea star. On living animals, the entire shell is covered by tiny spines that help it walk and move food toward its mouth.
Sea Urchins
You’ll likely see hundreds of sea urchins when exploring seagrass beds and never know it. The long-spined variety is easy to see, but they’re more common on the coral reefs. The short-spined ones living in seagrass like to camouflage themselves with leaves and shells, blending in well. But once you realize what they’re doing, they become very easy to spot.
Sea Cucumbers
Sea Cucumbers are echinoderms that lack a hard shell. There are many species, and some are colorful. But let’s be honest: the best is the Donkey Dung Sea Cucumber because it is the best.
The Donkey Dung Sea Cucumber looks like its name, something that’s maybe a rotten pickle or maybe something left behind by Shrek’s friend Donkey. They’re dark brown and, well, that’s enough with the description…you get the idea!
Sea Hare
The Sea Hare is a crazy-looking snail without a shell. It has little horns and eye stalks and sort of flies or floats like it’s on a magic carpet. Creepy.
American Crocodiles
The good news is that there are no alligators near Key West because alligators like freshwater. So, you’ll have to head up to the Everglades to see those.
The bad news: There are crocs! The American Crocodile is rarer than alligators and is only found on the southern tip of Florida around the Florida Keys. They have a cozy wildlife sanctuary dedicated to them (they are an endangered species) located north of Key Largo off of Card Sound Road. But these crocs like to roam and explore, so occasionally, they pop up all along the Keys. Will you see one at the sandbar? It’s extremely unlikely. If you happen to be a Yorkie or Miniature Poodle, keep your guard up. Otherwise, just don’t wrestle it if you see one.
What Are Those Strange Piles of Sand?
Have you seen Dune? Well, the sandworms are all up in these sandbars. Thankfully, the ones we have here are much smaller and friendlier than those on Arrakis.
The little piles of sand that you see walking the beach or exploring the sandbar? Those are “castings,” a proper, sciency way of saying poop. Yes, friends, those artful little piles of sand are worm poop.
The lugworm lives in a little burrow under the sand. It eats up the sand and digests little microorganisms. And then, well, you get a casting out the other end.
You’ll never actually see the worm unless you’re industrious enough to dig one up. All those wading birds you see plucking at the sand are after them. When you see evidence of one here, it’s likely a few inches long. In Australia (of course, it’s always Australia, isn’t it?), they have giant ones that are several feet long.
On the other hand, you might also encounter these transparent, stringy tubes in the sand. These are almost fluid and move with the water. They are egg casings, but I’m not sure exactly what left it.
Egg casings come in an endless variety of shapes and sizes, with each species of critter leaving something completely different.
Ready to Meet All the Creepy Critters on the Key West Sandbar?
Jokes aside, a trip out to the sandbar is an amazing experience. While you might be sitting in worm poop and swimming with crocodiles, there’s no reason to think about all that! Just have another beer and relax.
But if you’re into it, there are tons of cool critters to meet. Just think of this poem, which is easy to remember and teaches you which critters are okay to touch.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Don’t touch anything.
Call Capt. Zak, book your Key West sandbar charter, and see what you can find out there!
