"Santa Claus" and sentimental journeys

Okay, we do admit it. We have been returning to Croatia, several times, every year, same place. Not just because of the tardigrades, as you might suspect.

A routine of almost brute beauty: a typical daily sunset at Mali Losinj, as seen
from the hotel "Aurora".

Specular reflections transferring a bizarre image of the Veli Losinj church into the harbour basin.

Just a few meters away from the hotel: Belone belone, swimming closely below the waterline and hunting.

First shallow water diving, accompanied by curious Oblada melanura individuals.

A further example of a bigger maritime animal: the starfish Marthasterias glacialis.

Moving to microscopic dimensions: we simply had to call it "Santa Claus" - sorry. Small flatworm from the ocean at Mali Losinj. Body length well below 1 mm.

From time to time we are being asked by our readers: you are claiming to reset the tardigrades onto their moss, back into their ponds etc. - are you joking?
Possibly is it impossible to behave strictly morally towards ALL animals. But we enjoy being not unnecessarily brute vs. the tardigrades as we feel sympathy with them and as we like the feeling encountered when putting them back into their habitat! You might call it silly or sentimental but we stick to it.

The moment just before the return into the ocean after one year of imprisonment in a small container at a Munich window sill.

A last group portrait in natural environment ...

... and here they are already back home, in the water!

© Text, images and video clips by  Martin Mach  (webmaster@baertierchen.de).
Water Bear web base is a licensed and revised version of the German language monthly magazine  Bärtierchen-Journal . Style and grammar amendments by native speakers are warmly welcomed.

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