Starfish Selfie – Yea or Nea?

Increasingly, it seems that travelers have become more of a threat to wildlife than natural predators. Big game hunters aside, we’re actually talking about everyday folks forever intent on achieving the perfect selfie with understandably reluctant or severely compromised animals.

You don’t want to be like them, of course. You’re better than that.

But then, while snorkeling around the shallows somewhere in the Caribbean, you spy a…

Starfish in the sand beneath the waves in Martinique | SBPR
Starfish in the sand beneath the waves in Martinique | SBPR

Starfish!

You remember the swan, but the urge to snag the starfish for a quick photo-op proves impossible to ignore.

What should you do?

Well, according to my marine biologist friend, Roy Pemberton, go ahead and indulge your photo fun, only with a good bit of caution…

Touching them or picking them up above the waves does not hurt them. But they should be placed back where they were found as quickly as possible.

In general, of course, we advocate a hands-off policy on marine life. In the case of the starfish, though, a little responsible handling can go a long way toward achieving photo memories to last a lifetime.

Last updated by Steve Bennett on .

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