Diver comes 'face to face' with unusual sea creature

An underwater adventurer managed to see an animal that is extremely useful for the sea

An underwater adventurer, Susan Eid Morales Cruz, has been studying marine life for a long time. However, it was only now that she came across a unique snail that she had never seen before. It was a bright red sea hare.

Photo: Still from video

Susan Aid Morales Cruz Study Area — Playa Miramar. The girl has been documenting underwater life for many years, but even for her, her own discovery turned out to be a revelation.

The footage of the dive shows a bright red bearded seal swimming in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico, which left Morales Cruz «mesmerized.» The creatures are found in shallow waters where there is plenty of algae and other plants, which is what they feed on. Their diet gives them their distinctive red-burgundy coloring.

Susan Morales Cruz lives near where she saw the bearded seal and describes her encounter as truly unforgettable.

The girl described the movement of the sea hare as flying. It hypnotized the diver so much that she swam after the inhabitant of the deep sea. The filming lasted about half an hour.

It is specified that the creature can grow up to 7 inches (about 18 centimeters). Sea hares have structures on their heads called rhinophores. Thanks to these «devices», sea creatures can taste molecules in the water flow, which helps the animal find food.

Sea hares are found in most marine waters around the world where there is no strong current. They feed mainly on algae and sea grass and have a variety of colors: from red-burgundy to green and brown.

These animals are often called sea snails. During the course of evolution, they developed small internal shells, but they do not have an external shell. This is their main difference from their land-based relatives.

The average lifespan of these unusual creatures is one year, starting from the moment they hatch from eggs and the larval stage, notes the Daily Mail. At about two months of age, they reach full maturity and can begin to reproduce at about seven months.

Sea hares are hermaphrodites. During mating, they can perform the functions of both male and female. Reproduction usually occurs in groups of 20 or more individuals. Each hare can produce millions of eggs. The babies hatch in about two weeks.

By feeding on algae, these creatures maintain the balance of plants. This allows other species to exist.

The population of sea hares is under threat of decline due to ocean acidification. It occurs as a result of carbon dioxide emissions, which are “absorbed” by sea water. Climate change and coastal development are also affecting the numbers of these creatures.

According to the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, if the numbers of these creatures decline, «overgrowth and ecological imbalance will become a serious problem.»

This could potentially impact seafood availability, water quality, and lead to partial ecosystem collapse.