Alphabet Zu (I–J–K–L–M)

And so it continues...

I is for Iguana

This isn’t the first time I’ve blogged about iguanas. Think of it this way: If chickens are to St. Croix what squirrels are to Wisconsin, then iguanas are to St. Croix what possums are to Wisconsin. You may not see iguanas quite as often as chickens, but they are definitely here. And when you see one, you know!

Fun fact: My poops are about the same size as a large iguana’s. The good news is, I don’t drop mine from trees onto unsuspecting walkers below.

J is for Jellyfish

Some of my family members have been stung by jellyfish, but fortunately, the ones in the waters we frequent only hurt about as much as a bee sting. There are, however, some jellyfish around St. Croix that don’t sting at all. They’re called comb jellies, and they actually glow in the dark.

My humans got to hold some while kayaking through the bioluminescent bay at night. It was too hard to capture pictures on a cell phone, but my humans showed me this video to help me learn more about them. In short, if you’ve never heard of comb jellies, think squishy little blobs that feel like Jell-O but glow. They are fascinating critters! I wonder if my belly would glow if I ate these jellies?!?

K is for Kitties

Of all the kitties we see roaming around St. Croix (of which there are many), I can officially say the three I live with are the most adorable (although also the most terrifying when they join forces against me). See if you can identify my three among the many island kitties below.

L is for Lionfish

Though their patterns are beautiful, we are not fans of lionfish. They are invasive. They harm our ocean ecosystem. They have venomous spines. In short, we do not want them here!

In fact, St. Croix wants them gone so badly that there’s a bounty on them. At least the creative artists on island use them to make jewelry, so some good can come from the need to remove them.

M is for Mango

Mangoes are a family favorite and one of the many fruit trees that thrive on the island. We love our mangoes so much in St. Croix that our Botanical Garden hosts an annual festival called Mango Melee. Not only are there fun family-friendly activities, but there’s also a Mango Dis, Mango Dat competition, lots of tasty mango treats to sample, and even a mango-eating contest. I’d be happy to help clean up hands and faces after that contest!