Start liking purple, liking purple...

This quick clip above was shot at Norris RYou can see these little guys on scuba dives, whilst snorkelling, kayaking, or even taking a walk around the sea wall at Stanley Park on a low tide. The brightly colour, often chubby little sea stars are also known as the ochre sea star, and we happen to love them!

This sea star is found all around the waters of the Pacific, and some say is often a good indicator to the general health of the intertidal zone. The sea star has five legs that can grow up to around 25cm. They have little suckers that allow them to stick to rocks and live in areas that have heavy surges or waves. They do not have a brain, but do have a nervous system. 

These purple guys and gals live between four and twenty years, feeding on mussels, chitons, limpets, and snails. They use their teeny tube feet to handle their prey and open up shells. They can even evert  its stomach through its mouth and engulf its prey, liquify it with digestive enzymes and ingest the processed food. Wowsers. 

This quick clip above was shot at Vivan Island, just out of Comox harbour, a local dive site for us, and one of our favourites. Known for sea lions - which you can see cruising in the background, it also has some great macro life and this little collection of purple sea stars. 

There's a lot to these beautiful and colourful marine inhabitants. Next time your at the beach on low tide, keep an eye open for their purpleness!