Herbivorous and carnivorous fish called
mud-skippers build little geometric walled homes inside the mud. They enhance the ecosystem by forming pools in which diatoms (simple algae) and anaerobic bacteria can live. These creatures offer a rare
glimpse into zoological evolution: they filter water through their gills to obtain oxygen just like other fish, but during low tides they prop themselves up on their fins and hold their mouths open to
get oxygen from the air. They are quite literally learning how to breathe, and eerily show the primordial transformation from sea creature to land creature.
The algae, diatoms, and bacteria also
provide food for other fish, and the fish and buried animals in turn provide nourishment for birds. Heron, flamingoes, egrets, sandpipers, snipe, and many more species stop here to eat.
The mud flats are on the way to Jahra, before Doha
village. Go west from the city along Gamal Abdul Nasser Street. As always, check with local authorities about safety conditions.
Seagull Feeding
Many
Birds, including flamingoes migrate through Kuwait. These are at the zoo.
