Holidays are a great time to travel and discover new places, if we have the opportunity. Personally, I like active sightseeing of seaside places, forests, lakes and rivers. But have you ever travel to a freshwater where crayfish with waterlilies live?
I had the opportunity to travel to an amazing place and a bid different that is called Moses Bridge, where the De West Brabantse Waterlinie in the Netherlands is located. A bridge separating the water surface into two parts leads to the 17th-century Fort de Roovere.
The bridge is an inconspicuous footbridge, but it is built below the waterline.
Interestingly, there live beautiful waterlilies in freshwater. These are the so-called rhizomatous aquatic perennials with rooted underwater stems.
Below is waterlily I shooted on my way to Fort De Roovere. I have never seen it so close, thanks to the designe of Moses Bridge. The waterlilies have a waxy-coated leaves on long stalks that contain many air spaces and float in quiet freshwater. The view is amazing. The white star-shaped flowers with long petals are surrounded by yellow stamens and round and dark green leaves.
Waterlilies grow in deep freshwater which usually are 30 to 60 cm deep, and they are called a deep-water plants.
Their spread of leaves provide shade for wildlife in high summer. It looks incredible when they floating flat on the water surface like a resting platforms for variety of creatures. On the underside they are a place for eggs for water insects and fish.
Waterlilies enjoy full sun and still, warm freshwater.
Water lilies are usually an indicator of water purity. If you can see them growing above the surface of the water, it is a sign that the water is clean and uncontaminated.
One of impresive features of this place are dragonflies which dart and hover over the water and waterlilies. This place is a resting point in their busy search for food and water.
One of the fascinations of this place is the way insects fly over the surface of water. But not only insect are attracted by this place. There also are variety of birds and small mammals like for example grass frogs. Away from the surface of clear water the leaves are a home to larvae, pond scater, nymph, caterpillars and snails. All of these creature make a food chain for themself.
Crayfish come to the bridge in huge numbers and they are a big attraction for visitors. Crayfish is considered a so-called bioindicator animal. It chooses well-oxygenated and clean freshwater reservoirs.
I made a short movie about this creature, which you can see on my YT channel @Ag.R
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Agnes