STORY: These fishermen in the southern Kenyan village of Shimoni are preparing for a day at sea. They’re on the hunt for sea cucumbers, small marine animals that are worth a fortune in Asian markets.

Sea cucumbers are marine invertebrates found in every ocean around the world. There are over 1,700 known species, ranging from less than an inch to over 6 feet long. Although many have elongated, ...

What crawls across the sea floor, can cost more than silver by the pound, and, according to several seemingly reputable scientific sources, “breathes” through its anus? Meet the sea cucumber – the ...

Residents of Mafia Island in Tanzania don’t really eat sea cucumber; they call it jongoo bahari, or “ocean millipede” in Swahili. But sea cucumbers are a prized delicacy in East Asia, where demand has ...

If you liked this story, share it with other people. MAFIA ISLAND, Tanzania — His white beard streaming in the turquoise waters, Waziri Mpogo dives under the surface a few hundred meters offshore of a ...

These spiny or slimy ocean creatures display an astonishing diversity of appearances, behaviors and lifestyles—and many are increasingly threatened Katarina Zimmer, Knowable Magazine Sea cucumbers ...

The group, completely kitted out with diving gear, was nabbed by the Japanese coast guard just off the shores of Hokkaido.