A Seahorse Rave
In a small Bahamian lagoon,
1990s raves still rage in a pond,
under a strobe light moon.
Eight hundred seahorses
were found by scientists
sucking face, many were underage.
Changes were noticed in their behavior:
their postures were upright, visible,
rising above pulsating vegetation
in a heady dance,
dropping ecstasy:
holoplankton and shrimp
drawing it all in through straws,
dancing from one bar to the next
that stretched a mile long on the Isle of Eleuthera.
Daylight breaks these parties like a raid—
The mood shifts
They spend their days face down,
camouflaged by the vegetation
they danced above the night before.
Are they hungover, or are they hiding
from birds that will snatch them
in shallow waters?
Scientists are still trying to figure it out.
But aren’t we all with the seahorses these days,
stepping outside, not noticing the sunrise,
face down?
Note: this poem was inspired by the lead article, “Into a Seahorse Utopia”, found in the February 2026 issue of National Geographic.
© Nancy Iannucci
Nancy Iannucci
The Loch Raven Review 