Eyes Without a Face

These marine mollusks know how to play peekaboo

October 20, 2025

Close-up of a conch's two orange, black, and white eyes poking out of a shell.

Photo by Alex Mustard/NPL

Marine mollusks often shy away from humans, making this particularly close encounter a rare one: Underwater photographer Alex Mustard found himself eye to eye with a curious conch while exploring the seafloor off Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. Encrusted in Caribbean sand, the large sea snail appeared to be sizing up its unexpected visitor.