Animal Updates | Birds | Penguins | Volunteering
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Penguins from Ipanema | Hugh 
Hundreds of their kindred comrades had succumbed to changes in their environment that they could not adapt in time to. Far from their normal range sick and dying Magellanic Penguins were washing ashore on Brazilian beaches better known in song than for black and white flightless aquatic birds. To do its part in trying to help these forlorn avians the Aquarium of the Pacific took in a small group of these distressed penguins to give them medical treatment and a home. Yet despite their tragic back story these “Brazilians” and their antics have gotten this particular aquarium volunteer smiling and humming “The Penguin from Ipanema” during his Saturday encounters with them.
Animal Updates | Birds | Mammals
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Eight Hours in a Cargo Van with Four Penguins and an Otter | Claire
Aquarium staff members transported some of the Magellanic Penguins and Betty the otter pup all in one cargo van on a road trip from the Bay Area to Long Beach.
Animal Updates | Mammals | Whale Watching
Friday, May 18, 2012
Orcas Gave Us a Once in a Lifetime Sight! | Kera
And I'd like to introduce a new voice to the whale watching blogs
There’s been quite a bit of hype in Long Beach around this year’s whale watching season and for good reason! We’ve had so many sightings of gray whales and orcas down here it’s unbelievable. Orcas are normally a very rare occurrence but have been making frequent appearances beginning in January. On May 9, the orcas gave us a once-in-a-lifetime sight. Read on to find out what our last two weeks have looked like on the water.
Animal Updates | Mammals | Volunteering
Thursday, May 10, 2012
IT’S A GIRL! Newborn Harbor Seal Pup | Hugh
Shelby the harbor seal gives birth
When I first started as a marine mammal volunteer at the Aquarium a few weeks before its grand opening in 1998, a young female harbor seal named Shelby was one of the first animals I was introduced to. I had the joy of spending the next fourteen years watching her grow up to become a beautiful adult seal. A couple of weeks ago, just a few days after her sweet sixteen birthday, Shelby the harbor seal gave birth to a bouncing baby seal!
