Animal Updates | Reptiles | Volunteering
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Photographing the Sea Turtles of the San Gabriel River | Hugh 
Learning the surfacing patterns of urban sea turtles.
Since August of 2008 my wife Pam and I have been conducting an informal survey of the green sea turtles of the San Gabriel River for the Aquarium of the Pacific. While Pam handles the data gathering portion of the research I have the responsibility of photo documenting the resident turtles of this river that runs between Los Angeles and Orange County. In this week’s blog I’d like to share a few of the images that I’ve shot this past year of these improbable urban river residents.
Animal Updates | Mammals | Volunteering
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Ollie the Otter’s First Snowman | Hugh
Ollie enjoys her first Holiday Treats for the Animals Day.
During last year’s Holiday Treats for the Animals event, while the rest of the otters at the Aquarium of the Pacific were playing in the snowy landscape laid out for them by the staff in the sea otter exhibit, Ollie the orphan otter pup had to be content being by herself in her holding pen in the behind the scenes area. She was too little then to be in the main exhibit. This year however was different. On this year’s Holiday Treats Day, Ollie was in the exhibit enjoying her very first snowman!
Animal Updates | Birds | Mammals | Sharks | Volunteering
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Random Snapshots From the Aquarium | Hugh
There's always something interesting to photograph at the Aquarium of the Pacific
This week’s blog features 5 random snapshots from the Aquarium of the Pacific.
Animal Updates | Birds | Conservation | Volunteering
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Catching Penguin Fever | Hugh
Spending time around the Magellanic Penguins
Karen, an aviculturist at the Aquarium of the Pacific, could see the big smile on my face after spending time around the penguins in their behind-the-scenes area. She could tell that I was catching “Penguin Fever,” the happiness that’s caused by being around these wonderful critters and their playful antics.
Animal Updates | Sharks | Volunteering
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Big Guy - The Laid Back Sand Tiger Shark | Hugh
He’s one of the original inhabitants of Shark Lagoon. He looks big, bad and mean. But the Aquarists at the Aquarium of the Pacific know his deep down secret. He’s more Sherman from the comic strip Sherman’s Lagoon than Jaws from the movie Jaws. He is “Big Guy”, the Laid Backed Sand Tiger Shark.
Animal Updates | Mammals | Volunteering
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Ollie Being Ollie | Hugh
A Baby Sea Otter's Unique Way Of Doing Things
Most of the Aquarium of the Pacific’s sea otters either lay on their backs or their bellies when eating on deck. That is all except Ollie. If there is one thing I’ve learned about Ollie the Otter it is that she does many thing in her own style. Ollie does so many things in her own unique way that the mammalogists and volunteers that work with the sea otters have come to refer to these random moments as “Ollie being Ollie”.
Animal Updates | Birds | Fish | Mammals | Sharks | Video | Volunteering
Thursday, September 29, 2011
The Aquarium’s Critters Seen from a Different Angle | Hugh
When you take a look at the Aquarium’s critters from a slightly different view point you may see things you didn’t notice before. Seen from ground level a seal happily “skips” along with her trainer. Seen from his point-of-view, a sea lion makes an exciting high-speed head-on pass with one of his exhibit mates. These are just two unique views of the critters at the Aquarium of the Pacific that you’ll see in this week’s blog in the video “The Aquarium’s Critters from a Different Angle”!
Animal Updates | Mammals | Volunteering
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Who’s Who? | Hugh
Recognizing the Aquarium's Pinnipeds
To a wet-side volunteer like myself that spends a lot of time around them, the seals and sea lions of the Aquarium of the Pacific are as individual and recognizable as any of my close friends and relatives. However I’ve been reminded by a dry-side staffer that perhaps to guests and non marine mammal staff the pinnipeds may not be quite as recognizable to them. So this week’s blog is about how to tell our pinnipeds apart and, as a bit of an insight to them, how I tell them apart by their looks and personality.
Animal Updates | Mammals | Video | Volunteering
Thursday, September 01, 2011
Sea Lion-Cam with Milo…and Harpo | Hugh
Milo the sea lion received a new toy last weekend. His old low resolution video camera on his “sea lion-cam” rig has now been replaced with a new high definition video camera. Our aquatic photographer took it out for a test dive last Saturday. This week’s blog features the video shot by Milo while he and I tried out the camera for the first time.
Video | Volunteering | Mammals
Thursday, June 23, 2011
CHECK OUT OLLIE THE OTTER PUP THIS SUMMER! | Hugh
Need a cute fix this summer? Come on out to the Aquarium of the Pacific and check out Ollie the sea otter pup! The adorable ball of fur is now part of the Sea Otter Exhibit!
