Volunteering | Mammals
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
OLLIE THE SEA OTTER MEETS THE FURBALL | Hugh 
It was the moment that I had been looking forward to for months. Little Orphan Ollie would finally meet the first sea otter that I’d ever help raise as a pup. The anticipation of the meeting stirred a bit of exultation and a little bit of anxiousness. What would happen when Ollie would finally meet the critter that I nicknamed the Furball?
Volunteering | Mammals
Thursday, May 26, 2011
SEA OTTER AND SEA LION RETRIEVAL BEHAVIORS | Hugh
What does a trainer do if they accidentally drop something into the otter exhibit? Or if it’s the end of the day and time to put the sea lion toys away? Does he or she don a wetsuit to retrieve the items personally from the water or find a long pole net to try to scoop them up? Well fortunately they don’t have to do either. One of the more practical behaviors that we train our sea lions and otters to do at the Aquarium of the Pacific is to retrieve objects from their exhibit.
Conservation | Volunteering | Turtles
Thursday, May 12, 2011
THE URBAN SEA TURTLES OF LONG BEACH | Hugh
About 6 miles away from the Aquarium of the Pacific on the east side of Long Beach runs an urban river with a very surprising wildlife colony. You’d expect to see them while on an exotic journey to Mexican or Hawaiian waters. Yet right under the noses of Southern Californian recreational cyclists riding the San Gabriel River bike path lives a colony of endangered green sea turtles!
Conservation | Volunteering | Mammals
Thursday, April 28, 2011
BABY OTTERS DON’T EAT HOT DOGS! | Hugh
Observations of a Mother Otter and Her Pup in Monterey Harbor
A heartwarming story of a wild sea otter mom and her possibly adopted pup as she teaches it what it should and shouldn’t eat in Monterey Harbor.
Birds
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Helping Wayward Magellanic Penguins | Hugh
Last Saturday I had the opportunity to meet five non-releasable Magellanic Penguins that had washed ashore in Brazil distressed and had found both a home and medical help at the Aquarium of the Pacific.
Volunteering | Mammals
Thursday, March 31, 2011
OLLIE THE SEA OTTER GETS A ROLE MODEL | Hugh
When Ollie was introduced to Brook a few weeks ago the goal was to gradually accustom the little critter to other sea otters. Brook, being the senior female of the exhibit, is also turning out to be an excellent role model for the younger otter. Check out the images of the two otters together.
Video | Volunteering | Mammals
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Ollie the Otter Video Snippets | Hugh
This week I’d like to share a few recent video snippets of Ollie the Sea Otter as she grows up at the Aquarium of the Pacific.
Volunteering | Mammals
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Ollie the Otter’s Schooling Continues | Hugh
Ollie the sea otter is progressing nicely in her school work at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Her training continues with husbandry behaviors designed to help in her care and well-being. This week’s blogs includes images of Ollie in class.
Volunteering | Mammals
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Ollie the Otter Goes to School | Hugh
Ollie has grown quite a bit in the months since she arrived at the Aquarium last fall. So much so that the staff has already begun her basic training.
Video | Volunteering | Mammals
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Brook and the Furball | Hugh
Brook led the good life. Being one of the Aquarium of the Pacific’s original sea otters back when it opened in 1998, Brook was treated like Royalty and became the Queen of the Northern Pacific Gallery. She is also one of the most beautiful otters in the State and seems to know it. The gorgeous otter that you see on ads across the country and on banners throughout the city is Brook. She’s always carried herself in a dignified manner. She’s even greeted her trainers at the door of the exhibit and escorted them into her Kingdom during training sessions like a hostess in a high society affair. Then the Furball entered her life! This week’s blog features a video on the relationship between the Stately Brook and the Tomboyish otter that I like to call the Furball.
