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 | Whale Watching
Thursday, October 20, 2011
When Being Late is Fine With Me! | Kera
This has been another exceptional year for blue whale watching. We’ve had hundreds of sightings, seen some incredible behaviors, and had very consistent sightings. Around this time the blue whales are normally leaving the area, and the sightings become a little spotty, but the sightings have never been better. It would seem they’re a little late in making their way to the winter grounds, but you won’t hear me complaining!
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”.
Conservation | Education
Monday, October 10, 2011
Aquatic Academy Wants You! (to Learn About California’s Water) | Claire
The Aquarium will host four sessions on the future of Southern California’s water in its upcoming Aquatic Academy. How will climate change affect our water system? Has our state ever seen conditions like this before? What are state agencies doing to prepare? What can we do?
Animal Updates | Mammals | Video | Whale Watching
Thursday, October 06, 2011
Researchers from Cascadia Make a Special Visit to Our Boats! | Kera
Earlier this week the Aquarium had the unique opportunity to spend some time with Cascadia researchers as they went out on the Christopher (our main whale watching boat) to talk about some of the research they’re conducting right now. Read on to find out what we helped them do!
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 | Video | Whale Watching
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Racing Blue Whales and Orcas! | Kera
All within one week!
All I can say about the last two weeks of whale watching is “WOW!” We’ve seen everything from vocal blue whales to transient orcas harassing a sea lion. I’m not sure it can get much better than this! Read on to find out details of our latest sightings.
Arts
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
The Arts at the Aquarium | Claire
The Aquarium of the Pacific is home to fish, sharks, marine mammals, lorikeets, and shorebirds, but we also feature paintings, film, photography, music, dance, and sculpture. How do art and science complement each other in the communication of ideas?
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 | Whale Watching
Thursday, September 08, 2011
A Repeat of Last Year? | Kera
I sure hope so!
In August and September of 2010, we had some of the best days of blue whale watching I’ve ever seen! Late last August the whale sightings started to increase quite a bit. At first it was 12 whales, then 15, and eventually we got up to over 20 whales! Although we’re a few weeks later into the season from last year, it looks like we’re up for a repeat of this massive gathering of whales!
