Animal Updates | Mammals | Volunteering
Thursday, November 20, 2008
How To Pet A Porcupine | Hugh 
The wonderful benefit about having various program animals around the Aquarium is how much you can learn from them. For instance, before I met one of our new program animals my perception of all porcupines was that of a slow awkward ground dwelling creature that was bristling with sharp needles pointed in all directions that was just waiting to impale your body. Needless to say that I was also sure that porcupines did not possess Positive Thigmotaxis like sea lions and did not like to be touched. Then I met Tito the porcupine.
Conservation | Volunteering | Turtles
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Endangered Sea Turtle Released Back Into The Wild | Hugh
It’s one of those feel good episodes that makes me proud that I volunteer at the Aquarium of the Pacific. An injured endangered green sea turtle is nursed back to health by Aquarium staff and released back into the wild.
Conservation | Mammals
Thursday, October 23, 2008
A CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH BOBCATS | Hugh
The watershed of Southern California through its rivers, creeks, and washes, feeds wetland areas that support biodiversity within our urban environment. These wetlands help maintain an environmental food chain that runs from the tiniest worm and plant to high end carnivores On a walk through one of these wetlands earlier this year, my wife Pam and I encountered one of these high end carnivores in the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine, California.
Volunteering | Mammals
Thursday, October 09, 2008
GETTING “THIGGY” WITH MILO THE SEA LION | Hugh
Thigmotaxis is the scientific term to describe an animal’s need to be in physical contact with another animal. The mammalogist call positive thigmotaxis “Getting Thiggy”. Milo our young California sea lion definitely likes to get Thiggy with his trainers.
Conservation | Volunteering | Birds | Mammals | Turtles
Thursday, September 25, 2008
FROM SEA TO CEMENT-A Walk Along The San Gabriel River | Hugh
Wildlife seen on a walk from the mouth of the San Gabriel River between Alamitos Bay and Seal Beach, to where the river turns into a cement storm channel about 4 miles inland.
Conservation | Volunteering | Birds | Turtles
Thursday, September 11, 2008
NOTES FROM THE RIVER | Hugh
“Dude” the sea turtle, “White-Tip” the Coyote and other critters observed from the banks of the San Gabriel River.
Volunteering
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Random Notes From An Aquarium Volunteer | Hugh
This week’s blog is just some quick random notes and images from around the Aquarium.
Conservation | Volunteering | Turtles
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Improbable Residents: The Sea Turtles of the San Gabriel River | Hugh
It is one of the best kept secrets of Mother Nature. When you think of green sea turtles, visions of tropical islands comes to mind. To folks in the Los Angeles/ Orange County area of California, these warm water wanderers are thought to be in far off, exotic locales. And yet in an urban river near the Long Beach-Orange County border an improbable group of sea turtles inconspicuously resides.
Conservation | Whale Watching | Mammals
Thursday, July 31, 2008
BLUE WHALE FLUKE PRINTS AND POOP PRINTS | Hugh
An adult blue whale can eat over 4 tons of krill per day and just like you and I after gorging ourselves on our favorite foods, a lot of what enters our body via the mouth, usually exits the body a bit further down.
10 Year Anniversary Stories
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Remembering Grand Opening Day | Hugh
10 Year Anniversary Special Edition Blog
The first animal that I worked with on the Grand Opening day was Ellie the harbor seal. Her old feeding station was right next to the Plexiglas window in front of the seating area. Ellie was a very intelligent and patient seal with her rookie feeder that day. Ten years later, she’s still is with her now veteran volunteer.
