Volunteering | Birds | Mammals
Thursday, April 23, 2009
GRAND PRIX WEEKEND—SPENDING QUALITY TIME WITH THE CRITTERS OF THE AQUARIUM | Hugh 
Although during the weekend of the Long Beach Grand Prix the Aquarium of the Pacific is closed, the animals still need to be cared for and necessary facility maintenance can be taken care of. For a husbandry volunteer it may look like a thankless job to be working in an empty aquarium while the roar and excitement of the Grand Prix Celebrity race are just yards away outside the front entrance but in reality its a day that veteran volunteers look forward to. Its one of the few times of the year that the husbandry staff has the Aquarium critters to themselves and, after the necessary chores are done, can have a days worth of playtime with the animals.
Volunteering | Mammals
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Getting to Know Brook the Sea Otter | Hugh
Even though I’ve known Brook the sea otter since the Aquarium of the Pacific opened in 1998, this spring I will have the opportunity to work with her without a piece of Plexiglass between us and get to see parts of her personality that I haven’t experienced before.
Volunteering | Mammals
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Brushing Shelby the Harbor Seal’s Teeth | Hugh
For people, a good tooth brushing is needed to take off or prevent buildup on your teeth. When one of our seals gets build-up on its teeth, it also gets a good tooth brushing.
Mammals
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Notes from an Encounter with a Stejneger’s Beaked Whale | Hugh
A decade ago this summer, I spent two hours in the water caring for a distressed Stejneger’s Beaked Whale. In this week’s blog I will be sharing some of my observation notes from my encounter with this mysterious, rarely seen alive cetacean.
Mammals
Thursday, February 26, 2009
PARKER THE SEA LION FINDS HIS BARK | Hugh
A new voice can be heard in the Seal and Sea Lion Exhibit at the Aquarium of the Pacific. No, there’s not a new animal in the waters of the exhibit. Instead, a new voice has been introduced because Parker the sea lion has finally discovered his “Big Boy” bark.
10 Year Anniversary Stories | Volunteering | Birds | Mammals
Thursday, February 12, 2009
25 Random Things About The Aquarium Of The Pacific | Hugh
Since the theme of “25 Random Things About Me” seems to be the “now” thing at social networking sites lately; this week’s blog is about 25 random things about the Aquarium of the Pacific that you may or may not have known.
Volunteering | Mammals
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Hugging A Seal | Hugh
It’s such a heartwarming sight to the guests watching a seal training session. An Aquarium of the Pacific trainer is sitting next to a seal giving the animal a hug while it places one of its flippers on the trainer’s lap. This trained behavior may look cute but it serves an important purpose in caring for our pinnipeds.
Conservation | Mammals
Monday, January 05, 2009
RESCUING AN ENTANGLED GRAY WHALE | Hugh
In my over 20 years of being involved with marine mammals I’ve had some memorable moments. One of the most memorable was the day back in the early 1990s when a whale research crew that I was part of helped a Bay Watch Lifeguard rescue an entangled gray whale just offshore of the cliffs of Point Vicente. The following story is about that day.
10 Year Anniversary Stories | Volunteering | Mammals
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Shelby the Harbor Seal | Hugh
While Ellie, our eldest harbor seal who was born and raised in New York carries herself around with a reserved dignity that is reminiscent of the East Coast Socialite that she was named after, Shelby, our other female harbor seal is a definitely an outgoing California Girl.
Volunteering | Mammals
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Parker The Sea Lion Gets Airborne | Hugh
For an animal in the ocean, the ability to leap out the water for a short period can enhance its survival, navigation and foraging capabilities. Parker the sea lion is learning how to demonstrate this ability as he is being trained by our staff to porpoise out of the water.
