Video | Volunteering | Mammals
Thursday, September 23, 2010
SEA OTTER SPEED SWIM | Hugh 
To the casual observer sea otters look like land animals that just happen to spend a lot of time in the water. Their appearance seems to make one think that at best they are slow, awkward swimmer. However while playing an impromptu game of follow-the-leader with the Aquarium of the Pacific’s newest otter, Big Maggie, in front of the sea otter exhibit I discovered that they can be quite swift swimming through the water.
Video | Volunteering | Mammals
Thursday, August 26, 2010
THREE YEARS OF AQUARIUM BLOGGING | Hugh
This month marks the beginning of my fourth year of blogging about the seals, sea lions, sea otters and other Aquarium critters that I have been fortunate enough to work around every Saturday during my volunteer shifts. Back in August of 2007 I started writing a bi-weekly blog about my experiences at the Aquarium of the Pacific since the day it opened in 1998. I’ve also sometimes written about some of my other experiences in the 20 plus years I’ve been involved in volunteering my time in researching, rescuing, and rehabilitating marine mammals in Southern California. This week I’m opening up the archives and highlighting 15 of the 80 blogs that I have written for the Aquarium’s website.
Video | Volunteering | Mammals
Friday, June 18, 2010
ADVENTURES IN OTTER SPACE PART THREE | Hugh
Having helped care for the orphan sea otter Maggie since the night she arrived at the Aquarium of the Pacific I learned a lot about her personality and a lot about sea otters in general. And the furball also learned a few things herself when she was introduced to the other sea otters of the Aquarium. Like how to use her armpits as pockets.
Video | Volunteering | Mammals
Thursday, June 03, 2010
ADVENTURES IN OTTER SPACE PART TWO | Hugh
While caring for the orphan pup I discovered that not only are sea otters cute, they also have musical and pick-pocketing talents. Make sure you check out the video of Maggie banging her shells on the deck with a musical back-beat and the self portrait photo she took of herself with a stolen camera.
Video | Volunteering | Mammals
Thursday, May 20, 2010
ADVENTURES IN OTTER SPACE PART ONE | Hugh
My adventures in “Otter Space” with an orphan baby sea otter including a way too cute video blog of my first week with the little furball.
Video | Volunteering | Mammals
Thursday, March 11, 2010
DARTH OTTER | Hugh
A LONG TIME AGO…IN AN AQUARIUM NOT SO FAR AWAY…
This week I’d like to share a video that showcases the acting abilities of one of the sea otters at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Check out Brook the sea otter as DARTH OTTER!
Video | Volunteering | Mammals
Thursday, February 25, 2010
FROM A SEA LION’S POINT OF VIEW | Hugh
Milo the sea lion really seems to enjoy playing with sea lion-cam. With the enthusiasm that he shows when carrying the camera rig he reminds me of a golden retriever with a favorite tennis ball. Check out Milo’s latest video creation “From a Sea Lion’s Point of View” where you’ll see the pinniped exhibit and underwater visitors tunnel from a sea lion’s perspective.
Video | Volunteering | Mammals
Thursday, January 28, 2010
SEA LION-CAM 2 | Hugh
In the second test video of sea lion-cam our aquatic photographer, Milo the sea lion, shows off his acrobatic abilities as he spins, twists, and leaps his way through the seal and sea lion exhibit at the Aquarium of the Pacific.
Video | Volunteering | Mammals
Thursday, January 14, 2010
SEA LION-CAM | Hugh
The times that I spent swimming around sea lions made me admire their grace and power as they glided through their liquid domain. I wondered what it would be like to propel oneself out of the water like they do during a porpoise or other maneuver so powerfully and efficiently below the surface. This curiosity recently led me to construct an underwater camera rig that one of the Aquarium’s sea lions could voluntarily hold during one of our pinniped presentations so that we could get a look at a sea lion’s point-of view of a session. This week’s blog features a video of the first test of my “Sea Lion-Cam”.
Video | Volunteering | Birds | Mammals
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Early Morning at the Aquarium of the Pacific | Hugh
My favorite time on Saturday mornings during my weekly volunteer shift at the Aquarium of the Pacific is the hour just after the Aquarium opens and just before the majority of our guests arrive. This week’s blog includes a short point-of-view video shot last Saturday via a “volunteer-cam” in an attempt to share with you, the reader, a bit of the magic of that first hour of the day.
