http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/blogs/ All about the Aquarium of the Pacific en hugerhino@aol.com Copyright 2008 2008-05-08T06:06:01-06:00 http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/blogs/comments/the_seal_that_rescued_a_rescuer/ http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/blogs/comments/the_seal_that_rescued_a_rescuer/#When:06:06:01Z I’ve been asked by visitors to the Aquarium what my favorite pinniped is. Most of them expect my answer to be either the California sea lion (like Miller) or the Harbor seal (like Ellie) because of how much I work and play with these critters. They are surprised when I tell them that the Elephant seal is actually my favorite. This is the story of how a young elephant seal once saved this volunteer from a mauling by a pack of wild animals. Mammals, Volunteering, Hugh 2008-05-08T06:06:01-06:00 http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/blogs/comments/chickens_arent_the_only_ones/ http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/blogs/comments/chickens_arent_the_only_ones/#When:05:47:01Z I spent another day with the kindergarteners at Cesar Chavez Elementary School, with which the Aquarium of the Pacific has a partnership, helping Emily teach this month’s science lesson on eggs. We showed the children that chickens aren’t the only animals that lay eggs, and they were totally amazed when they saw how large a leatherback turtle grows, after being born from an egg that is roughly the size of a ping-pong ball. Reptiles, Turtles, Education, Volunteering, Josie 2008-04-29T05:47:01-06:00 http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/blogs/comments/water_works_where_our_water_comes_from/ http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/blogs/comments/water_works_where_our_water_comes_from/#When:05:17:00Z Roughly 12,500 Pacific Ocean animals representing almost 500 species reside here at the Aquarium.  No matter what their differences in appearance or habitat, all of them rely on one very important ingredient in their daily lives: seawater. Education, Volunteering, Staci 2008-04-28T05:17:00-06:00 http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/blogs/comments/skippy_the_mudskipper/ http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/blogs/comments/skippy_the_mudskipper/#When:05:07:00Z In an odd paradox; when one visits the home of Skippy the Mudskipper one has to look underwater for snakes and above water for fish. Skippy and his mudskipper buddies are quite entertaining to watch so this week’s blog also includes a video of Skippy who acts more like a dog than a fish. Fish, Volunteering, Hugh 2008-04-23T05:07:00-06:00 http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/blogs/comments/egg_id/ http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/blogs/comments/egg_id/#When:10:01:01Z Everyday, the sharks at Shark Lagoon lay lots of eggs. This time, I am going to give y’all a break down of all the different kinds of eggs you can expect to see at Shark Lagoon. Fish, Sharks, David 2008-04-18T10:01:01-06:00 http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/blogs/comments/lorikeets_are_loads_of_colorful_fun/ http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/blogs/comments/lorikeets_are_loads_of_colorful_fun/#When:23:06:00Z Lorikeet Forest was closed for a few weeks, so as soon I could, I made sure to get right back in there to see our colorful little friends and admire an exhibit upgrade that includes some new landscaping, a little remodeling of the shaded area enclosure, and new fencing. It looks pretty spiffy! Watching the birds cavort around, as they interacted with our guests, brought me back to a few amusing moments that I’ve spent in this habitat. Birds, Josie 2008-04-15T23:06:00-06:00 http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/blogs/comments/how_to_train_a_seal_and_a_rabbit/ http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/blogs/comments/how_to_train_a_seal_and_a_rabbit/#When:06:08:01Z Just because you don’t have a handy sea lion around doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun training animals. Any critter can be trained as long as you know what makes it happy! Mammals, Volunteering, Hugh 2008-04-10T06:08:01-06:00 http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/blogs/comments/tangs_versus_algae/ http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/blogs/comments/tangs_versus_algae/#When:15:03:01Z Lots of colorful, vertically-compressed fish are swimming around Shark Lagoon, nibbling on the walls. The sharks can be touched but not these little fish. Trust me, you would not want to touch them anyway. They are called tangs and they live in Shark Lagoon because they are on a mission to control the algae. Fish, Sharks, David 2008-04-04T15:03:01-06:00 http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/blogs/comments/ode_to_a_box_of_squid/ http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/blogs/comments/ode_to_a_box_of_squid/#When:05:23:00Z “Calamari in my hand--- Fancy name bestowed by man. Kids will eat it with a bib--- To a seal it’s just a squid.” The story of Loligo opalescens---aka Calamari or Market Squid Fish, Invertebrates, Mammals, Conservation, Volunteering, Hugh 2008-03-27T05:23:00-06:00 http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/blogs/comments/harpo_milo_have_arrived_in_the_seal_sea_lion_habitat/ http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/blogs/comments/harpo_milo_have_arrived_in_the_seal_sea_lion_habitat/#When:05:16:01Z It’s been about a month since my last update on Harpo and Milo, our two youngest California sea lions. It’s my pleasure to report that this past Thursday, March 20, these two frisky pinnipeds joined the rest of our flippered family in the 211,000 gallon Seal and Sea Lion Habitat and now you can come and welcome them, too! Animal Updates, Mammals, Volunteering, Staci 2008-03-25T05:16:01-06:00