How do otters celebrate Easter? Our clever aquarists know eggsactly what they need: colored ice eggs with treats inside!
Shown are Gidget, Abby and Ivy.
Need an attitude adjustment at work? Try this computer wallpaper!
Check out all our wallpapers for your computer, mobile phone, and Facebook page.
The Traveling Turtle Goes on Exhibit!
Remember our traveling turtle? The young endangered loggerhead is now on exhibit in our Open Sea galleries.
The baby turtle weighs 1 pound, 2.5 ounces and is almost 6 inches long. It made a splash even before it arrived at the Aquarium in late December. Then, Curator Steve Vogel and his rare passenger were bumped from their flight to Monterey from North Carolina. After a day’s delay, the pair received the red-carpet treatment flying back to California on US Airways. The sea turtle stayed by Steve’s side in the cabin, and kept warm inside a carrier lying atop a towel covering a hot water bottle.
We shared details and pictures of the entire trip on social media sites, especially Twitter, via the hashtag #TravelingTurtle. As the journey occurred just before Christmas, many people empathized with travel delays and the desire to just go home.
Read all the stories on our blog.
The turtle is on exhibit by itself for now, but will soon be joined by mohara and French grunt fishes. Together, the tropical community exhibit represents species affected by overfishing. Those species of fishes are caught using a trawl, which indiscriminately scrapes sea floors in pursuit of maybe one or two species. As a result, an average of 10 pounds of “bycatch” – including loggerhead sea turtles – dies in pursuit of one pound of fish. (Recently, significant coastal protections for loggerheads were being implemented.)
The turtle will remain at the Aquarium from six to 24 months, depending on its growth rate. Since it will eventually be released back into the wild, aquarists are taking a “hands-off” approach and not hand-feeding it or spending more time with it than necessary. They’ll continue to keep track of the hatchling’s weight through routine exams. Aquarium staff is unsure if it’s male or female. Even experts can’t tell a sea turtle’s gender until it’s around 10 years old.
The turtle is one of nine hatchlings rescued in early 2012 by colleagues with the North Carolina Aquarium. These turtles didn’t make it back to sea with their nest-mates, and were raised at the aquarium. All nine are on loan to aquariums around the country, where they’ll live for up to two years before they’re returned to North Carolina, tagged and released.
We guarantee you won’t go hungry at the Cooking for Solutions Gala on May 17! With more than 80 tasting stations and 60 wineries offering their best selections, you’re in for an unforgettable evening!
Explore the Aquarium with Our New Mobile App!
Get the most out of your visit with our new, free iPhone app. Learn about our animals and exhibits—plus programs and special events you won’t want to miss!
- Share beautiful, professionally photographed Aquarium images with family and friends via Facebook, Twitter or e-mail—or take your own!
- Plan your day with our schedule of daily Auditorium Programs and feeding shows—you can even set reminders and “check off” where you’ve been so you won’t miss a thing!
- Learn cool facts about our animals and exhibits.
- Get tips, operating hours, phone numbers and a map to help plan your day.
Abby and Our Sea Otters Return Today! It’s also the final Countdown to Cuteness sweepstakes entry day. Enter now for a chance to win an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of our sea otter exhibit.
What a weekend it will be! New sea otters Gidget and Ivy have been testing the exhibit to make sure everything is otterly perfect for your arrival Saturday, March 23. What’s more, we’ve got extended hours for spring break through April 7, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (9 a.m. weekends for members).
You could win a behind-the-scenes tour!
We’re working hard to keep California sea otters happy—but it’s not always easy. Overall numbers are below what’s needed to move them off the endangered species list. Learn more in Countdown to Cuteness—and you could win a behind-the-scenes tour after our exhibit opens March 23!
We recently added some beautiful fish to our Open Sea exhibit. Can you find them on our live HD web cam? (© Charlene Boarts)
Enter Countdown to Cuteness on Facebook for a chance to win a behind-the-scenes tour! Kit’s just one of the otters you may see after our exhibit re-opens March 23.
