Green Teens

Last time you visited the Aquarium did you talk with teens on our staff who know more about marine biology than the average adult? Amy Sublett is one of them. And it didn’t happen by chance. The 17-year old, along with nearly 150 high-school students, are dedicating their summer as Teen Conservation Leaders while developing important job and life skills, and building self-confidence.

“The initial two-week training session was intense but fun!” says Amy. “It forced me to come out of my shell and interact.”

After the training, where Aquarium staff teach the teens basic marine biology and ocean conservation, the Teen Conservation Leaders commit to one of three adventure tracks for the summer: camp leader, teacher or Aquarium guest experience. The decision was easy for Amy.

“I love to be outdoors and enjoy introducing children to science, so working with the Aquarium’s summer science camps was a natural fit,” she says.

While working with our Young Women in Science program Amy mentored middle-school-aged girls with kayaking, boogie boarding and sand crab monitoring activities, to name a few.

“It’s amazing to see how much the girls grow within the period of a single week,” Amy reflects.

After spending some time with Amy, I’m pretty confident that the same can be said about her and her experience in the Teen Conservation Leaders program.

The Teen Conservation Leaders program is open to young people ages 14 to 18, with activities throughout the year as well as the summer immersion program.

It’s never too early to start planning for next summer!

Learn more about teen conservation programs at the Aquarium.

A Look at Our “Largest Exhibit”

The recent sighting of a pod of orcas created quite a stir here at the Aquarium. So we wondered: What else can you expect to see off our decks? To find out, we asked the folks who know best: our expert guide staff. They’re fond of telling people that the bay is the largest and most dynamic exhibit at the Aquarium!

It’s common to see seals, sea lions, sea otters and pelicans, but below are a few species you might not expect. Of course, we can’t guarantee what you’ll see. It’s nature, after all!

Humpback whales: Here through October as they follow krill and baitfish around the bay.

Blue whales: First sightings just reported (late May)! Gone by early September.

Orcas: Can be seen any time, but more often from whale-watching boats than from our decks. The recent pod was the first seen from the Aquarium in many years!

Risso’s dolphins: Can be seen all year—often jumping clear of the water! They follow squid, so if squid fishing boats are around, watch for Risso’s.

Pelagic cormorants: These birds are starting to fledge their young right under our decks. Juveniles are brown instead of shiny black, and don’t quite know how to fly yet. They make clumsy attempts, then climb back up to their nests and sulk!

Pigeon guillemots: These birds lay eggs under our decks at this time of year and are here until late August. The entire community seems to fledge their young on one night, then leave by the time we arrive the next morning!

Western gulls: We currently have a nest, with eggs, on the ledge outside our restaurant. It will be entertaining to watch the chicks develop and fledge.

You might also see other whales (blue, minke) and dolphins (bottlenose, white-sided, common). Our staff has even seen bald eagles, horned puffins, deer (under the deck), raccoons (on the deck), herons (fishing in the Coastal Stream exhibit), an elephant seal (in the Great Tide Pool) and even an enormous basking shark.

We’d like to know: how many species have you seen off our decks?

Can’t make it to the Aquarium? Check out our live cam!

When we asked you to identify yesterday’s close-up photo, many of you got it right: it’s a knobby sea star (Pisaster giganteus). Here are some more photos to give you a better idea of what you were looking at. You can see—and touch—a knobby sea star now in one of our touch pools!