Showing posts tagged as "open sea"
Do you love the Open Sea exhibit? Want to know what it’s like to feed a huge pelagic ray or swim with sharks? Attend our live Google Hangout with experts Oct. 4 at noon PT. Anyone can watch! (Or if you’re on Google+, you can interact live or submit questions in advance.)
Do you love the Open Sea exhibit? Want to know what it’s like to feed a huge pelagic ray or swim with sharks? Attend our live Google Hangout with experts Oct. 4 at noon PT. Anyone can watch!
Also, if you’re on Google+, you can interact live or submit questions in advance!
Talk about a mass movement! Who got this sardine swirl started, anyway? And why do they do it?
Today’s fun fact for Shark Week: How many shark species can you see when you visit? We have hammerhead and sandbar sharks in the Open Sea; leopard sharks in our Kelp Forest, Aviary and Deep Reefs; horn and swell sharks in our Enchanted Kelp Forest touch pools. We have sevengills, spiny dogfish and angel sharks in Monterey Bay Habitats. In summer we’ve had a white shark in the Open Sea. We have guitarfish in the Aviary and skates and rays in many exhibits. Okay, which species is this?
Which one is not like the others? We have market squid on exhibit in the Open Sea wing! Look for them in the sardine roundabout and anchovy exhibits.
Meet Our Young Sea Turtle!
Curious and gentle, green sea turtles have always been one of the most popular animals at the Aquarium. Recently we added a young turtle, Azul, to the Open Sea exhibit for the first time. The eight-year-old is being “mentored” by one of our large turtles, estimated to be in her 60s.
So what can you teach a turtle? Plenty, it turns out. Azul is learning how to navigate the exhibit and live alongside pelagic rays, hammerhead sharks, our rapidly growing ocean sunfish and dozens of other animals. The young turtle is also being “target trained,” so it will know to come over at mealtime.
Feeding time in our Open Sea exhibit is carefully choreographed, with five species simultaneously being fed around the rim of the million-gallon display, far above the visitor viewing area. In one corner, the pelagic ray is fed squid, fish and shrimp. Nearby, other aquarists offer fresh salmon steaks to two species of hungry sharks. On a long gangplank extending over the middle of the exhibit, another staffer hand-feeds the ocean sunfish. And, in yet another part of the exhibit, two more staff feed the turtles bell peppers and romaine lettuce, luring them over with colored floats, which they’ve learned to associate with food.
“Our experience is that these turtles are very social,” says Senior Aquarist Veronica Franklin. Unfortunately, this means they’re keenly interested in what everyone else is having for lunch. They also like to “surf” the small jet streams that circulate water into the exhibit. At times, just like a day at elementary school, it can be a little challenging to keep everyone focused and in their respective places!
Each turtle target comprises a long pole with a pool float on the end. Azul’s float is blue and white, while the larger turtle’s float is yellow with a black stripes. Believe it or not, says Veronica, “they can really tell the difference.
“It does seem to help for Azul to have a mentor,” says Veronica. “The young turtle is getting along with other species. We’re always observing the dynamics, and Azul is growing and doing just fine.”
Sun Therapy
Another pair of turtles, just like the two on exhibit, is in a separate holding facility just outside the main exhibit. Eventually, that pair will be rotated onto exhibit, and the two you see now will be moved outside. Sea turtles require occasional sun therapy to help with vitamin D absorption, making such rotations a regular occurrence.
Having the turtles outside the main exhibit also gives aquarists an opportunity to conduct “enrichments” to keep them healthy and stimulated. This can include extracting food from a block of ice, pushing around a length of pool hose or playing with kelp strands. Aquarists have even constructed a “turtle tent” from plastic pipe that serves as a navigation challenge and a post to rub their carapace on!
How’s our beautiful new sandbar shark doing? According to Jon Hoech, director of husbandry operations, he’s “navigating the Open Sea exhibit very well, and has integrated with the rest of the population without problems. We’re pleased!” And, as you can see here, he’s also quite popular with pilot fish!
Watch him now on our live web cam.
For the first time ever, the Aquarium is exhibiting a sandbar shark (carcharhinus plumbeus), in our million-gallon Open Sea exhibit. The male shark, originally from Hawaii, has been growing up behind the scenes in our Animal Research and Care Center in Marina. The new shark is 43 pounds and measures four feet, six inches, and you can see it now on our live web cam!
We’ve started seeing the first pigeon guillemots of the season off our decks. You can also see them in the Diving Birds exhibit (part of the Open Sea), inside the Aquarium!
