Abby's Aquarium Adventures

Teaching about a school of fish

2012-02-23T09:11:00.001+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

I hope the week is treating you all well. I'm travelling again and having a ball! I'll post all about that soon but in the mean time, I thought I'd give you some more info on another type of marine job, an Informal Education Manager at an aquarium. I spoke to Michelle Moodley to find out more:

INFORMAL EDUCATION MANAGER

1. What is your job? Informal Education Manager. I'm basically in charge of the experience in the aquarium for public guests, this covers the signage and the permanent education staff who work with guests daily.

2. What did you study/do to get this kind of work? I started working as one of the permanent education staff on the floor, working with the public everyday, then worked overseas as an Education and Events Manager and then returned to South Africa in my current job.

3. What do you do in a normal day? I manage staff logistics, which means that I do staff training, schedules and assessments. I also prepare new signage or modify exisiting signage (basic research and design layout).

4. What is the most interesting thing you've come across/experienced in your job? Working overseas for 2 years and gaining more experience in a newly built facility.

5. What is a not-so-nice thing about your job? Having to attend so many meetings!

6. What do you love about your job? A great moment like today -spending the morning at Umdhloti rock pools training staff. We even found an octopus!!!

7. What would you say/recommend to kids who want to do what you do? Be a good example and with signage, learn to think laterally and hang in there, it can get discouraging doing the same thing over and over again, but it's worth it in the end when you see the end product and people enjoy reading what you've written.

8. Anything else? Learn new languages all the time. You can take languages with you everywhere you go and you don't need a bag to pack it in!

Thanks Michelle! So Sea Fans, I hope you've learnt something interesting today - how exciting to be a

teacher and you don't need to be in a school, you get to see fish all day long!

Have a great weekend Sea Fans and chat soon.

Cheers

Abby

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Snowpocalypse to Iceworms

2012-02-15T14:34:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

My last post was going to be really long so I thought I'd cut it short and continue today. Cordova was where I went to the Prince William Sound Science Centre and I got to see a snowpocalypse (http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/01/snowpocalypse-2012-for-small-alaskan-town/), I got to learn about the Copper River Watershed and glaciers and I got to meet the Urchin Queens and the Nefarious Dawgsharks.

I also got to go to the Oil Spill Recovery Institute (OSRI) where I learnt more about the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and what the OSRI does to manage oil spills.

Learning about oil spill "booms".

This actually reminded me of the Treasure Oil Spill in South Africa in 2000 and of SANCCOB who helped those poor penguins that got oiled. (See the SANCCOB website for more: http://www.sanccob.co.za/?m=2&s=5).

Anyway, back to Cordova...I got to do such cool stuff in the lab at the Science Centre, have a look:

Using a fluorometer.

A fluorometer is a piece of equipment that measures fluorescence which is the light emitted during absorption of radiation of some other wavelength (a light shines onto the substance in the test tube and then this causes molecules of certain compounds to light up so that they can be counted).

Analysing plankton from a recent research cruise in Prince William Sound.

Using a spectrophotometer.

A spectrophotometer is a piece of equipment used to measure light intensity (strength).

The Science Centre also runs a marine technology programme where students learn about oil spills and then get to build and operate a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to "respond" to a mock oil spill. These ROV kits also get sent out to teachers around Alaska so that they can show them to their kids AND the teachers can even do training courses - how cool is that?! I wish we got ROV kits in

South Africa

Working with Coast Guard members Chris Verlinden and Steve Leckemby who volunteer at the
Prince William Sound Science Centre. They're busy fixing ROV control boxes.

(Since my visit, Kara tells me that she's taking the ROVs to the Science Bowl for the Tsunami Bowl competition where there'll be a 20-team challenge. Students will work in teams and compete in 5 groups at a time to complete an obstacle course).

I was also lucky enough to get to go to the Alaska Marine Science Symposium in Anchorage.

I'm not sure why this photo came out sideways, I've tried reloading it and it still does funny things so please excuse the neck ache you have to get to look at me at the Symposium! : )

The most fun was the Iceworm Festival though! This zany mid-winter festival celebrates the emergence (appearance) of the ice worm in Cordova, Alaska, where the winters are long and dark and give rise to thoughts of things like ice worms. The highlight of the three-day festival is the parade of a 150-foot-long ice worm (it has a dragon's head) followed by 500 or so paraders. Other events include variety shows, ski events, a survival-suit race, a beauty pageant, music, and dances.

The celebration began in 1961 as a way to shake off the winter blahs, and the legend was born then that an ice worm hibernates during the winter in the glaciers but starts to hatch or wake up in early February. The worm has gained international fame, and the festival draws great crowds of people.

See this short video:

http://www.cordovachamber.com/images/file/Cordova_Ice%20Worm%20Festival%2012-KTVF.wmv

With Kara and the Baby Iceworm at the Iceworm Parade.

I got to meet the Baby Iceworm, watch the survival suit races and they even let me try one of the survival suits on!

Attending the Iceworm Festival Survival Suit Races

with Alexis Cooper, Marita Kleissler, Kara Johnson and Kim Menster.

Trying on a survival suit.

As you can see, Alaska was a blast!! We had so much fun and I can't believe my time here has come and gone but I guess it's OFF TO A NEW ADVENTURE! Thanks for having me Kara, look me up if you ever go down south.

Have a great week Sea Fans and I'll see you soon with stories from Oregon.

Cheers

Abby

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Iceworms?

2012-02-07T12:14:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

I'm back in the US and have lots to tell you. Ever heard of Cordova? Well, I hadn't until Kara Johnson, from the Prince William Sound Science Centre, got a hold of me and invited me to come and stay with her for a few days. Boy am I glad I said yes!! I learnt so much in such a short time.

The first thing that Kara taught me about was the Copper River Watershed. This is an important waterway that supports the world-famous Copper River red salmon runs.

The Copper River Watershed on the map.

Each year 2–3 million Sockeye, Chinook, and Coho salmon return to the system, with over half being harvested by the commercial gillnet fishery at the mouth of the river. The fishery averages $40 million/year!!!! Subsistence (fish taken for survival) and sport fishermen (those who fish for fun) on the upper river harvest over 200,000 salmon each year, with values estimated at between $3 and $5 million, a critical contribution (input) to the upriver economy (the financial system of the area...money money money!) and culture (way of life).

Some other interesting facts about the watershed:

23 communities live long the watershed
The watershed is 26 500 miles long (42 648 km - 426 rugby fields!)
The headwaters drain from Copper Glacier in the Wrangell Mountains
Encompasses (includes) the largest National Park and Preserve in the US (Wrangell-St. Elias National Park)
Includes the Copper, Gulkana, Klutina, Chitina, Tazlina, Gakona and Tonsina Rivers along with hundreds of tributaries, lakes and smaller rivers
It provides habitat (a home) for bears, caribou, moose, mountain goats, sheep, wolves, waterfowl and many other species
It's one of the last intact (undamaged/unbroken) watersheds in North America

While I was in Alaska, I got to experience Snowpocalypse 2012! Never heard of it? Well, neither had I until Kara told me to look outside:

And this was only the beginning of the snow!

Snowpocalypse means - A weather condition in which the amount of fallen snow, while not really such a big deal, wreaks havoc on a city, effectively shutting it down and leaving its citizens stunned and unable to see any sign of hope or a return to normalcy. (Urban Dictionary)

The view from the Prince William Sound Science Centre window.

The 4th graders I got to meet in the Discovery Room at the Science Centre.

While I was at the Science Centre, I got to learn about glaciers: how they form, how they melt and how they produce silt (muddy deposit).

Learning about glaciers.

I also got to sit in on a practice session with the guys and girls entering the National Ocean Sciences Bowl.

The guys and girls entering the Sciences Bowl -
Lindsey Hammer, Gabrielle Brown, Ben Americus, James Allen, Robin Pegau, Sarah Hoepfner, and Adam Zamudio

The National Ocean Sciences Bowl (http://www.nosb.org/) is a nationally recognized high school academic competition where talented students can test their knowledge of the marine sciences. This competition was created in 1998 in honor of the International Year of the Ocean and since then, the competition has grown to include 300 schools with over 2,000 students taking part each year. The Alaska regional competition is called the Tsunami Bowl and Cordova (where the Science Centre is) has been participating since 2002 with Prince William Sound Science Centre educators (teachers) working as the coaches. This year they have two teams, a junior team called the Urchin Queens and a senior team called the Nefarious Dawgsharks. The Tsunami Bowl will be held at the beginning of March and the winners go to the national competition to be held in Baltimore, MD later in the spring.

To Be Continued...

Have a great week Sea Fans!

Cheers

Abby

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Bye South and Hello North!

2012-01-31T16:24:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Unfortunately, I have to love you and leave you South Africans once again, but it's not a sad goodbye really....I get to continue my world travels!

After a fun-filled time, I had to say bye to Ed as he had to go and visit another friend here in SA. Just before he left for Robben Island, he gave me a present - a pebble. It's really odd because it has a hole in it so I asked Ed why this was and you know what he told me? It's a flint pebble from his local beach. The pebble is what is left of a fossil sponge that was covered in flint. These fossil flint sponges erode (wear away) from the chalk cliffs and then get broken up by wave action which then leaves pebbles with holes in them - how cool is that! Now I can wear it as a necklace.

Luckily, I already had a prezzie for him too because I'd hate for him to forget his time here in South Africa! I got him a keyring at SANCCOB and a piece of abalone shell that I'd picked up during our first outing to the rock pools...you can see our gifts in this photo:

The flint pebble is around my neck and the curved white thing between us is the piece of abalone shell.

The Two Oceans Aquarium also wanted to help Ed teach everyone back home more about marine pollution and what it's doing to marine life so they're sending him a band that they took off one of the seals in the harbour (who knows, it may even be one they took off while we were there watching!!).

Check out the aquarium's website for a video on how they help the seals: http://www.aquarium.co.za/blog/entry/sappi_seal_platform_on_youtube/

All in all, I think it was a great visit and I can't wait to visit Ed in the UK later in the year.

I hope you all had a relaxing weekend and are having a great week Sea Fans.
Chat soon.

Cheers
Abby
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Abby and Ed go to the Two Oceans Aquarium

2012-01-26T10:00:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Ed has kept me busy, wow! We've been running around trying to see as much as possible before I have to travel again. The latest place we've visited is the aquarium in Cape Town.

Me and Ed at the entrance tank.

We were looking for Nemo! : )

A Box Jellyfish - VERY poisonous!!!

We caught up with Ruth who was feeding and cleaning and in this pic you can see her switching on the lights for the jelly displays.

Ed liked the Sea Stars.

Dennis showed us what plankton looks like.

And he showed Ed how to use the microscope.

I got to see all sorts of things under the microscope, from barnacles to plankton and shark skin.

The aquarium staff check every morning to see if there are any seals that need help. So many seals end up with litter caught around their necks and the staff help to free them. The aquarium has even built a special platform where the seals can pull themselves out and sun themselves...and if they have litter around their necks or are hurt, they can be closed in with a gate and it makes it easier for the staff to help them. Unfortunately, this morning, the seals weren't on the special platform, but Vince went out to help them anyway.

Here you can see the seals.

With binoculars, we could see that 2 seals had plastic bands around their necks.

Ed and I watched closely as Vince swam under the dock to help the seals.

Vince getting out afterwards - he unfortunately missed them this time, but he said he'd try again later if they came to lie on the dock (which they should). So nice to know that people will go out of their way to help marine life!

This is how much litter was found entangled around different seals in ONE WEEK!

After watching Vince, I got the chance to chat to Hayley and the penguins she looks after.

Zuki and I had lots to talk about.

A volunteer cleaning the penguin rock work with a high pressure hose...being watched by the Oyster catchers (black birds on the top left)

Watching the African Penguins being fed was very entertaining.

The staff make sure they know who's who so that they can keep track of how much food each penguin eats.

The Rockhopper Penguins were taken for their daily walk down to their swimming pool so we tagged along.

I got to sit close by when the Rockhoppers were fed.

Michelle heard we were in the aquarium so she invited us to come and see what she does for the crickets (they're the food for the frogs that she looks after).

Michelle preparing fresh vegetables for her crickets.

We got to look inside the cricket boxes.

Baby crickets with their food and water.

Bigger crickets.

Ed checking out Teddy the Western Leopard Toad who was going to be fed some of the crickets.

Kevin heard we were at the aquarium too and so he showed us how he does the water quality testing. He tests the water every day to make sure that it is the correct temperature, there's enough oxygen and that the water is the correct pH (this means that the water is not too acidic. Remember: Lemon juice is acidic so it would have a low pH.). Aquarists have a lot of work they need to get done in one day, it's not just about feeding and cleaning.

Kevin also showed me one of the turtles he's busy rehabilitating (making better). It came in very dehydrated and had wounds on its flippers but now it's fattened up and looking MUCH better.

The rehab turtle.

Gibbo then showed us the baby stingrays he was acclimatising (getting them used to the water in the exhibit they were moving to).

Cute stingrays!

The fish from Tristan da Cunha (a remote island) that live in the exhibit where the baby stingrays were going to go.

Then we continued with our walk around the exhibits...

This was the biggest lobster I'd ever seen!

A cold water anemone that I thought was very pretty.

Ed watching the native river fish in the ecosystem exhibit.

The Kelp tank - I think this is only one of 2 in the whole world!

Ed was fascinated with the variety of fish in the Kelp Tank.

We ended our visit at the touch tank. Here you can see Sea Stars and a chiton on the same rock.

So if you're looking for something interesting to do in Cape Town the next time you visit, why not give the aquarium a visit, it's well worth it!

Have a great week Sea Fans.
Cheers
Abby
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Abby and Ed go to SANCCOB

2012-01-23T11:24:00.001+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Ed and I have been having so much fun, we've seen so much and met such amazing people and animals! SANCCOB (The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds) was our second stop. This is a seabird rehabilitation centre where they look after injured and sick seabirds.

Me and Ed at SANCCOB.

We got to watch the volunteers feeding the sickly penguins. This is where we met Paddy the paper penguin who is also visiting from the UK.

Ed, Paddy and I got up close with a gull that was brought in by a family that had hand-raised him and now couldn't look after him anymore. Please Sea Fans, don't try and keep wild animals as pets.

We met Baby, the resident cormorant.

Another volunteer, Jenny, allowed us to get up close during the feeding of "Home Pen" which is where the birds that can't be released back into the wild are kept for educating the public. Here, Jenny is feeding Baby.

Chaos! Penguins can be greedy! : )

Nola, the vet at SANCCOB, invited us to look at some blood smears from the penguins under the microscope. They check the penguins' blood every week to check on their progress (make sure they're getting better) so that they can release them back into the wild as soon as possible.

Margaret (Marketing Lady at SANCCOB), Paddy, Ed, Me and Heidi.

It's a great place to visit and you know Sea Fans, you can volunteer at SANCCOB and help the birds...if you don't feel like getting fishy, you can donate money to them and help them look after the seabirds that are hurt or sick or ... you can even adopt a penguin!

SANCCOB was established (started) in 1968 and they've treated over 85 000 birds since then! Many of those birds were during the Treasure Oil Spill in 2000. If you want to find out more about SANCCOB, go to their website at www.sanccob.co.za.

Have a great week Sea Fans.
Cheers
Abby
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Ed the Bear

2012-01-19T09:22:00.001+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

I was in such a rush with the last blog that I didn't even give you much info on Ed so I thought I'd better let him speak for himself. Here's what he had to say:

"I have always found the oceans fascinating and love to go tide pooling and beachcombing. I have heard about the terrible damage that pollution and global warming are doing to the world's oceans which is very worrying. So I have decided to go on an expedition to see for myself and raise awareness by reporting on what I find out. I hope also to experience some of the oceans beautiful and amazing wildlife before it is too late. I hope you will join me, Ed the Bear, on my adventures."

If you want to check out what he does, go to www.adventuresofedthebear.blogspot.com

Have a great weekend Sea Fans and chat to you soon!
Cheers
Abby
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South African pitstop

2012-01-16T12:47:00.001+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

I'm just waiting for photos from my last stop in Alaska and then I can update you as to what went on there. In the mean time, I thought I'd tell you a little about what I've been able to do here at home. (I got to come back for a quick visit between Alaska and the US).

I'm not sure how many of you know Ed the Bear, but he's from the UK and he's been checking out the damage us humans have been doing to the oceans and marine life through littering (Google: The Adventures of Ed the Bear). You won't believe the kinds of marine litter/rubbish there is on the beaches he's visited in the UK and the USA. I chatted to him last year to find out more and in doing that, we got to know each other and decided to meet up.

Ed and I discussing where I would take him in the Western Cape.

This means that I'll go and visit Ed in the UK and...Ed's come to SA for a visit!! It's been so much fun, he's hardly been here and we've already been to the rock pools up at Grotto Bay to see what we could find in the rock pools (unfortunately, the sea mist came in so we didn't get to see much of a view and we couldn't go too far out onto the rocks)

Ed checking out the vegetation growin gon the rocks by the sea.

One of the cool plants that grow inbetween the rocks at Grotto Bay.

The pretty pink flowers that grow next to the rocks at Grotto Bay.

Ed checking out the view at Grotto Bay - or what there was left of it with all the mist.

Ed seeing what he could find in the rock pools.

You can only just make out the Cormorants on the rocks.

A minute crayfish tail that we found inbetween the rocks.

and on the beach.

Me on Melkbos beach.

We've also been to the beaches nearby to check out what had washed up on the beach with the strong winds we had recently. (AARGH! My camera is acting up!!! I'll have to post pics later, it's just not working...maybe because it's so hot.) We've still got an aquarium visit, SANCCOB (Seabird Rehab Centre) visit and lots more to come so keep an eye on my blog, I'll keep you up to date!

Have a great week Sea Fans!
Cheers
Abby
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Xmas & New Year

2012-01-09T12:36:00.002+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

I hope you've all had a great holiday and are ready to get back to work. I must say, after all the Christmas food I think I need a rest! I thought I'd start the new year with only a few words and lots of pics of 2011, enjoy:

My book for sale at the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town.

The barnacles brought to me last year by a Sea Fan who wanted to know what they were.

Goose barnacles we found washed up on the beach.

Everyone enjoying the Bowmouth Guitarshark at uShaka Marine World.

Moon Jellies lit up nicely so that you can see them.

A Sea Fan loving the Sea Turtle that visits schools with me.

Book 2 came out in 2011. Hopefully Book 3 will be out soon!

Some cool marine origami I saw.

Another Sea Fan!

The seal skeleton I put together for the Hagfish display.

One of the cool scientists I met last year - Meagan McCord of the Shark Conservancy in Hermanus.

Heidi and I attended LOTS of expos and markets last year!

A Christmas penguin I saw at the shopping mall.

I started my travels around the world to find out what kind of jobs are out there for people who want to work with the sea and animals.

Have an amazing 2012 Sea Fans and I hope to hear from you all soon!

Cheers

Abby

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Acid in the ocean...in Alaska?

2011-12-22T15:27:00.005+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Well, I'm still in Alaska but now I've been visiting Switgard Duesterloh in Kodiak.

It's been snowing so much here with temperatures of -10 °C - good thing Switgard sorted me out with a scarf and jacket, otherwise I would have frozen!

I have to admit, it hasn't just been all work and no play, I got to go cross-country skiing (my first time!) to check out the snowy landscape, frosted trees, frozen lakes, and I even saw some deer.

This is Switgard.

At one stage I got so cold I jumped inside Switgard's jacket to stay warm!

After an afternoon out skiing there’s nothing better than a cup of hot cocoa while huddled down under a blanket on the couch, so that's just what I did!

Yum!

After all the fun and games, we went down to the Kodiak Fisheries Research Center to check out the touch tank and meet Dr. Foy, the director of the Kodiak Laboratory of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NMFS.

This is Dr Foy.

At the touch tank I saw big Christmas and pink sea anemones, California sea cucumbers, a range of different species of sea stars, Hermit Crabs, a Box Crab, a red King Crab, some feather duster tubeworms, a large Gumboot Chiton, and a few scallops. Everything in Alaska seems so big!

Saying hi to a sea cucumber.

Next to the touch tank was a big, round aquarium with big fish and more sea stars, sea urchins and crabs.

Checking out an urchin.

What a cool crab!

I liked the curious black rockfish, the big cod and the red sea urchin.

I also got face to face with a hairy crab almost as big as me and you know what? ...The biggest sea stars in the world live here: Sunflower sea stars. There are some in the aquarium with over 30 arms and each arm is as long as my whole body!

After getting a feeling for the place, Switgard said that I was ready for the kids... so the next day it was time to join the students of Kodiak Middle School sixth grade in the Ocean Science Discovery Lab for a class introducing ocean acidification. First, Switgard talked about how people and animals breathe in oxygen (O2) and breathe out carbon dioxide (CO2), and the plants take up carbon dioxide and use the carbon for their growth and release the oxygen back into the air.

Then, they talked about how every time we burn something (wood, coal, oil, fuel), what you end up with, called the product, contains a lot of CO2. Over the last 200 years people have invented cars, buses, trucks, boats without sails, airplanes and lots of stuff, which all takes a lot of energy to make and run. Also, our houses and public buildings are heated with oil. All that has put more and more and more CO2 into the atmosphere; in fact, there is more CO2 in the layer around our planet now than there ever has been since there were humans!

Most of our planet is covered with ocean (about 75% of the surface of planet Earth is water) and over 30% of all that CO2 we have been producing has dissolved into the oceans. For a long time we thought that the ocean was helping us, but now researchers have found that CO2 dissolving into the ocean is changing the ocean chemistry - not good news!

Chemistry seems like a fancy subject for really brainy people, but Switgard makes it easy to understand by teaching the students how to build molecules (Which is what everything is made up of. Water is made up of water and hydrogen molecules!)

Making molecules with beads.

The most difficult problem was trying to figure out how the CO2 would dissolve into water. There are a few solutions to this problem, but nature's way is to form a carbonic acid molecule. An acid is something that has a pH measurement below 7, seawater is on average about pH 8.1, so it’s not an acid at all. Ocean acidification means that the ocean water’s average pH becomes more acidic (the pH gets a little lower).

The problem is, that the carbonic acid easily falls apart and then competes with all the shell-building animals for calcium in the water. (Calcium is what makes our bones hard and what animals with an outside skeleton use to build their shells).

Different things in the sea that are made up of calcium.

For crabs, mussels, clams, chitons, sea urchins, sea stars, coral, oysters, and many other animals it will get more difficult to build their shells the more CO2 is dissolved into the ocean. One of the main areas of research at the Kodiak Laboratory is to look at the effect of ocean acidification on the development of King Crab when they grow from an egg to a larva and into small crab.

A teeny tiny King Crab.

After this explanation, Switgard got out a flask of seawater and some blue dye. She gave every group a beaker of the blue seawater and a pH meter. She explained how to use the pH meter and the students then measured the pH in their beaker of seawater.

Measuring the pH.

Then, they used straws and blew bubbles into the seawater - how fun. Some boys made a mess!

After a while, the blue color disappeared, instead the water turned kind of yellowish. Another measurement with the pH meter showed that the pH was lower now. What had happened was that by blowing into the water they added CO₂ to seawater and produced carbonic acid - just like ocean acidification!

So much informationin one day, but so much fun!

The next day, it was time for the grade 7's. They had a different project to do...they exposed young oysters to 3 different pH levels and then measured the effect on oyster growth.

I helped measure,

and weigh oysters in the experiment and then...

put it all onto the computer.

Along the Pacific Coast from Oregon to Alaska oyster farmers have seen strange things in the last 6 years. Sometimes, when they have just set up their tanks with oyster spat (little oysters that just changed from a larva and settled to the bottom), they would watch them disappear overnight. When scientists helped look into the problem they found that the oyster disappearances were connected to offshore winds. When the wind blows offshore, it pushes the water away from the shore and is then replaced by water from deeper layers of the ocean. This water that comes up along the Pacific coast is water that has not been at the surface for a thousand years and it has a lower pH than any surface water. This means that when it makes its way into the oyster farms it dissolves the newly formed shells of the oyster spat. Shame!

Thanks to Switgard and all my new friends I made in Kodiak, I had soooooooooooo much fun! If you want to learn more, Sea Fans, why not visit the Kodiak lab and see for yourself what amazing work they do there...you may even get to see the teeny tiny crab I was holding. : )

Have a great week Sea Fans and a fantastic Christmas.

Chat soon.

Cheers

Abby

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Alaska!!

2011-12-12T12:38:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

I know you've all been waiting patiently to hear from me and yes, with internet I should be able to get to writing as soon as I've done things, but I've been so busy that I've hardly had 2 seconds. Don't worry, you get to see all the fun stuff I've been up to, just read on.....

I've just left the Alaska Sea Life Centre in Seward and what fun we had! I knew it was cold there, but wow, it can be FREEZING! I don't know how those guys dive in that water every day. Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself, I need to start at the beginning.

Casey was nice enough to invite me to come and visit them and she made sure that I got to help out in ALL their animal departments - marine mammals, avian (birds) and in the aquarium.

In the aquarium, I met Jared, the Aquarium Co-ordinator who invited me to help him feed the octopus. Not just any octopus, mind you, I got to feed the Giant Pacific Octopus called Lulu.

Lulu came right up for her food when she saw Jared.

Lulu is four years old and loves razor clams. We had so much fun, I felt like staying with her all day.

This is what Razor Clams look like.

Some interesting stuff:

The Giant Pacific Octopus (GPO) grows bigger and lives longer than any other octopus species. The size record is an animal that measured 9.1 m across and weighed more than 272 kg. The averages are more like 5m and 50 kg though.
GPO's have been known to attack and eat sharks as well as birds, using their sharp, beaklike mouths to puncture and tear flesh.
They are found throughout the temperate waters of the Pacific, from southern California to Alaska, west to the Aleutian Islands and Japan.

After visiting Lulu, I spent a little bit of time with the front of house staff at the touch pool where they had some really pretty starfish/sea stars.

It's very important to read signs in an aquarium!

You can see how much fun I was having!

You can't work in an aquarium and not get wet, so after seeing the front of house, I got to dive in the deepest sea bird exhibit in North America! My dive buddies introduced me to Big Mamma, a wolf eel, and then we got down to the serious work of scrubbing. After all, everything's got to be clean and it's not going to get that way by itself! : )

My dive buddies Darin and Jared.

To defrost from the long dive, I went over to Assistant Curator, Cade, to see if I could meet the Pacific Harbor Seals. I was in for a treat: he was just about to start a training session with Snapper, their 27 year old Harbor Seal.

Snapper is so well trained, he even followed my command when I gave the training a try.

After seeing Snapper, I got to meet Tongass, Snapper's son. They're such beautiful animals and amazingly elegant when they swim in the water. Like all good trainers, after the fun and games, I went and got my hands dirty.

Cleaning fish buckets.

I ended my time at the Alaska SeaLife Center in the seabird aviary, home to 10 different types of Alaskan seabirds. Along with Educator Callie and AmeriCorps Member Sara Ann, I got to hand feed a range of different birds.

Me, Callie and the birds.

I got to meet a real life Puffin and a Kittiwake. A Kitti - what - e, you ask? A KITTI-WA-KE, it's a type of gull and it's very pretty: it looks a bit like it's had it's wings dipped in ink.

The Horned Puffin we fed.

The Kittiwake.

All in all, I had a great time at the Alaska SeaLife Center and I loved meeting all the staff who work there and get to spend every day of their lives around amazing marine animals. If you'd like to find out more about the Alaska Sea Life Centre, go to http://www.alaskasealife.org/ or better yet, if you're in Alaska for Christmas, why not pop over to the centre and see it all for yourself!

Thanks ASLC staff, I had a great time and thanks so much for my standard issue Grunden wear, the overalls (as we call them) are great!

Have a great week Sea Fans!
Chat soon
Abby
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www.alaskasealife.org

Homegrown Hit!

2011-12-06T13:34:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Just wanted to let you know that the Cape Town's Child Magazine labelled "Predators" a "HOMEGROWN HIT".

I hope you've all stocked up for Christmas! : )
If not, Heidi will be at Kirstenbosch Market with craft kits and my books for sale this Sunday from 9am to 3pm....go and have a look, it's a great market!

Cheers
Abby
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What not to do when you're diving!

2011-12-01T08:43:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Diving is a great sport and it's the best way to see some of the most amazing creatures on this planet. The only problem is that some people don't respect the underwater world, before, during or after diving!

A shoe polluting the reef. Photo: Marco Care/Marine Photobank

Trampling a reef. Photo: Georg Heiss/Marine Photobank

I've been lucky enough to dive in quite a few beautiful places around the world and so often, I see traces of us humans disrespecting nature. From pollution to broken coral. It's really sad and if we don't do something about it, who will? So please Sea Fans, when you dive please:

don't harrass the animals (hold on to them, chase them etc.)
don't take shells home that could be a potential home for a hermit crab or other animal
don't break the coral
don't hold onto the coral
don't litter (leaving any part of your dive gear on the bottom of the ocean is also littering, it doesn't have to be a plastic bag)
don't knock the coral with your camera

Lots of people don't realise that they are damaging anything because they're so busy looking at the beautiful underwater world that they don't feel their fin scrape over a reef. Make sure you have good buoyancy control before swimming over reefs and through overhangs and caves!

Thanks Sea Fans, this will make a huge difference if you can all stick to this and make sure your friends and family stick to these rules too.

Cheers
Abby
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Under Pressure Competition

2011-11-23T11:52:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

I came across this cool competition where you can learn about pressure under the sea (it's run by the Deep Earth Academy which is part of the JOIDES Resolution - the people I'll be meeting next year who explore what lies beneath the ocean floor!). All you have to do is make an artwork out of polystyrene/styrofoam and send it to them and they'll take it down to great depths to see what pressure does to it.

An example of what you can do and how the pressure affects the polystyrene.

It sounds like good fun so why not enter?! Check out the website for more details: http://joidesresolution.org/node/2108

Have a great week Sea Fans!
Cheers
Abby
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Yebo

2011-11-22T10:21:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

It's been 2 weeks, I know - sorry about that, but things have been hectic. Now I have a bit of time to get an update out because, as you know, I'm off to Alaska and I need something to do at the airports.

First it was the Whale Festival in Hermanus, then Yebo Gogga for 5 days in Joburg, then the Joburg Homeschool Expo and then Heidi did a reading at the Book Lounge. Here are some pics of the fun (hopefully you saw the crafts we did on my Facebook page!):

Hermanus Whale Festival: Renee from the Two Oceans Aquarium told us a bit more about plastic pollution and showed us her bag (blue with fish) that's a recycled aquarium flag.

Can you believe that this is plastic found on just one South African beach - I'm glad I take part in beach clean-ups!! (Photo: Maleen/Marine Photobank)

Hermanus Whale Festival - they had a cartoonist showing kids how to draw marine animals.

Hermanus Whale Festival: Meredith Thornton from the Marine Mammal Department of the Iziko Museum gave an interesting talk about whale research that she's done.

Heidi talking to hundreds of people at Yebo Gogga about predators, school groups included!

So as you can see, we've been busy, but I haven't forgotten about you Sea Fans! Have a great week and we'll chat soon.

Cheers
Abby
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Crabby and Clammy Crafts

2011-11-09T09:27:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

If you're not sure what to do with your clam and mussel shells once you've had your dinner, then I have found a great idea for you! Have a look at this cool craft I found on the internet:

If you feel like making your own clams, then check this out:

It's amazing what you can find on the internet. Thanks to all those people out there who post their ideas and crafts for others to enjoy!!

Enjoy crafting Sea Fans.

Cheers

Abby

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Busy times

2011-11-03T15:15:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

As usual, time has run away so here's a quick update:

Those Sea Fans that are in Joburg this weekend, don't forget the Homeschool Expo on Saturday from 9am till 3pm at the London Road Church (133 First Road, Linbro Park). If you'd like to know more, check out their website at www.homeschoolexpo.co.za.

Next Saturday, Heidi will be at the Book Lounge in Cape Town (Roeland Street) introducing "Predators"(Time to be confirmed but most probably at 11am).

Abby crafts and books are now available at Kidz-A-Peal in Plumstead (Cape Town) as well as at the Maine State Aquarium (USA).

I'm going to Alaska this month!!

Photo: David Nanuk

My around the world trip is starting so keep an eye on my blog, I'll be visiting researchers, aquarium staff and a whole range of other people involved with the sea to find out what they get up to in the day.

That's about it for now, Sea Fans, I've got to run - I need to go and feed my chatty seagull and his penguin friends. Have a great weekend!

Cheers
Abby
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Int. Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) review Book II

2011-10-26T11:16:00.000+02:00

Predators, Heidi de Maine, illustrated by Keli Hazelton, (privately published)

Heidi de Maine is a qualified Marine Biologist and this is the second book in the series Abby’s Aquarium Adventures, a local series of picture books about marine life. Abby works at an aquarium and she loves sharing her love of the sea with children, in this book she takes the kids to find out more about the “big eaters” in the aquarium.

With so much of public attention in SA being focused on the Great White Shark, children could be forgiven for thinking that they are the only predators in the sea round our coast ... readers here are introduced to lesser known, but none the less fascinating, creatures such as Honeycomb rays and Humphead Wrasse. The information is presented in a child friendly yet interesting way and it is a wonderful introduction to an important group of marine animals for children aged 6–10 years. Included at the end are a puzzle and crossword to reinforce the new words.

My quibble is with the cover which I don’t think children would find immediately appealing and I am also not too sure about the black pages. - Kathy Madlener

Sponge Bob's Cousin

2011-10-19T12:02:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

It's been a busy time again with expos and school talks but before I tell you about the events that I've been to, let me tell you a little more about an amazing creature that I got to see this last week at the Wits University Museum (it wasn't alive, but I've only ever seen them in books so it was amazing to see it!)....the GLASS SEA SPONGE!

Yes, the easy way to remember it is as Sponge Bob's cousin, but it's so much more impressive than Sponge Bob!

Sponge Bob about to go skiing. Photo: Alex

Glass Sea Sponges are almost entirely deep-water and not suitable for your aquarium at home. The most amazing part about these sponges is that they don't look like a sponge, they look more like a skeleton of an eel or something and they look very fragile. They are actually very strong though! Architects and scientists have found that the structure of these sponges is so strong that they have copied it when building bridges and buildings. (There are already some buildings that have the same structure and those architects probably didn't realise at the time that there was a sea sponge built the same - have a look at the Swiss Re Tower in London and the Eiffel Tower in Paris). They're even looking into making fibre optic cables stronger by using the sponge design!!! Amazing how we can learn from nature! (In case you're interested, or your parents want to know more, this is called BIOMIMICRY - basically: copying nature).

The most well known of the glass sea sponges is the Venus's flower basket. This sponge has become popular as a collectors' item, but was traditionally given as a wedding gift in some Asian cultures because there are little shrimp (a male and a female) which climb inside the sponge as larvae (babies), and then become trapped there as they grow. These are considered a good luck gift for a wedding couple as a symbol of the lifetime bond between the two partners.

Go to this site for more pics and info for parents: http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/83/i28/8328notw4.html

Nature is amazing...what more can I say!

Have a great week Sea Fans and chat soon.

Cheers!
Abby
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From here to Timbuktu (almost)

2011-10-06T16:47:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

What exciting news I have for you: I'm becoming a world traveller!! I wanted to show you some of the amazing people who work in the aquariums and research facilities around the world... so I wrote a letter.

I wrote to a few people, telling them what I wanted to do and asking if they would be interested in having me visit and the response was amazing! The list of people who have invited me to come and see what they do seems to be growing week by week. So far, I've been invited to: Alaska, Canada, the USA, Mexico, the UK, Turkey, Portugal, the Phillipines, Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand... and I see that there are more mails in my inbox so hold thumbs, I might be coming to your country!

World Map showing the countries that I'll be travelling to in red.

If you have a great aquarium or other type of marine/animal facility in your area, let me know (on this blog or at abby@telkomsa.net) and I'll contact the people in charge and see about popping in there too. The more countries the better!

I'll also be visiting professionals here in South Africa and along the way I'll give you clues to a special kind of treasure hunt that you can do with your mom and dad called a Geocache (Google the word "geocache" and prepare by asking Dad if he'll join in and let you use his GPS). We're going to have a great time over the next year, keep your eyes peeled for developments! (An easy way to stay in touch is to join my Facebook Page, connect to this blog so that you get updates instantly and/or mail me, I'd love to hear from you!)

So that's it from me for now, I'll check in with you again in a few days.
Have a great week and enjoy the sunshine those of you in the southern hemisphere (especially SA today!)
Cheers
Abby
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Butterflyfish Craft

2011-09-26T14:36:00.002+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

I've been searching the internet for some cool sea life crafts and wow, there's some great stuff. Look at this Butterflyfish Origami:

Can you tell which butterflyfish this is? (Clue: look at the big spot by his dorsal/top fin). Let me know if you get it right!

Have a great week Sea Fans!
Cheers
Abby
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Fish Head

2011-09-20T10:15:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

I'm sitting here, sick as a dog, but having a good laugh remembering the goings on of last week. An aquarist's life is never dull!

First we had a leak in a porta pool (a large plastic lined pool used for new fish in quarantine) that had sharks in it. The leak was in such an awkward spot that we had to move all the sharks to another pool, drain the pool and then only could we seal the leak. This meant that everyone had to stop what they were doing and lend a hand - teamwork is what it's all about!

A porta pool like the one we kept our sharks in.

Then, one of the other aquarists managed to slip off a ladder whilst feeding her display fish and managed to get a head full of sardines - yuck! Needless to say, nobody wanted to have a meeting with her that day!! STINKY!

The next day, one of the collections guys who never ever gets sea sick managed to turn 5 different shades of green and lose all 3 previous meals because of a freak storm that came in. Everyone was joking about how he was feeding the fish. Poor guy, but he always made fun of people who got seasick so now he knows what it's like.

Feeling sea sick takes a lot out of you!

That same day, a member of the public called in a stranded turtle the size of a tractor tyre, but when we got there to collect it, it was the size of a car hub cap! I thought I was bad with measurements! ha ha ha
Not only did this lady get the size wrong, but she wanted to put it in a pot on her stove to keep it warm - she obviously wasn't thinking about the possibility that she may be cooking it! Sometimes I wonder! But at least she asked first if she should do it...and yes, she was only trying to help, but this is how humans can do more damage than help sometimes.

So as you can see, a lot of things happened to make us smile...maybe not at the time, but we're having a good chuckle now. So the next time you think you're having a bad day, think of what it must be like to have a bucket of sardines fall on your head...your day won't seem so bad after that! : )

Have a great week Sea Fans!
Cheers
Abby
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My update

2011-09-13T08:43:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

I haven't done a general update in a while so I thought today would be as good a day as any seeing as it's miserable weather outside and no collection trip planned.

What's been happening:

This month, as always is the busiest school visits month seeing as many schools have their Book Week and Marine Week is coming up soon. Wynberg Boys' Junior School, it was great to meet you all and chat to you about what I do, Wynberg Girls, I look forward to meeting you tomorrow, Golden Grove Primary, I'll see you next week!

Predators is now available in quite a few school libraries so if you want to read it, ask your librarian at school for it, if it's not at your school, ask her if she can order one or otherwise you can buy your own copy at the Dyer Island Conservation Trust in Gansbaai, Kidz-a-Peal in Plumstead or contact me at abby@telkomsa.net and I'll get a copy to you ASAP. A few more stores will soon have Predators as well as craft kits so keep an eye on my website.

What's going to happen:

I'm busy setting up a treasure hunt (nowadays it's called Geocaching because you get to play with dad and his GPS) and will soon post it on this website for you to get hunting (Apologies to those of you from the rest of the world, but this is only in South Africa at the moment. I'd love for you to visit!). I'm going to be at the Cape Town Home School Expo in Belville on Saturday (17 Sep - http://www.homeschoolexpo.co.za/cape-home-educators-educational-expo-opvoedkundige-uitstalling.html), so please come and say hi at my stand. I'll also be at the Whale Festival where Heidi will be doing crafts and readings in Gansbaai at the Dyer Island Conservation Trust (DICT)- the festival is from 30 Sep till 4 Oct.

The Whale Festival is always a treat and the DICT folks have a great line-up for that week! The Shark Conservancy in Hermanus also has a great line-up of talks for the Whale Festival! 12 - 16 Oct will once again be the Yebo Gogga Expo (http://www.wits.ac.za/YeboGogga) in Johannesburg and the theme this year is EXPLORERS so come and join me to become an Underwater Explorer.

On 5 Nov I'll be at the Johannesburg Home School Expo and then the weekend after that on 12 Nov, you'll be able to catch Heidi at the Book Lounge in Cape Town (Roelandt St) doing a reading of Predators!

So as you can see, we have a nice line-up of interesting events in the next few months. If you're in the area, come on down and join in the fun!

Have a great week Sea Fans and hope to see you at some of the events!
Cheers
Abby
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Dolphin Trainer anyone?

2011-09-06T10:08:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

I'm sure many of you have dreamt of swimming with dolphins or even just touching them. Well, imagine working with them EVERY DAY!! The lady I'm interviewing today, Gabby Harris, gets to do this. Check it out:

What is your job?
I am the Curator of mammals and birds at uShaka Sea World.

What did you study/do to get this kind of work?
I learned a lot of the ins and outs of the job on the job. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree that includes psychology and Speech and Drama – these two subjects stood me in good stead when I applied for my job here.

What do you do in a normal day?
Manage staff that work in this department. Train and present dolphins. Lots of cleaning and paper work. Husbandry (caring for the animals) around the animals.

What is the most interesting thing you've come across/experienced in your job?
The first time I saw a dolphin’s belly button I was amazed that these animals are individuals. Seeing a dolphin being born is an incredible experience – with one of the animals my children watched a dolphin birth with me which was wonderful. Releasing an elephant seal after we rehabilitated her was incredible. Holding a penguin chick in your hands. So many wonderful times.

What is a not-so-nice thing about your job?
We love these animals like our family members. If they become compromised (if they get sick or hurt), we worry about them like we do our children. There is also lots of cleaning!

What do you love about your job?
Being friends with the animals – this is an incredible privilege, and it is amazing to bond with them. Love swimming with the dolphins. Love sharing conservation messages with people. Seeing someone’s attitude to the ocean change because they have met an animal is really heartening.

What would you say/recommend to kids who want to do what you do?
Be physically fit. If you want to make a career of this, you need to have good swimming skills and be energetic and strong. It is a good idea to study after school. Perhaps study close to a facility like uShaka Sea world and volunteer on your weekends so you get the lay of the land and a foot in the door. It is not a glamour job, so you need to be prepared to slog hard and get your hands dirty. Learn about the ocean. Become familiar with organisations in this industry, such as the Animal Behaviour Management Alliance (ABMA), the Animal Keepers Association of Africa (AKAA) and the International Association for Marine Animal Trainers (IMATA). Go see them on line.

Anything else?
Love the ocean…

Thanks to Gabby for the insider peak into a trainer's life, I'm sure she'se inspired lots of us to work harder.

Have a great week Sea Fans!
Cheers
Abby
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Great White Shark on display!

2011-09-02T08:46:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Interesting news has broken in the aquarium world, read the summary below to find out more:

MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM PUTS ITS 6TH YOUNG GREAT WHITE SHARK ON EXHIBIT

A Great White Shark. Photo: Hermanus Backpackers

For the sixth time, the Monterey Bay Aquarium (www.montereybayaquarium.org) has a young great white shark on exhibit. He was brought to Monterey from Malibu on Wednesday night (August 31), just 13 days after he was collected by aquarium staff in waters off southern California near Marina del Rey.

The young shark, a 122cm male weighing 19.6 kg, was collected by aquarium staff and was quickly transferred to a more than 15-million-litre ocean holding pen off Malibu, where he remained for almost two weeks. Aquarium staff observed him swimming comfortably and documented him feeding in the pen before he was taken to Monterey and placed in the 3-million-litre Open Sea exhibit.

In 2004, the first female white shark was exhibited in Monterey as part of the aquarium’s Open Sea exhibit for 6 ½ months and was seen by more than a million people. In follow-up surveys, visitors reported coming away with a deeper understanding of the need to protect white sharks and their ocean homes as a result of seeing the shark on exhibit. In the wild, great white shark numbers are decreasing worldwide, partly because they’re slow to reproduce and because of growing fishing pressure. White sharks are protected in California and other U.S. coastal waters, as well as in South Africa, Australia, Mexico and other nations. Their fearsome reputation has made them a target of trophy hunters and the curio trade. This means that educating the public and research is vitally important!

Since 2002, the aquarium has allocated more than $1 million toward its studies of adult and juvenile great white sharks – research unrelated to the effort to put a white shark on exhibit. Visit www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/whiteshark.aspx for detailed information about the aquarium’s Project White Shark program.

So Sea Fans, let me know what you think about this.

Cheers
Abby
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Clam Craft

2011-08-30T12:52:00.002+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

I was surfing the worldwide web and found a very cool craft - origami. Try this one out:

Have fun with it and enjoy finding your own (maybe try googling the author of this origami: Fumiaki Shingu).

Cheers
Abby
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Water rat runaway!

2011-08-29T10:31:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

This last week was so quiet that I even managed to clear my desk - something that is very much like homework to me! In the pile of papers, I found an incident report from a while back all about our Water Rats escaping when we first got them. I was having such a good chuckle when all of a sudden, I heard a mayday call on the radio...you won't believe it, but the Water Rats had escaped!!

They haven't tried to escape in a long time, but they must have known that I was reading about their last great escape so they tried it again! Ha ha ha!

I laugh now, but at the time it wasn't funny. The aquarium was due to open in 10 minutes, we couldn't afford to have escaped Water Rats running around with public in the aquarium. This meant that we had to catch them and FAST! First thing was to find out how they had escaped so that it doesn't happen again as soon as we've got them back inside their exhibit. The next was to find out how many had escaped and then get the trainer and at least one other aquarist who worked with the rats to help capture them. Luckily, it wasn't an exhibit problem, but rather an aquarist in a hurry that caused the escape (the aquarist cleaning the enclosure didn't close the door behind them whilst cleaning so the rats decided to take the gap).

We soon found them: hiding inbetween the filtration pumps (the machines that clean the water) behind the amazon exhibit, looking a little confused. Luckily, they love their food and their trainer knows them very well. It only took two carrots and a whistle to get Beavis and Noris into their travel boxes and back into their exhibit... with 2 minutes to spare. Phew! Never a dull life in the aquarium!!

When you think "rat", you think "small". This is not the case with Water Rats, otherwise known as Nutria.

Moral of the story: anything can happen...twice.

Have a great week Sea Fans!
Cheers
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Do you want to be a diver?

2011-08-21T19:10:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Well, if you ever thought that you might want to take up diving as your career, stay put and read on. Today we have Tersia with us, she works as a diver at an aquarium and she's going to tell you a little more about what she does in a day:

Tersia above the water.

What is your job?

I am a diver at the Two Oceans Aquarium and look after a few tanks and take care of all the sharks and fishes in it.

What did you study/do to get this kind of work?

I did not study for this job! I started as a volunteer because I have a passion to look after fish and dive in the ocean.

What do you do in a normal day?

I look after my displays, feed the fish and do a presentation dive while feeding the fish, sharks and turtles.

What is the most interesting thing you've come across/experienced in your job?

The molting of my spider crabs - the way they climb out of the old carapace!

What is a not-so-nice thing about your job?

We have to prepare our own food for the fish on weekends when we work, then we stink like fish!

What do you love about your job?

I love diving and feeding the sharks in my big tank because not everybody gets to do such an awesome thing.

What would you say/recommend to kids who want to do what you do?

You would have to be a hard worker, be dedicated and love looking after your animals.

Anything else?

You must love what you do and what makes you happy! It's nice getting up in the morning and looking forward to going to work.

Tersia below the water.

Thanks Tersia for inviting us into your world! So, who wants to be a diver? I know many people who want to be able to do what Tersia does!!

Have a great week, Sea Fans!
Cheers
Abby
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Stinky!!

2011-08-12T13:15:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

How funny...I've just been past the fish kitchen and saw a whole bunch of kids on a behind-the-scenes tour holding their noses! They think that it stinks - ha ha ha! We've all gotten so used to the smell of fish that we don't smell it anymore. Fresh fish doesn't smell fishy, but our fish bins that have been sitting with old bits in for a day don't smell as fresh.

That smell must really stick to us because I've even had a shopkeeper crinkle up her nose and sniff the air like there's something stinky when I've gone to pay for something - not great, but if she knew what I got to do all day, I'm sure she'd wish she could smell like me! : ) Smelling like fish is a small price to pay when you get to work with turtles,

A baby turtle we rehabilitated and released back into the sea.

penguins,

Watching a baby penguin grow up is so fulfilling.

rays,

Hiding urchins and mussles under the sand for these guys is very entertaining for the public. They use their "noses" to dig them up.

and other amazing animals.

Anglerfish. The pink thing on his head looks like a worm when he dangles it out in the open for prey to come closer.

Musselcracker. Man, does this guy have some big teeth!

Pop-eyed Scorpionfish.

Enjoy visiting your local aquarium Sea Fans! Chat soon.
Cheers
Abby
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What goes up must come down!

2011-08-12T12:02:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Have you heard the saying: “What goes up must come down” before? Well, it’s so true. Let me tell you how I came across this saying again.

This week we had so many people at the aquarium, it felt like holidays all over again! It’s great for business, but it makes getting around the aquarium really difficult sometimes – especially when you’re carrying buckets of water with artemia in (artemia = sea monkeys = the little marine animals that look like insects which we use as food for a lot of our small fish, jellyfish and corals).

Artemia. Photo: Biodiversity Institute of Ontario.

I’ve often found myself having to ask guests very politely to move out the way because they are so amazed by the animals and the exhibits that they don’t see us running around. Which I guess is a good thing because it means that we’ve done our job well. : )

Anyway, with all the hustle and bustle, a few kids managed to sneak balloons into the aquarium. It didn’t take long and two balloons were popped, right above the turtle tank which doesn't have a cover on it! This is one of the worst things that you can do, turtles often mistake balloons for food and so they swallow the balloon and it gets stuck inside the turtle. This causes its real food to get stuck there too, sometimes blocking the whole intestine or stomach and causing an infection. With wild turtles, this can cause an animal to starve because there aren’t humans checking on them everyday who can see when something’s wrong. Luckily, we managed to get the balloons out without much fuss, but something even worse could have happened, they could have been released into the air by accident and what goes up must come down. Please Sea Fans, rather don’t buy balloons and if you find one floating in the sea, river, dam or lake, please fish it out before a fish or something else eats it.

Here are a few scary facts:

o Almost all balloons released are tied with ribbons and strings which entangle, strangle and kill marine life.

o Latex balloons float for just 10 hours but can take up to a year or more to degrade.

o There is a greater than 70% chance that airborne balloons, or pieces of them, will end up in the oceans and harm marine life.

Just remember, releasing balloons into the air is littering!

Have a great weekend Sea Fans and please keep an eye out for colourful balloons that may be floating in the water when you're out there having fun.

Cheers
Abby
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JAWS

2011-07-28T10:55:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Nope, not sharks this time, but a pretty little fish called a Jawfish. I got to see a brooding male when we went on a collecting trip so I thought I'd share this cute character with you:

Photo: Wikipedia

Male mouth brooding (the male fish actually keep their eggs in their mouths), burrow-building, and passionate courtship displays are a few of the interesting behaviours that make jawfishes so fascinating to watch. These little blunt-headed, big-mouthed fish inhabit the sandy seafloor where they build rock-lined burrows which take nearly 8 hours to complete! These burrows are where they spend most of their day, grabbing zooplankton from the current just above their burrow entrance and clearing away rubble that may have fallen into the chamber. From early spring to autumn, males incubate clutches of eggs inside their mouths. An easy way to spot a brooding male is to look for those fish that have bloated cheeks, hanging around at the entrance of their burrow. These little guys are not keen on diver spectators so the chances are very good that they will hide away the entire time that you are around, but if you’re patient, you may catch a glimpse of one little guy coming out and churning his mouthful of eggs. (This is when the eggs are spit out of the mouth and quickly sucked back in). Churning removes waste, aerates the eggs and allows the embryos to mix, so that all of them will have the chance to develop equally. What leads to these clutches of eggs, of course, is romance. Jawfishes only take one partner (they’re monogamous) and the partners live in separate burrows very close to each other, with a third “Honeymoon Suite”. Unlike most reef fish spawns that are very short-lived, the Yellowhead Jawfishes take their time. The male approaches the female many times, swooping down to her and arching his back whilst flaring his beautiful fins and opening his mouth like an opera singer – a real show-off! They then enter their third burrow together and a few seconds later, the ritual starts all over again. These behaviours can keep divers fascinated for ages! (and aquarists distracted on a collection trip!) : )

A lot of people don't realise how much they can see when they visit an aquarium - you could spend an hour at just one tank watching how the fish go about their business and if you see those fish every day like we do, it's very easy to pick up when something is wrong like a sick fish. It's just like knowing your puppy really well.

Have a great week Sea Fans and enjoy watching fish behaviour next time you visit your aquarium.
Cheers
Abby
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White Death Shark

2011-07-21T13:21:00.000+02:00

Now why would anyone want to name an animal this? I recently met a man who is trying to change this as well as the way people look at sharks and specifically the Great White.

Hi Sea Fans!

A bit of a different start to the blog today, but I thought I just had to give a taster of what’s to come. Can you believe that this is what the Great White Shark is called in Afrikaans?! Well, many people have started calling it the “Groot Wit Haai” which is a direct translation, but why not? Why must the Great White be seen as a DEATH shark? Since the movie JAWS, people have been scared out of the ocean’s waters when in fact, there are so many more human deaths that are caused by cars per year and even simple things like toasters have killed more people than sharks.

Photo: Save Our Seas Foundation - Rethink the Shark Campaign

Let’s all stick together on this one and help our friends in the sea – they do what comes naturally to them, they are predators, but we are not a part of their food chain. Great White Sharks are not swimming around looking for the next human to eat and besides, we eat so much junk these days, why would they want food with tartrazine, tons of sugar, MSG, preservatives and colourants? They want fish and marine mammals: they’re tastier and contain a lot less additives!

It’s funny how people get scared of something, but are still fascinated by it. How many of you “hate” snakes but if there’s a huge python or Boa Constrictor on offer for photographs, you’re the first in line to touch it?

Photo: Coventry Telegraph

Well, sharks are the same. So many people say that they don’t want to dive in the sea or go swimming at certain beaches because of the possibility of seeing a shark (Trust me, this doesn’t happen often, I’ve been diving for years and I haven’t seen many sharks.) The funny thing is, these are usually the first people who want to see the sharks at the aquarium, dive with them in a cage and touch them at the touch tanks. One thing is certain, it’s the things you don’t know that you fear because the more you get to know about sharks (thanks to TV, aquariums and magazines), the less you fear them (this doesn’t mean that you don’t have a healthy respect for them)...and the more fascinating they become!

Let me introduce you to some cool sharks (and if you want to learn a whole lot more about different
sharks and other predators, you can buy my second book, Predators. Order online or mail me at abby@telkomsa.net and I’ll personally make sure you get one…and autograph it if you’d like).

The Basking Shark:

The Seven-gill Shark:

Photo: Derek Keats

The Zebra Shark:

So that’s it for today Sea Fans, have a great week and chat soon.
Cheers
Abby
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Porcupine Pufferfish or "Blaasoppie" in Afrikaans

2011-07-11T10:33:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

I'm not sure how many of you got to see the YouTube video of the craft that was done the same morning that Heidi did a reading so here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/user/TwoOceansAquarium#p/a/u/1/EqhzRU162as

The voice over is in Afrikaans so for those of you who don't understand it, here are a few points:

All you need is a paper circle for the body, long narrow triangles of colourful paper or magazine/newspaper, a few squiggly paper strips for the tail, glue, string and two eyes.
Follow what the lady is doing and remember to bend the triangles once you've glued them down so that they stick nicely and make the pufferfish look prickly.
Don't forget to do both sides.
Blaasoppie = Pufferfish........blaas = blow and op = up

Photo: N Hobgood.

Have a great week Sea Fans!
Cheers
Abby
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2011-07-05T10:04:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

I realised that I haven't given you an update for a while when I was looking through my photos, so here goes... I found some really cute photos, check this out:Who would have thought that even a dog would enjoy storytime! : )

Snowy the Maltese Poodle enjoying "Predators".

Kirstenbosch Market

This was the final Kirstenbosch Market for the 2010/2011 season. As you can see, we had to go back to the old tent because the gazebo got ripped up and taken away by the wind at the previous market. We now also have small crochet animals called amigurumi (not for sale) - have a look on the internet, there are some really cute patterns. Mine were made by my mom...some without a pattern!!! I've got a jellyfish, a shark, a turtle, a butterflyfish, a clownfish, a lobster, an octopus, a seal, a penguin, a starfish, a manta ray, a sunfish and more coming. Heidi takes these with her to schools when she gives talks so that everyone can see what the animals look like without needing to take the real thing! Keep an eye out for these little guys, they're amazing!

Tiger Shark.

A new addittion to the craft kits - the Tiger Shark! There is a whole range of shark craft kits available now, from mobiles and pencils to dreamcatchers, door hangers and puzzles. We have Tiger Sharks, Lemon Sharks, Thresher Sharks, Great White Sharks, Zebra Sharks, Shortfin Mako Sharks and Hammerhead Sharks. If you'd like to know more about the craft kits, send me a mail at abby@telkomsa.net.

Wall painting.

I saw this cute turtle on a friend's wall and so I asked her if she would be willing to paint one for me to advertise the books. I now have a gorgeous cloth with a giant turtle on it to be used at events!

Petit fours.

I saw these cute little cupcake-type things at the bakery and just had to share them with you. Apparently, the way you pronounce it/say it is: "Petty foi". A posh way of saying that they are very sweet little cakes with an almond paste inside that most kids don't like the taste of! : )

Whale crafts.

Just in time for the whale season! We now have Right Whale moneyboxes and puzzles and small whales for all the other crafts we already supply. If you'd like to have a whale of a time, contact me at abby@telkomsa.net and I'll get the price list to you. The crafts start at R20 and the most expensive at the moment is only R60 so it's a bargain for some fun!

So that's what's been happening and what's new this month. Give me a shout if you want to know more and keep an eye out for Heidi, she may be at your school next term (Cape Town schools).

Have a great week Sea Fans!
Cheers
Abby
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Sea Biscuit

2011-06-29T09:53:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

How's the weather treating all the divers in the southern hemisphere? Hmmm....rather chilly... and some big waves have been making their way around my side of the world. A good partner for cold weather (and possibly rain) is a nice cup of hot chocolate with a biscuit or two, so I thought I'd do something different today and give you a yummy recipe that I found for biscuits that you can make into sea creatures. Here goes:

Sea Biscuits

125 g butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 t vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cups self-raising flour
1/2 t salt
125 g choc chips (optional but definitely recommended)
60 nut pieces (mixed nuts chopped finely taste yummy but this is also optional)
Decorating bits and pieces like hundreds and thousands, chocolate vermicelli, seeds etc.

Cream together butter, sugars and vanilla.

Add lightly beaten egg gradually, beating well after each addition.
Mix in sifted flour and salt.

Add chocolate chips and nuts - mix well.
Shape teaspoonfuls of mixture into sea creatures of your choice. Decorate now if you aren't using icing.
Place on lightly greased baking tray (Very important: allow room for the biscuits to spread!!)

Bake in 180° C oven for 10 - 12 mins.
Decorate after cooling on a wire rack if you are using icing.
Enjoy! (Try not to eat them all at once) : )

Have fun with these and enjoy snuggling up in this weather. For those of you in the northern hemisphere - we're jealous of your warm weather, but we're having fun in the rain! : )

Have a great week Sea Fans.
Cheers
Abby
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Cute and cuddly

2011-06-21T12:23:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

What's long, thin, slimy, has no stomach and 3 hearts? A hagfish of course!

Photo: Berkely University

Yes, it's not so cute and cuddly, but it's fascinating and I had such a laugh this last week so I just have to tell you about it. One of our aquarists is writing a paper on the stress response of hagfish, so I went to check out what was happening. I arrived at just the right time because he was about to weigh the hagfish.

For those of you who don't know, hagfish give off slime when they get stressed...some can even give off a whole bucket of slime!! I've seen it for myself! So to prevent this from happening, while they get weighed, they need to get anaesthetised (they have to go to sleep for a bit or at least be a bit drowsy so that they don't get stressed easily). The anaesthetic is put into the water and soon after, they become very relaxed. This makes handling them a lot easier.

Unfortunately, one of the hagfish was still quite wide awake so when it was picked up, it wriggled around so much that it managed to wriggle right out of the aquarist's hands and plopped straight into the bucket as if it had planned that all along! I had to laugh at the look on the aquarist's face, he couldn't believe his eyes, and the amount of slime the hagfish gave off was unbelievable!!! It gave off so much that we couldn't weigh it at first (We weigh them by putting them onto a scale in a bucket of water, of which we know the weight already). The little guy obviously wasn't happy with being moved. Luckily, the anaesthetic took effect quite quickly after that so we could remove all the slime and weigh him.

I think the next step is to weigh the slime to see how much is given off and then they're also going to test the bloods for stress enzymes, but I needed to get to my dive feed in time so I had to rush off and couldn't stick around to watch more. Amazing what you can learn from something that seems so simple!

Because of this event, I thought I'd quickly look up a few things about hagfish for you. Did you know that:

Hagfish scavenge on dead or disabled fish - they're like the vultures of the sea - but they also eat invertebrates (the little things in the sea that don't have a backbone) like worms.
They can go for up to 7 months without eating.
They are almost blind, but they've got a good sense of touch and smell.
They have a rasp-like tongue that tears into the flesh of their prey.
Once they've given off slime and the danger has passed, they tie themselves into a knot to get the slime off themselves. (The one in this photo looks a bit like Houdini! : ))

Photo: C Ortlepp

Don't have nightmares tonight Sea Fans, these little guys don't harm us. Rather think of how much fun you could have if you could tie yourself in a knot like a hagfish!

Have a great week Sea Fans!
Cheers
Abby
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Bones

2011-06-10T15:12:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

It's been a strange week, no bones about it! Actually, there WERE bones involved, we found a whale bone on the beach a few days ago and I've just finished building a seal skeleton for display. Bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones...

This is how we first found the whale bone - not so easy to spot what it is from a distance. A day later,

it had washed up higher onto the beach and we could get a better look at it. It's amazing what you can find just walking on the beach. Next time you take your dog for a walk on the beach, why not see if you can find something unusual and send it to me at abby@telkomsa.net and I'll post it on the blog.

Seal skeleton, you ask? Well, it came about because we wanted to make a display and there were bones available (don't worry, nothing happened to our seals) so we jumped at the chance. What a big job! I knew there were lots of bones, but I didn't realize how long it would take to figure out exactly which bones matched with which - not quite like a puzzle with numbers or colours!! Anyway, this is how it grew to become a seal:

The bones laid out ready to start assembling.

Spine - almost complete.

...and I'll show you the finished product on display another time. : )

Weird, I know, but I've found that bones can actually be quite interesting, they can tell you how big an animal is, what it eats (by looking at the teeth), whether it swims or walks on land, how old it is,how the muscles attach and a whole lot more. Next time you see a seal, have a look at its flipper and know this: there are LOTS of little bones that make up that flipper, it's not just one solid paddle like the oar you use on a boat.

I hope this hasn't grossed you out Sea Fans.
Have a great weekend.

Cheers!
Abby
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Possible World First!

2011-06-07T08:57:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Something so exciting has happened in the aquarium world! Last month, some Ornate Ghost Pipefish were collected and put on display at the Steinhart Aquarium in America.

Ornate Ghost Pipefish. Photo: Steve Childs

The female gave birth this month and the babies may be the first captive-reared (meaning that they are brought up in captivity) Ornate Ghost Pipefish ever! How cool is that?!

Baby Ornate Ghost Pipefish. Photo: Steve Childs

Let me tell you a little bit about these guys:

The Ornate Ghost Pipefish is a relative of the seahorse and pipefish, but instead of the male carrying the babies, the female is the one that carries the eggs in a special pouch. They are usually found alone or in pairs hanging around corals, feather stars and floating weeds. Their camouflage (disguise) is so good that they are quite difficult to spot! They feed on tiny little "bugs" in the sea called mysids, and they grow to a maximum length of 12 cm. Not very big, but they make up for their size with their beauty.

So what do you think Sea Fans, amazing little animals, right?!

Go to this link and you can see some video footage of the pipefish at Steinhart Aquarium:

http://vimeo.com/24687192

Have a great week Sea Fans!

Cheers

Abby

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Humans waddling for penguins

2011-05-30T07:45:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Well, I hope you all saw it...SABC 3 last monday and this morning at 5:45am. Yes, very early, but they tell me that 5:30 - 6am is the kiddies' slot. For those of you who missed it, "Abby's Aquarium Adventures" and "Predators" were shown on the show and the author, Heidi, read the books to a group of very cool kids.

Actions, jumping around, looking at the fish - it was all good fun. You even got to see some of the animals in the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town!

That's not all that's happened recently, the PENGUIN WADDLE took place this last week and I got to join the waddlers for the last 15km of their 150km walk.

Photo: M Kirschenbaum.

A few penguin-mad ladies decided that they had to do something to make people more aware of what's been happening to our little black and white friends, the African Penguins. Did you know that humans used to eat penguin eggs? We also used to collect their poo!! How gross! Go to http://www.penguinpromises.com/ and you'll see a bit of what went on at the waddle.

Anyway, recently I went over to the penguin trainers to chat to them about how we can make a difference for the penguins and to see what was going on and this is what I saw:

Penguin chick being weighed. Photo: M Kirschenbaum

Aquarists have such an interesting job, one minute we can be feeding sharks, the next we're weighing baby penguins. Isn't the one in the photo just adorable?! (We weigh the babies to check that they're getting enough food and that they're healthy). While the babies were being weighed in the back, some of the adults were being trained.

Photo: M Kirschenbaum

When they are moved from one area to the another, all the trainer has to do is lay down a plank and the penguin will walk across to the other side. This is quite important because it means that they don't need to be handled unneccessarily by us.

Seeing as it's the Year of the Penguin, why not go the Penguin Promises website and see what you can do to make a difference. Humans have messed a lot of things up, but we can also do a LOT of good if we're just willing to try.

Have a great week Sea Fans! Till next time.
Cheers
Abby
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Otter say aaaaaah!

2011-05-23T09:17:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

It's so funny, our trainer was in hysterics telling us a story about the otters this morning so I thought I just have to share...

We've been wanting to do a dental check on the otters for a while, but they just didn't want to let us near their mouths while awake so we realised the best way forward is to train the otters to say "Aaaah!" like we do. (Okay, not quite say it but at least open their mouths for us when we ask them to). It was a bit of a battle. The trainer spent ages trying all sorts of things, including offering different types of food. He was about to go back to the drawing board yesterday when he realised that all of the otters suddenly had their mouths open. He wasn't sure at first what made them do it, but then he realised that he had just yawned and the hand that he used to cover his mouth to be polite, had crab legs in it. It was more by accident than a planned thing, but sometimes this is how the animals show us what works. Seeing that the otters reacted, he quickly gave them the crab legs. To test the theory, he grabbed some more crab legs and yawned....before he could put his hand to his mouth, the otters were all "yawning" with him. How handy! Now we don't have to worry about stressing the animals out and all we have to do is pretend to yawn and the vet can check out their mouths and make sure that their teeth are healthy.

An Asian Small-clawed Otter.

So you see, what seems difficult at first may not be so difficult after all, you've just got to keep trying! (and be creative!)

Have a great week Sea Fans and chat soon.
Cheers
Abby
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Expresso Show

2011-05-21T10:08:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

We had so much fun filming the other day, you just HAVE to see it for yourself. Monday 23 May 2011 on SABC 3 between 5.30 and 6am you'll see Heidi in action with a bunch of great kids. Books, crafts and the aquarium - what a good combination!

Book I

Book II & the Expresso kids

Crafts!

Aquarium attractions that are in Book II! : )

Have a great weekend Sea Fans! Don't forget Monday morning before you go to school.

Cheers
Abby
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Crocs

2011-05-18T15:45:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Yes, I know they're not marine animals, but they're aquatic and our little Dwarf Caiman crocs are the reason why I'm writing today. They may not be cute and cuddlies like Koala Bears, or animals everyone loves like dolphins, but they are so sweet and when you see them for the first time...you'll fall in love:

Am I right?! : )

I've never been a huge fan of reptiles, but these guys, chameleons and geckos won me over. As soon as we heard that we were getting the crocs at the aquarium, we started making plans for their arrival. We already knew which exhibit they were going to (habitat size is very important, if you don't have the space, you can't have the animal) so we knew how much space we had to work with, now it was a case of making sure that the lighting and decor (bits and bobs like rocks and sand) suited them. When planning a new exhibit, you have to make sure that the animal will be able to live in a home as similar to their natural home as possible so the lighting mustn't be too bright, it mustn't be too hot or cold, there mustn't be too much water or dry land, they must have a place to pull themselves out of the water in the case of the crocs, they need to be able to hide if needed, the humidity needs to be right etc etc. So you see, it's not just a case of chuck an animal in an exhibit and hope for the best, it takes careful planning.

So anyway, we built a really nice exhibit with rocks for them to "suntan" (warm themselves under the heat lamps), water for them to swim in, reeds for them to hide in, tree trunks to sit on or hide behind, sand and a few little tank mates. Their food had been ordered, the tank was ready and we were all excited...it was like getting a new member of the family.

Roger, Dodger and Fred arrived in good condition one night, very wary of their new surroundings, but they soon relaxed in their quarantine tank when they realised that we were not predators. All animals need to be quarantined (kept separately) before they go onto display so that we know they aren't sick, they don't pass on any possible sickness to the animals we already have and we know that they are feeding before they go onto display. Yes, fish too...ALL of the animals! Ask the people at the airport who import animals and you'll see, even dogs and cats need to be quarantined for a certain amount of time.

During the quarantine they had me a little worried, all three crocs didn't want to eat. It's normal for them not to eat straight away, but you can't let them go on for weeks without food so we made a plan. At first, we had to catch them and force feed them - this sounds horrible, but we're very gentle and try to keep stress to a minimum. Once they were used to the fact that we were bringing them food, we started trying to get them to grab the food and before we knew it, they were coming up to us to be fed and feeding from tongs (like those you use to braai/barbecue with). Roger, Dodger and Fred were ready for display! Everyone who visits us loves the crocs.

So you see Sea Fans, my job is full of surprises and one day is never the same as another. Who knows, maybe next time I'll tell you all about Water Rats or deep sea crabs.

Have a great week!
Cheers
Abby
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Marine Biodiversity at the Expo

2011-05-10T10:24:00.001+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Cold, wet weather never made anyone keen to jump into a wet wetsuit but I guess somebody's got to do it! I guess this is one thing I don't really like about diving, but you know what...it makes the hot shower at the end even more amazing!! : ) Then again, swimming alongside Big Mama, our Bowmouth Guitarshark, also makes it all worthwhile. We recently did a scan and found out she's pregnant - woohoo, guitarshark pups here we come! I may just have to write about these amazing animals soon...keep your eyes peeled.

So things have been quiet on my side, I know, so now I have to fix that...news news news:

Kirstenbosch Biodiversity Expo was good fun. I got to meet an amazing range of people. Here are some pics of the other marine stands:

Dyer Island Conservation Trust (DICT)

The DICT is doing some amazing work, from shark research to dolphin and whale research to helping save the penguin, they really deserve a mention. Their big thing was telling people about the penguins. Did you know that this year is the Year of the Penguin?? Well it is! These little guys need our help, humans have damaged their nest sites, eaten their eggs and removed their poo (also called guano) which they use to build nests. All of this has caused the penguin numbers to drop at such a rate. DICT have houses that you can make a donation toward (each one costs R400), which protect the penguins and their eggs from the Kelp Gulls. Come on guys, let's help the penguin. (You can also help the penguin by going to http://www.penguinpromises.co.za/ where you'll find more info on the Penguin Waddle that the Animal Keepers Association of Africa is doing at the end of the month. Penguin pals will be walking from Gansbaai to Simonstown - a very far way - to raise awareness for the little guys. You can join them if you're in South Africa this month, so go and have a look.)

Save Our Seas (SOS)

SOS is also doing some amazing work. Not only do they help scientists who come to South Africa to do research on our sharks, but they teach the public (young and old) and raise awareness about sharks so that we can "Rethink the Shark". So many people are scared of sharks and are happy if the fishermen catch them, but they are a part of our food web and without the predators, the web breaks and everything goes out of balance. We need to have a healthy respect for the sharks and care for them just like all the cute and cuddly animals. Don't think of the movie "JAWS" when you think of sharks, rather visit SOS in Kalk Bay and think of the grace of the shark and other amazing facts you'll learn when inside the little white building with a Great White Shark model outside.

SANCCOB

The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds had such a presence at the expo thanks to Rocky. Rocky is a Rockhopper Penguin that stays at SANCCOB as a teacher. She doesn't mind being around humans and so it is easy to get up close and personal with a penguin to learn more about them. SANCCOB raises awareness for penguins as well as rehabilitating (helping sick and injured birds) them and other sea birds. They were the ones who helped clean up hundreds of oiled penguins when the Treasure (large ship) ran aground and spilled a whole lot of oil into the sea. Go and check out their website and you'll see a little of what they do or visit them in Table View - you can go on a tour of the centre.

The MSC recognise and reward sustainable fishing. This means that they make sure that the fish we buy with their blue and white label on, comes from fishermen who don't just take out a whole population. Just like with the sharks, we can't have fish just taken out of the food web, it would cause an imbalance. So please guys, make a difference and check the fish that mom and dad buy and remind them about the MSC label.

So that's my bit for today. I had a great time meeting these people, why don't you go and visit them or check out their websites - interesting stuff!

Have a great week Sea Fans.
Cheers!
Abby
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Sharks, Whales & Penguins - want to work with them?

2011-05-06T08:54:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

It's been a long time, I'm so sorry, it's been a hectic 2 weeks. A sunfish rescue, checking out the Great White Sharks and what research is being done, attending the Ecos Schools Showcase (like an expo), a leaking tank (we saved the fish, don't worry), being at the Kirstenbosch Biodiversity Expo (it's still on till Sunday so those of you who want to pop in, please do!),

The author, Heidi, at the Kirstenbosch Biodiversity Expo.

and preparing for a market in Parklands tomorrow (Cafe Picasso from 9 am to 1pm) has really kept us busy. But seeing as I haven't written in a while I think I'll break the stories up into a few blogs so for now, here's an interview I did with a really friendly Marine Biologist who works at a Shark and Whale watching Centre:

Professional: Michelle Wcisel

1. What is your job?
I am a zoologist/marine biologist at a non-profit organization called the Dyer Island Conservation Trust.

2. What did you study/do to get this kind of work?
I studied Zoology at university. I always had a keen interest in the outdoors and animals.

3. What do you do in a normal day?
No day is normal, which is why I love my job! Whether it is a cormorant that's in need of rescue, guiding on the whale watching boat, or tracking a great white shark, everyday brings new adventures!

4. What is the most interesting thing you've come across/experienced in your job?
The first time I met a Southern right whale was a moment I will never forget. We were at sea early one beautiful morning. The sun was just rising and the calm ocean mirrored the pink hue of the sky. The large black body of a whale parted the still water, and the misty deep exhale of the whale rose meters in the air catching the first yellow rays of sunlight. The whale approached our vessel and curiously circled us in a very elegant arching movement. It was an incredible moment.

5. What is a not-so-nice thing about your job?
Hmmm, tough question! Like I said, my work is different everyday and I often spend many hours at a computer or at sea, so it's hard for me to remember to do the everyday things like grocery shopping or taking out the garbage (my house can get very smelly)!!

6. What do you love about your job?
I love that I get to spend everyday outdoors with animals and show people how beautiful our world is! Also, I get to work with people who share the same passion about wildlife that I have.

7. What would you say/recommend to kids who want to do what you do?
All great things come with lots of hard work and enthusiasm. Be prepared for challenges and greet them as an opportunity to learn!

8. Anything else?
When I was growing up, I wanted to be a teacher, an astronaut, a singer, a biologist, an engineer, a jazz musician, and the list goes on! Don't be afraid to try different things because you never know what you will end up having a passion for.

So what do you think, Sea Fans? Do you want to do what Michelle does? It sounds like fun! Stay tuned for more interviews because as the weeks go by I'll keep interviewing more professionals so that you know what kind of interesting environmental work there is.

Have a great weekend Sea Fans and chat soon.
Cheers!
Abby
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PREDATORS - Book II

2011-04-13T09:14:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Yes, it's here, it's finally here!! The next book in the series is looking stunning - it's worth it just for the pictures.

Join me on my next adventure in the aquarium world and you'll soon discover that sharks aren't the only predators in the sea. Find out how sneaky, how cute, how beautiful and how strange-looking some predators actually are. It's an amazing world down below where SCUBA divers love to go.

It's not in the book stores yet so if you'd like to be one of the first to have a copy, contact Heidi at abby@telkomsa.net and she'll sort one out for you.

Have an amazing week Sea Fans. Enjoy the book - you've got to sea it to believe it!
Cheers
Abby
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Interview with a pro

2011-04-05T10:12:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

It's a beautiful day and I love what I do so here is an interview with a professional in my field to tell you more about what goes on in the aquarium world:

Professional: Becs Smith

What is your job? Assistant curator at Bristol Aquarium, UK.
What did you study/do to get this kind of work? BSc Hons Marine Biology at Newcastle University. I did a year and a half internship at Mote Marine Laboratory Florida working in their sea turtle exhibit.
What do you do in a normal day? First thing I do is to check the systems and the fish. I make sure that the exhibits are ready for the public. I make a list of jobs for the team to do throughout the day, have a meeting, sort out any problems, place any orders needed, do systems, backwashes, water changes, maintenance on pumps etc (if needed) and update record systems.
What is the most interesting thing you've come across/experienced in your job? Setting up 2 aquariums from the beginning - Dubai Mall Aquarium and Underwater Zoo and Bristol Aquarium - getting all the livestock in and seeing the end result.
What is a not-so-nice thing about your job? Losing animals.
What do you love about your job? Learning about new animals and making a great exhibit. Right now I am speding time on our coral display learning their requirements and geting it right.
What would you say/recommend to kids who want to do what you do? Try and get as much experience as possible. Volunteer at the local aquarium or do an internship. Experience is what people look for, my internship got me my first job!

I hope you found that interesting, it's amazing how much goes on in an aquarium. Keep an eye out for more interviews, I'll keep posting them inbetween the updates and stories. Have a great week Sea Fans and for those of you in the southern hemisphere - enjoy the last bit of warmth before Winter sets in...diving is going to get colder! : )

Cheers
Abby
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Penguin Paper Weight

2011-03-23T14:30:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

This week I have another penguin project (don't worry, I'll do other animals too, it's just that this one is so cute!):

Penguin paper weight

You will need:
1 orange pipe cleaner
2 wiggly eyes
1 small black pom pom
1 polystyrene ball (bigger than the pom pom)
Black paint
Glue
1 black feather
1 pebble/rock
Paint brush
Glue applicator (just to keep things tidy) like an ice-cream stick

A polystyrene ball is painted half black and left to dry. 2 wiggly eyes are attached to a smaller black pompom to make the head. A beak is made from an orange diamond cardboard cut-out, folded in half and glued to the face below the eyes (or it can be a small piece of pipe cleaner bent in half as seen in the picture above). This head is then glued to the body. Pre-cut feet (made from orange cardboard) can be given to younger children, but the older kids can fold pipe cleaners for feet like in the Pipe Cleaner Penguin project that I did previously or they can cut feet out). The feet are glued onto the body of the penguin and then all of the above are glued to the pebble. This needs to dry before the feathers are pushed into the sides of the polystyrene body as the wings.
*The bow tie is optional.

Have fun with this Sea Fans.
Cheers!
Abby
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Schools

2011-03-16T09:48:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Keep a look out for me, I'll be at Herschel Girls' School tomorrow, Woodstock library next week Tues and Wynberg International School on 8 April! Yes, talks can be arranged at your school. The author, Heidi, will tell you all about me and what I get up to and show you some interesting goodies. Contact Heidi at abby@telkomsa.net if you'd like to book her for an event at your school (teachers and parents to contact please). Heidi also takes me to birthday parties if you'd like to do crafty things with a sea theme.

Enough of that though, I want to tell you about what happened at the aquarium this week. It was Pirate Week!

As you can see, the staff all got dressed up as crew of the pirate ship - quite funny really, especially seeing as the penguins took to pulling at the outfits and stealing one of the aquarists' swords! He really shouldn't have taken it into the enclosure with him but I guess he's learnt now not to take unnecessary loose items in with him. The animals weren't only stealing OUR things, but the public's too! The catfish managed to swallow a pair of glasses! Someone was leaning over the tank and they fell in, so Bobcat (the catfish) promptly swam over and swallowed them thinking that they were food. A hysterical volunteer came running up to me to tell me about it, but luckily another aquarist had seen it happen and reacted quickly. A little bit of net movement in the water made Bobcat spit the glasses out - shew! Please do me a favour - if you're in an aquarium, make sure that you don't wear your glasses on your head, don't put your hands in the water and don't drop or throw things in the water....and PLEASE don't bang on the windows. We also had a few excited members of the public bashing the otter window to get them to wake up. It's not nice to disturb the animals... AND they scratched the window with their jewellery.

So it was an eventful week once again. Oh yes, a weird looking animal came in today too...I'll let you know what it is next time.

Have a great week Sea Fans.
Cheers!
Abby
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Cockroaches of the sea

2011-03-07T11:05:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Yes, believe it or not, there is something living in our oceans that is very similar to a cockroach. Anyone scared of cockroaches? Well, the ocean cockroaches can get bigger than 200kg!!! How's that for scary?!
Want to know what I'm talking about?.....Nomura's jellyfish!

Photo: CORAL Magazine

These guys seem to be taking over the oceans and the possible reasons that the scientists give are:
Overfishing; Declining water quality (yucky water); and Rising sea temperatures (warmer water).

In the Sea of Japan, the numbers of these jellyfish have suddenly increased more than ever. Since 2002, the Nomura Jellyfish population has exploded SIX times!! In 2005, as many as 20 billion jellies filled the Sea of Japan, causing losses in the fishing industry.

Predators, like many fish and turtles, eat jellyfish, but jellyfish eat fish eggs and sometimes fish too. So if too many fish are taken out of the sea by humans, jellyfish can take their place in the food chain and take over (Jellies and many fish eat the same thing - plankton).

Photo: CORAL Magazine

These jellies can also live in water with lowered oxygen levels, which most fish can't (fishies need to breathe!). Increased temperatures and nutrient (food for plankton) levels cause lower oxygen levels. Increased nutrient levels also mean increased food for the jellies. So it looks like right now, with global warming and nutrient run-off from the land into the sea, we could be in trouble...Nomura jelly trouble.

There are several thousands of species of jellyfish, but these Nomura jellies are the ones who cause a problem - they reproduce like mad, grow fast, eat almost anything and can swim around in yucky water which most fish can't do. This is why they are like cockroaches!

It's possible that nature will sort itself out and the jellyfish populations will become a normal size again (other jellyfish have been through this before), but we don't know so it's actually quite scary. Let's hold thumbs that the scientists find out soon.

Have a great week Sea Fans!
Cheers
Abby
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[Info taken from an article by Richard Stone in the CORAL Magazine]
PS. Do you know that jellyfish eat Sea Monkeys? : )

PREDATORS

2011-03-01T13:57:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

It's been a scorcher the last few days, our air conditioning in the aquarium has had to work overtime!! Not to mention the chillers for the tanks! Well, I hope you're all doing well and getting ready to read about my next adventures because Book II is coming out this month.

Publishing books is an expensive exercise and I'm always looking for companies who are willing to sponsor a print run or part thereof so that I can keep the price of the book at a decent level. New Era joined me on this next book as a part sponsor because they believe in Marine Education. Check out their website (http://www.new-era-aquaculture.com/home.html) if you're looking for good fish food!

Speaking of hot days and wanting to cool down, have you ever wondered what it's like to be the opposite: an animal who has to live in ice and snow? Well, if you'd like to know how marine mammals are adapted to the cold, try this:

Get a bowl of water with ice cubes in it.
Put on a rubber glove and stick your hand into the water for a while (not too long!) - time yourself if you'd like.
When you can't stand the cold anymore, take your hand out of the water and glove.
Take butter and smear a layer over your hand and then put it back into the glove and then back into the ice water.

Can you feel a difference? Amazing what fat can do to keep you warm, right? Blubber is a layer of fat that marine mammals, like seals, have under their skin to keep them warm.

So on a beautiful hot day, appreciate that you don't have that layer of blubber but on the cold days...hmmm, you'll just have to add more layers!

Have a great week Sea Fans and don't forget to write.
Cheers
Abby
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Aquarium Valentine

2011-02-15T09:43:00.002+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

I hope you all had a great Valentine's Day. We had such fun at the aquarium...we had to come up with ideas for Valentine Sea Crafts and the best one would be used as the activity for the day in our Ocean Crafts Centre. Next year maybe you'd like to try this one:

A loving Fiddler Crab.

The heart body is filled with small chocolates (2 hearts joined around the edges back-to-back make a purse). Have fun being crafty and don't forget that all sorts of marine craft kits are for sale, just mail me at abby@telkomsa.net.

Have a great week Sea Fans.
Cheers
Abby
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PS. Predators (Book II) is at the printers so you can start saving your money for a copy when it comes out next month! New crafts will also be available.

Squirt squirt blow!

2011-02-09T08:03:00.002+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Strange title I know, but you'll understand in a minute.

I was explaining something to members of the public yesterday and realised that I haven't told you guys about it. Do you know that fish like the boxfish blow at the sand to uncover their food? Well, do you want to know something even more interesting? .....Our boxfish got used to food dropping into the water from the surface so what he started doing was spitting water at us like a fountain (blowing the water surface for food). Cute, but this is of course not what we wanted, so we had to make a plan. Now our boxfish gets food buried under the sand and he loves it! Instead of blowing water at the surface, now he blows the sand like he naturally would and the public get to see how boxfish feed out at sea.

Just another little morsel of behind-the-scenes information for you. : )
Have a great week Sea Fans.
Cheers
Abby
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Bugs

2011-02-04T15:02:00.001+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

The New Year knows how to start with a bang! Between rushing to stranding calls and sorting out public query phone calls, we've really been kept busy this last month. On top of all that, my favourite large exhibit got a parasite infection - headaches deluxe!

Fish, including those in the wild, carry parasites. It's just like with humans, we have bugs inside us, but they stay in check unless we get stressed in some way and then they take over. Well, that's what happened in one of our large exhibits. We had a temperature spike a little while ago and true as Bob, that stress caused an outbreak of parasites. They were only on the stingrays though so we knew that they were host specific (they only sit on certain animals). The lab guys got samples of the parasites, had a look at them under the microscope and soon enough, we knew how to treat them.

An aquarist checking out a parasite under the microscope.

Treatment meant that each stingray had to get a certain amount of medication every day, which seems easy enough, but it's not so easy when they get used to the taste and know what you're up to! They're just like those of us who don't like brussel sprouts - you can try to cover the little green things up with all sorts of other things, but that taste will still be there and we'll know they're there! Stingrays are clever that way, you can't fool them. We eventually had to put their medication (in powder form) inside capsules so that we could tuck each pill into a smelly (but fresh) piece of sardine and that would trick them into taking their medication.

Putting the powder medication into the capsules.

The treatment worked well and our stingrays are looking healthy and are MUCH hungrier again.

That's what I love about this job, you have to be able to do a whole range of jobs - cleaner, feeder, doctor, trainer and a whole lot more. It keeps you on your toes, but it's great fun when your job isn't the same thing every day!

Here's hoping that some of you want to do what I do one day.
Have a great weekend Sea Fans!
Cheers
Abby
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Shark Revival

2011-02-01T14:28:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

I was thinking about what I should write this week and then all chaos broke loose. The day was running as planned, the routine stuff like cleaning of tanks and morning feeding was all done, the divers were finishing their last two dive feeds and suddenly...we got a call. A public member was desperately looking for someone to help a shark in distress. Some fishermen had caught a shark in their nets by mistake, removed it and left it on the beach! Now we all know that sharks breathe IN WATER not on land, they need the water. When we got there, these guys reckoned that the shark was fine and they were going to put it back in a minute. Hmmmm, I don't think so. Anyway, without further ado, we were off to the aquarium to try and save this poor animal. Unfortunately, although we tried everything, including swimming it for over 4 hours, the shark didn't make it. It was looking positive at one stage when he gave a few flicks of his tail and swam on his own for a bit, but then his muscles stiffened and he couldn't anymore.

Photo: James Watt

Why do I tell you such a sad story, you ask? Well, it's so that you know the good and the bad. Aquarium staff are often called out to help save a stranded or injured animal and unfortunately, some of the animals are too far gone by the time help arrives. What you can do for me today (if you live by the sea) is make a promise to help stranded marine life by calling help (your local aquarium or marine life rehabilitation centre or Nature Conservation officials) when you see that they need it. [If you don't live by the sea, land animals and birds often need help too... and zoos, the SPCA and Nature Conservation can help them, so please make the call.]

Yes, I've had a few exaggerated phone calls like the one about the stranded turtle that was the size of a car tyre and possibly a tractor tyre (He ended up being smaller than a hub cap!) but you know what, we'd rather have a mistaken identity (tortoises don't have flippers like turtles) or an exaggerated call than having an animal suffer when we could have helped so please make that call and save a life.

Thanks Sea Fans, have a great week.
Cheers!
Abby
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Everybody loves Abby

2011-01-26T15:37:00.001+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

I just wanted to share some pics with you:

Only a year old and already loving Abby's Aquarium Adventures from cover to cover!

The author, Heidi, doing actions with her reading of "Abby's Aquarium Adventures" - everybody loves starfish.

7 years old and look at the detail he's painted on the Abby Kingfish moneybox craft!

I love seeing everyone having fun like this so please send me your photos of your completed craft, you reading the book, you making your craft ...any pics showing you and me together. The first 5 photos will get a FREE craft kit (no matter where you live in the world). So hurry and send them to abby@telkomsa.net.

Have a great day Sea Fans!

Cheers

Abby

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Giant Squid!

2011-01-25T09:11:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Heidi often visits schools and chats to you guys. A little while ago, one of the kids asked her about Giant Squid so I've decided to tell you a bit more about them because not everyone believes that there are Giant Squid out there!

To show you some proof, go to the National Geographic website links below and you' ll see some amazing photos.

First photos taken of live Giant Squid:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/09/photogalleries/giant_squid/photo2.html

Giant Squid captured and filmed for the first time:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/12/061222-giant-squid.html

Once you've seen the photos and are convinced that there ARE actually Giant Squid in the oceans, read on...

These animals are spread worldwide, but the animals that man has found are mostly stranded in the North Atlantic (Norway and Newfoundland), or caught in the South Atlantic (South Africa), Southwest Pacific (New Zealand, Southern Australia) and the Northwest Pacific (Japan).

Yes, you've seen this map on my blog before but this time I want you to find where the different oceans are so that you can see where the Giant Squid has been found.

Giant Squids are vertical wanderers, this means that they travel up and down in different depth zones. Adults (mantle length up to 4 metres) are believed to spend most of their time at depths of between 200 - 1000m. Juveniles probably stay between 100 - 300m, and young Giant Squids are usually caught near the surface. One little guy (10.3 mm) was caught at a depth of only 20 meters!

Giant squids do not have any gas spaces in their bodies, which means they don't have soft bladders filled with gas to keep them from sinking like the fish's swim bladder. In fact, no squids do, and neither do really deep sea fishes. The high pressures down in the deep sea is too much for a bladder, it would pop (implode) because air compresses (squashes) easily. How then is the giant squid able to survive in very deep waters without sinking or being crushed? The answer is ammonium ions. (Ammonia in water splits into ammonium and other ions.) Ammonia is a natural waste product, like urine. Instead of getting rid of waste out of the body like humans go to the toilet, giant squids store some of the waste in their bodies. (This is why giant squids are not very tasty to eat!) Liquids can't be crushed or squashed like air and ammonium is lighter than seawater - therefor, no sinking squid!

So I hope this clears a few things up for those of you who didn't believe in the Giant Squid and I hope you found some of this interesting - I did!

Have a great week Sea Fans!
Cheers
Abby
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PS. Squid are good fun to dissect so if you get a chance, ask mom to buy a whole one from the shop when she wants to make calamari and have a good look inside before she cooks it. The beak is the most fun to find!

Rubber ducky, you're my friend!

2011-01-23T14:53:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

I've been writing up fun worksheets about ocean currents and you won't believe what I found!

On the 10th of January 1992, a cargo ship travelling from China to America hit rough seas and lost 20 of its containers. One of those cargo containers had packages of rubber [plastic] ducks and other toys in it. This container got a hole in it when falling off the ship and 29,000 rubber bath toys dropped into the ocean to begin a journey which, for some, is still ongoing.

Photo: gaetanlee

Over 15 years, these toys travelled the ocean currents, washing up on beaches across Alaska and the west coast of the United States. By 2007, the toys began appearing on beaches in New England. Little did the toy manufacturer know in 1992 that their product would become part of one of the most simplistic, but data-rich ocean current experiments to date. (From a Virginia Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program Newsletter)

Isn't it amazing how something can travel countless miles around the globe just using the oceans currents!

Try something fun - print this map and then take a toy and follow one arrow to another to another to another ...etc and see how many countries you could visit if you were to float along in the ocean currents of the world. Some of those rubber ducks travelled a long way!

Have a great week Sea Fans!
Cheers
Abby
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Rare sunfish

2011-01-11T12:46:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

I can't contain my excitement so I just have to write another post today. The other day I saw something flapping in the waves while I was on the beach. It looked like a fish, possibly in trouble, so I thought I'd get closer to see what was happening. If it needed help, I'd call the other aquarists to come and help me get it to the aquarium to sort it out. True as Bob, it was a fish and it was not looking happy. Another lady (a helpful concerned tourist) came running into the waves and told me that this fish had almost been washed ashore a few minutes ago. At closer inspection, I could see it was a type of sunfish - what a treat! I had never seen a Sunfish in real life before so I was extremely impressed, wanting to take a photo but worrying about the fish so I didn't. I had a closer look and it didn't look damaged or sickly so we took it deeper behind the waves and it never came back to shore...I waited for quite a while, just in case.

The part that is so amazing about this story is that I only just recently looked up what kind of sunfish it was and you won't believe it...it's the rarest sunfish called the Slender Sunfish!! What a pity I didn't take a photo because the researchers need information about them and they plot sightings on a world map when you can send them proof of your sighting. I feel really priviledged to have seen such an animal and to have been able to help.

What a beautiful fish!

As you can see from this picture I got off the internet, it's a beautiful fish. They only grow to a metre in length so they are smaller than the Mola mola or Ocean Sunfish that I wrote about before in my blog. What a pity it would have been if it had been washed ashore and nobody had been there to help it!

So if you ever see a marine animal in trouble, give your local aquarium a call so that they can help it.

Have a great week Sea Fans!
Cheers
Abby
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HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2011-01-11T12:12:00.001+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Welcome to 2011. Today is a strange date, did you know that it is 11/1/11? Weird hey? : )
Anyway, seeing as it's a new year, let's do a summary of Abby in 2010.

Abby was printed in March.

The first book was also launched in Malaysia in March.

April saw Abby launched in South Africa.

In May, Abby was at the SASOL Bird Fair.

Rave book reviews started coming in for Abby in June.

Abby was at the Cape Town Book Fair and the craft kits made their first appearance in July.

Abby appeared on the shelf in Canada for the first time in August.

Abby went around KwaZulu-Natal schools in September.

October was Marine Week, an important time for Abby. Yebo Gogga and Kirstenbosch Market is where you could find the author and Abby books.

School presentations were held up until November.

December saw an international agent request 40 copies of Abby "to start with", Abby's Aquarium Adventures was in the Top 10 Best Children's Books in South Africa for 2010 and Abby readings took place at the Two Oceans Aquarium as part of the holiday programme.

So all in all, it was a busy year and this is only what happened with my book, not even all the things that happened in the aquarium! But that list would be WAY too long so I'll keep those stories for another time.

Have a great week and 2011 Sea Fans.
Cheers
Abby
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Xmas around the world!

2010-12-26T17:59:00.002+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Wow, it's amazing how much is going on in the aquariums world wide. I asked around for a few pics of the Santa surprises around the world and these are some of the best photos I got, enjoy!:

Newport Aquarium, Kentucky USA.

Santa arrived with seahorses at Newport Aquarium - I guess the reindeer don't like water! : )

Sea Life Aquarium, Carlsbad.

Sea Life did a LEGO tree decorating and some of the animals got holiday cut-out pieces of gel to snack on.

Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo.

No matter the weather in Dubai, the penguins still get a Santa snowman.

Rainforest Cafe, Westfarms.

Frogs at the Rainforest Cafe also do Christmas it seems...

North Carolina Aquarium, Pine Knoll Shores.

Santa and his helpers had funny looking candy canes in North Carolina.

uShaka Marine World, South Africa.

Santa braved the sharks in Durban...

Two Oceans Aquarium, South Africa.

...and presented a Christmas card in Cape Town.

Aquarium de Paris Cinéaqua.

Santa also made it to France, red fins and all!

Thanks to all the aquariums who sent pics in, it's been a real treat to see what Santa gets up to in the holidays.

South Carolina Aquarium.

I hope you all had a merry Christmas and have a great New Year!

Cheers!
Abby
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Christmas penguins

2010-12-21T11:22:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

You're probably all on holiday by now so I hope you're resting up, enjoying the sunshine (or the snow) and visiting your local aquarium! There's so much to see and do at the end of the year, it's difficult to choose. We're having good fun at the aquarium, Santa dives in the main tank at feed times,

the penguins get fun Christmas toys strung up for them to play with (enrichment toys that stimulate them mentally), the fish get Christmas presents in the form of ice cube treats (also enrichment), the octopus is amazing everyone with his ability to twist open a jar and get his present (enrichment), the seals are balancing their presents on their noses, the dolphins are teaching the public to throw their wrapping paper in the bin, the otters are stealing their presents and the aquarists are having a good laugh with the change in routine (staff enrichment).

Christmas really is a great time of year. Have a fabulous holiday, travel safely and I hope to see you all visiting the fish...if not in an aquarium, then diving!

Merry Xmas!
Abby
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Ho ho ho and the 5 Gyres team

2010-12-13T11:27:00.004+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Seeing as I haven't written in a while, I thought I'd blog twice today because I didn't tell you what I've been up to with Christmas just around the corner. It's quite funny, I never have to check the calendar to find out that it's close to Christmas, I just keep an eye on the main tank to wait for Santa to dive...then I know it's just a few weeks to go!! : ) I'm sure if you visit an aquarium near you, you'll also see Santa diving, it's great fun to see him underwater all dressed up.

With Christmas in less than 2 weeks, I thought I'd better get around to seeing more people so I've been at the Kirstenbosch Christmas Market:

My new, bigger stand
(my little tent didn't do so well in the rain - it's waterproof,
but it's not big enough to cover all of this!).

It's on twice in Dec (yesterday and this coming Sunday the 19th) so for those of you who didn't come and say hi yesterday (it was great to see those of you who did), come through to Kirstenbosch on Sunday and spend a great day (starts at 9 and ends at 3pm) under the trees and then pop over to the Gardens if you still feel like you have the energy. Even better, how about an early morning walk up Table Mountain and then you can have a cool down and breakfast at the market?!

Something else that I got to do this last week was visit the Sea Dragon research boat - I was very lucky! They're in Cape Town harbour until just after Christmas and then they set off for Namibia which is the starting point of their next trip.

On the Sea Dragon.

Inside there is lots of equipment!!!
With so much equipment you wonder how 13 people
can also stay on board, but they do!

The 5 Gyres crew embarked on a voyage across the world’s oceans to raise awareness about how plastic pollutes all of our waters, how it harms marine wildlife and potentially threatens human health. They set sail from Rio de Janeiro on 8 November, documenting the plastic pollution in the South Atlantic as they went.

Crew hard at work.

Something which really saddened me was the story behind a jar of plastic junk and marine life that they collected on only one of their many trawls. 1 hour in the entire trip and this is what they got (please excuse the blurry bits, I was using my cellphone to take pics):

As plastic particles circulate through oceans, they act as sponges for contaminants such as pesticides. These pollutants get absorbed into plastic pollution in high concentrations. This means that it's not just the plastic we have to worry about, but all the chemicals it absorbs too. Many marine organisms eat plastic by mistake and who knows how much trouble that can now cause!!! I think many people just thought of plastic as something that will block up the inside of the animals, but now with these chemicals being taken in, it may be a worse story - the 5 Gyres team will hopefully find out how bad it really is.

Check out this YouTube video to see how they trawl for the plastic debris:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbv4YJMjwd0

The device used to catch the debris
whilst trawling - note the flaps on either side
(like the flaps a Manta Ray has either side of its mouth)
to guide the water into the net that's attached (seen stuffed inside in this pic).

I'm really glad there's someone going out there and finding out the extent of the damage to the oceans, maybe it will make those litter bugs think twice!! Now that you've seen this and checked out their website (http://www.5gyres.org/), don't be afraid to reprimand (tell off) the next person you see littering, YOU can make a difference!

That's all for me now Sea Fans. Have fun reading about the Sea Dragon's expeditions.

Thanks to the Sea Dragon crew for allowing us on board to take pics and hear some of your stories.

Cheers
Abby
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Jelly belly

2010-12-13T09:54:00.002+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

It's been such a long time since I wrote last, apologies for that. My last 2 weeks have been rather hectic. Christmas time is always like that though isn't it? November in the aquarium trade is the busiest time for aquarists, not only is it the longest school holidays in the year, but it's the time when EVERYONE is taking their holiday so it's the best time for new exhibits and exhibit changes. A lot of people don't realise that exhibits change actually, it's such a pity because they think that once they've seen it, they've seen it all...but that's not true! You can often get a really nice surprise like I recently did at Two Oceans Aquarium, they've got some new jellyfish!!

Talking about jellyfish/jellies makes me think of the Blue Bottles that have been washing up on the beaches.

Did you know that there are true jellies and then other jellies called hydroids that aren't actually jellyfish? Well, believe it or not, but the Blue Bottle is actually not a true jelly, it's a hydroid. Examples of true jellies are the Moon Jelly and the Lion's Mane Jelly.

Moon Jellies.

Anemones, corals, jellyfishes and hydroids are all a part of an ancient group with a history that reaches back more than 650 million years, and with over 10,000 known species. Many of these animals look very different from each other, but most go through two stages in their life cycle - a free-swimming jellyfish (medusa) stage and an anemone (polyp) stage.

Jellyfish

Jellyfish have drifted in the ocean currents for millions of years, even before dinosaurs lived on earth. They are found in cold and warm water, deep and shallow. Jellyfish have bell-shaped bodies with tentacles that hang down from it. These tentacles have stinging cells in them that stun or paralyze their prey before they eat them. Inside the bell-shaped body is the mouth where food goes in and waste comes out.

Blue bottles & Hydroids
Bluebottles differ from true jellyfishes in a few ways. The gas-filled float has a number of specialised tentacles, which are actually members of a colony. Some members of the colony are specialised for stinging and capturing fishes and other marine animals, some are specialised for eating prey, and some are for reproduction. Even the gas float itself is a modified colony member.

So now you know, not all the jelly-like animals are true jellies!

Have a great week Sea Fans.

Cheers!
Abby
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PS. Researchers recently found plastic inside a jelly's belly!!! Who would have imagined...check out the next blog for more plastic pollution info and see the pic of the jelly below:

Photo: http://www.blueturtleeducation.com/

Sunfish ooh ooh ooh sunfish!

2010-11-24T10:31:00.002+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

A recent sighting of an Ocean Sunfish in the harbour got me thinking. There are so many weird and wonderful creatures in the sea and I've only talked about the more common ones most people see. A friend of mine loves the Sunfish, it's his favourite animal so I think I need to tell you more about it.

Sunfish have been kept in aquariums, but the way mice flock to cheese, parasites flock to sunfish!! They are a parasitologist's (a person who studies parasites) dream and can be an aquarist's nightmare because new species of parasites can be found at any time and we don't like parasites!!! Some parasites don't do any harm to the animal that they are on (their HOST), but some can do a lot of damage and even kill an animal so we need to be very careful.

But enough about the yucky stuff, let me tell you a bit more about the interesting things. The Ocean Sunfish (also known by its scientific name, Mola Mola) can grow to be a massive fish, the maximum length is over 3 metres and the maximum published weight is 2 300 kg! That's like 2 300 bags of the 1kg bags of sugar that your mom buys at the shops! Look at the photo below and you can see how big these amazing fish get in comparison to us.

A Sunfish caught in 1910 that weighed about 1 591kg.

This fish is registered as the heaviest bony fish and as the one with the most eggs in the Guinness Book of World Records!

These fish don't have scales, they have extremely thick, elastic skin and they swim using their strange dorsal (top) and anal fins (the one at the bottom near the back). These fins are flapped in time to push the fish forward at a surprising speed. For such a big animal, their mouths are very small and they have a parrot-like beak (remember the Parrotfish also have this) which helps them eat crustaceans (eg. crabs) and molluscs (eg. squid) but they love their jellyfish. We used to have sunfish at the aquarium that we were nursing back to health and we fed them specially-made jelly with mushed up bits and pieces inside... and added vitamins. They love the jelly!

Ocean Sunfish are found at depths of up to 480 m, but they like to come to the surface to sun themselves where they lay on their sides and look like huge saucers. Have a look at the photo below at the sunfish coming up to the surface, you'd think a shark was following you wouldn't you?!

So that's my little bit about the Ocean Sunfish. Amazing animals, don't you think? Now that I've started, I can't wait to tell you more about the other weird animals in the sea, but I'll have to leave it for another time.

Have a great week Sea Fans.

Cheers!
Abby
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How to publish a book

2010-11-17T12:53:00.000+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

I had so much fun yesterday at Edgemead Primary School. I went to give a talk on how to publish a book (and sneak in some info on some marine animals) and it ended up that 40 kids joined me!!

Some of the ladies and gents at Edgemead who came to join me.

They asked the General Knowledge Club, Book Club and Speak Up Club and we even had 1 girl who asked to come in because she had passed by and was interested. Thanks guys, it was great chatting to you. For those of you who want a copy of my book, just mail me at abby@telkomsa.net and I'll get a copy to your teacher....signed, if you'd like.

It's always great meeting you Sea Fans and I love chatting to you so write me a mail or just say hi on this blog. I'd love to hear what you think of the book, website or my talks and if you have questions, that's also great.

Have a great week Sea Fans!
Cheers
Abby
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Night Duty

2010-11-08T11:29:00.001+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

I hope you all had a great weekend. I had a really relaxing weekend after having worked last weekend. Yes, aquarists have to work on weekends sometimes, it's not a 9 to 5 weekday job. Our animals are watched 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so that means that there is always someone at the aquarium!

Once, when I was on the night shift from early evening (around 5) till early morning (6am), I got to thinking...how many people are awake at this time? How many people are trying to keep their eyes open at 2 in the morning so that nothing goes wrong? It's funny, whenever I see a security guard, I really feel for them. It's not a nice job having to stay awake when everyone else is in bed at night AND when you're just walking around checking on things and sitting still for most of the time, it can't be that nice. Ever since I did night shift at the aquarium, I've had a renewed respect for all the people doing the "graveyard shift". As aquarists, we're lucky because we have amazing animals to watch all night, but factory workers, security guards, airport staff and anyone else who has to work in the wee hours of the morning...they don't have such beauty to look at. So next time you see a security guard, give them a smile and know that they're looking out for you whilst you're tucked away in bed dreaming.

Speaking of night shift, I must tell you, the animals are quite amazing at night. If you have an aquarium nearby where you can go for a sleepover, do it! It's well worth it and you'll see a different side to the aquarium. One of the things I really enjoy during night shift is watching the nocturnal predators become more active. Yes, the sharks liven up at night!

(Photo: M de Maine)

It's also really special watching the reef fish, like parrotfish, getting ready for "bed". As you saw in a previous blog, parrotfish make a mucous bubble around their bodies, like a sleeping bag. The mucous bubble prevents predators from picking up on their scent whilst they sleep.

The seals are quite funny when they sleep, some of them make funny grunting and snoring noises...a little bit like my dad! : ) Whenever I do my rounds and I have to check on the dolphins, I don't need to switch the lights on (I also don't want to disturb them), I can listen out for their breathing and watch for their blowholes in the dim light. Did you know that dolphins sleep by "switching off" half of their brain at a time? So half of their brain gets to rest while the other half stays alert...they need to constantly keep a check on their breathing.

(Photo: Kyrion)

I've even been lucky enough to watch our resident loggerhead turtle pull herself up onto the beach at night to lay her eggs and one of the other aquarists was very lucky, he got to watch an anemone spawn - now wouldn't that be an event to witness!!

Anemone spawning (Photo: M Henley)

So if you get the chance to dive at night or be in an aquarium, go for it, you'll be surprised at how much goes on in the sea when it gets dark!

Have a great week Sea Fans!
Cheers
Abby
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Plastics in the Oceans

2010-11-01T17:27:00.004+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Did you know that dolphins can be trained to do litter duty? Well, our trainers (called Animal Behaviourists) have trained the dolphins to fetch litter that falls into their pool. If any litter falls in accidentally, like when the wind blows, they bring it to the trainers. Amazing animals don't you think?!

Just to keep you up to date with the whole plastics thing, I thought I'd give you a summary of a Marine Plastic Litter debate held on 13 Oct between an environmental campaigner, an oceanographer and a senior plastics industry representative. (The debate was hosted by the Royal Geographical Society at the London Headquarters).

The panel concluded that the best way to tackle the problem of marine littering would be to: (taken from an article written by Barry Copping):

• Improve education and enforcement against
                                   - illegal dumping at sea
                                   - poor port management
                                   - littering by beach visitors

• Start refundable deposits on plastic drinks bottles

• Have stronger measures against fishermen losing or dumping tackle at sea

Dumped gill nets (Photo: Ted Rayner/Marine Photobank)

• Divert and compost biodegradables which currently go to landfill

• Ensure more consistent recycling by local authorities

• Encourage coastal clean-up initiatives.

Coastal cleanup in Alaska (Photo: Ted Rayner/Marine Photobank)

I hope this makes everyone aware of how important it is for each of us to do our bit. Help save our Sea Friends, Sea Fans!

Well, that's it from me Sea Fans. Have a great week and remember to recycle.
Cheers!
Abby
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Sea Safety

2010-10-28T10:28:00.001+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Reading the paper today made me realize that it can't be said enough: YOU NEED TO BE CAREFUL WHEN IN AND AROUND THE SEA. More and more people are being swept out to sea by currents and being taken by surprise by the strength of the sea. With the holiday season coming up...and many school kids on study breaks, there will be an increased number of people on the beaches and in the sea so I thought I'd write a little note on sea safety.

Swimming

Durban, South Africa on New Year's Day. (Photo: H de Maine)

Before entering the sea, take time to watch the waves and avoid areas of strong backwash, obvious rip currents and other dangers such as the possibility of being washed up onto the rocks. Remember that rocks can also be very slippery with algae growth so be careful when entering rock pools. Only enter the sea where the waves are gentle and straight and stay in a comfortable depth for your ability. Remember to keep a look out for lifeguard flags and to stay within the red and yellow flags that they put on the beach for your safety.

If you get carried out to sea by a rip current, don't fight it, swim parallel to the shore and then surf in with the waves once you're out of the current. Backwash and rip currents aren't as strong when the tide is rising, so if you want to play it safe, rather swim at this time.

Lastly, don't dive into shallow water and play safely!

Surfing/paddling

Surfer (Photo: Stan Shebs)

Go out with a buddy, you never know when you might need a little help. Keep away from swimming areas and know your own strength and ability.

Snorkelling

Snorkeller (Photo: Masato Ikeda)

Go out with a buddy. The most dangerous part of snorkelling is often the entry and exit, choose a safe entry and exit point where you won't get bashed about by the waves or slip on the rocks when entering. Remember to wear something bright like a brightly coloured rash vest or carry a buoy (best option). Without realising it, you can get really badly sunburnt whilst snorkelling, so protect yourself with sun cream and a rash vest or wetsuit.

Boating

Dive boat (Photo: H de Maine)

Remember to take a wind-proof jacket with, especially for sunset cruises, as temperatures can drop out at sea quite quickly and with the increased wind, your core body temperature can drop and this can lead to more severe problems like hypothermia. Always check to ensure that you have your safety equipment on board (life jackets, distress flares, anchors and ropes, first aid kit, tool kit, oar/paddle etc) and if you are diving, the skipper must ensure that the diving flag is visible to other sea goers. Listen to your skipper and be alert when launching and beaching.

Wildlife
This is the one that most people are wary of. There is no need to be completely terrified, just be aware.

Jellyfish (especially box jellyfish season in Australia): rather don't swim when they are in their masses.

Box Jellyfish (Photo by GG).

Sharks: they don't want to eat you but be alert to warnings from lifeguards as to the presence of sharks (Cape Town, South Africa has flags that are raised at the beaches more prone to shark visits and depending on the colour of the flag, you'll know if the sharks are there, if you should stay out of the water or if no sharks have been spotted that day).

Ragged Tooth Shark (Photo: H de Maine)

Lionfish/Devil Firefish: the general rule applies, if you don't disturb them, they won't disturb you.

Lionfish (Photo: H de Maine)

Other: try not to step on any unsuspecting creatures, they may not hurt you (some may) but you'll hurt them. Shuffling your feet through the sand will disturb any bottom-dwelling creatures and ensure that you don't stand on them. Don't pick sea creatures up and take them home, they are home already. Have fun checking out the rock pools, but don't shove shells into anemones to see the tentacle retract and don't remove an octopus out of his hole to show friends. You wouldn't want intruders in your home poking and prodding you, so observe them and show others, but don't disturb them.

That's my bit for today Sea Fans. Enjoy the sea, have fun on the beaches and soak up the sun but please be careful and stay safe.

Have a great weekend.
Cheers
Abby
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PS. Capetonians: Kirstenbosch Market this Sunday 9am - 3pm, come and say hi.

Home-schooled 9 year-old knows quite a bit about the sea!

2010-10-19T10:02:00.004+02:00

Hi Sea Fans!

Well, I never! I just got an e-mail from a boy I met at the Yebo Gogga Expo and he has once again amazed me. Zandor is a 9 year-old boy who is home-schooled by his mom and his knowledge of the marine world will blow you away. We chatted at the expo, that's when he told me about the mucous bubble that parrotfish blow around themselves to sleep at night in order to mask their scent...this is usually an interesting fact I tell adults and most times, they never knew about it! So just to show you how a passion for something can make learning a subject really easy, here's part of the e-mail that Zandor sent me:

Parrot fish
A parrot fish eats coral. It gets its name by its beak. Other fish have a round hole which opens and closes but a parrot fish has a hard beak for eating coral because coral makes lime stone around itself. When it eats the parrot fish sives the coral from the lime stone and the lime stone then comes out of the back of the fish. A parrot fish in the night makes a bag of mucas around itself so that peditors can’t smell through all that mucas.

The dames fish or farmer fish (damsel)
A farmer fish farms algae. If eny fish try’s to eat the farmer fish’s food it will fight by biting the fish’s fins. This tipe of algae can kill a coral reef so the farmer fish kips it under control by eating it.

The sponge
A sponge is an animal that lives on rocks. It is alive. A sponge sucks water throw holes. The water flows throw tunnels and chambers all covered in hairs. The hairs filter the water of eny food. Shrimps live inside the sponge but thies shrimps are tiny. Conalys live inside the chambers because food is there.
The way the sponges spawn is the female sponge rilises her eggs and the male rilises his sperm and the eggs and the sperm meet mix and the larve hatch they float for a while and then they sink and grow into new sponges.

Sponge spawning (Photo: M Miller/SEFSC)

The false cleaner fish
There are real cleaner fish and a false cleaner fish. The real cleaner fish cleans other fish even sharks if it eats one cleaner fish other cleaner fish wont clean it so it (the shark) has to behave.

Cleaner wrasse (Photo: JE Randall, Fishbase.de)

The false cleaner fish on the other hand can pick off a few parsits and then take a bite in the fish’s side. Most of the time the fish can get away from the false cleaner fish but sometimes the fish can’t.

False Cleaner Wrasse (Photo: JE Randall). The easiest way to tell the difference between the Cleaner Wrasse and False Cleaner Wrasse are by looking at the mouth - the False Cleaner Wrasse has its mouth positioned under the snout and the Cleaner Wrasse has its mouth positioned right in front. If you look closely you can also see teeth when looking at the False Cleaner Wrasse.

How coral spawn

The coral male can’t go and look for a female because they are connected to the rock so the female coral sends out lots and lots of eggs because many get eaten by fish and soft corals. The male coral olso sends out sperm. When the sperm and eggs meet the sperm fertilizes the eggs the baby coral then hatchs and sink down to start a new reef.

So you see, learning about nature is not hard work. When you get into it, you can find out amazing things and have a lot of fun. Thanks Zandor, it was great to hear from you.

Have a great week Sea Fans!

Cheers

Abby
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