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

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

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
}( *)8

From here to Timbuktu (almost)

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
}( *)8

Butterflyfish Craft

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
}( *)8

Dolphin Trainer anyone?

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
}( *)8

Great White Shark on display!

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
}( *)8

Clam Craft

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
}( *)8