Everything But The Tank: An Aquarium and Marine Life Blog

Mysterieous Coral Killer Unmasked - Fresh Catch Friday

2009-04-03T09:12:00.004-04:00

Unbeknownst to the hundreds of visitors, a mysterious killer lurked at Newquay Blue Reef Aquarium. Aquarists found evidence of violent attacks to the coral reef display, often entire pieces cut in half. Despite the two-week stake out of the exhibit, and multiple traps, the killer began claiming fish as victims. The Aquarium was forced to take the exhibit apart, rock by rock. Halfway through the exhibit they discovered:

CASE #608-2741

Name: Barry

Species: Sea Worm

Length: 4'0"

Last Seen: Newquay Blue Reef Aquarium

At the time of his capture, Barry was armed and dangerous. He is covered with thousands of stinging bristles, which are capable of inflicting permanent numbness. After biting through a 20 lb fishing line, the perpetrator was finally lured out with fish scraps. Currently, Barry is being held in solitary confinement in a tank, safely away from any potential victims.

A Day In The Life Of: A Jellyfish Keeper

2009-03-23T12:07:00.007-04:00

I am so excited to bring you all the very first 'Day in the Life' post! I hope this can be a regular feature on my blog. Be sure to leave your comments and enjoy!

Name: Chad Widmer
Title: Senior Aquarist
Employer: Monterey Bay Aquarium

No, Chad doesn't chase after jellies with a net like Spongebob, but he does have a pretty awesome job. As a Senior Aquarist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Chad is responsible for thousands of jellyfish including about 20 different species.

"I didn’t start out in life wanting to be a jellyfish aquarist, but I did know I wanted to be a marine biologist."
- Chad Widmer

However, marine biology doesn't just encompass mammals and fish. 95% of the world's animals are invertebrates, or animals without backbones. Widmer's penchant for invertebrates led him to a unique opening in the jellyfish gallery at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

At first, working with jellies wasn't a permanent career choice for him, but he soon "realized how much opportunity there was for new scientists." The past ten years have been full of opportunities for Widmer such as: publishing in scientific journals, appearing on 15 different television programs, discovering new jellyfish species, and even writing a book.

The aquarium's Drifters Gallery is the largest permanent collection of jellyfish species in the United States. The exhibit's 15 windows showcase jellies native to Monterey Bay, California. There's more than meets the eye to this exhibit. Behind the scenes are thousands of jellyfish. Widmer even grows his own jellies starting with laboratory cultures. Only the best looking groups of jellyfish go on display. "The ones you may see here today could be different than the ones you saw here last time, or the next time you visit," Widmer said.

A Typical Day:

First, Chad checks his email and voicemail, grabs some coffee and a canteen of water and heads to the Drifters Gallery.

Then, he evaluates the health of the animals and determines what maintenance is necessary. "It is my goal to provide a jellyfish exhibit with the best looking and healthiest display jellyfish in the entire world," Widmer said.
Next, Chad spends about two hours getting the exhibits ready for display. Typically, this involves wiping diatoms and gunk off the inside of the exhibit windows.

Sometimes he deep cleans the exhibit. This process involves:
- Removing all of the animals and draining the sea water from the tank
- Refilling it with fresh water and 2-3 gallons of bleach to disinfect it
- Neutralizing the bleach, draining, rinsing, and refilling the tank with sea water
- Rebalancing the currents, adding the animals, and checking on their health
During the day he also harvests live food for the exhibits and gallery. "Feeding them all and lots and lots of cultures is hard work!"
He's not always in the aquarium. Sometimes he goes boating to look for additional jellies or to collect wild plankton to feed the exhibit animals. Also, he collects kelp for the sea otters to play with.

Best Part of the Job:

For Chad, seeing the end results of all his hard work is the best part of the job. After growing a batch of jellyfish from scratch and putting them on exhibit, he enjoys watching people take pictures of them. Widmer estimates over 12 million people have seen his work in person, and countless others on television.

"I really like that, it's how you know you've done a good job - when people get out their cameras to forever remember your work in their family photo albums."
- Chad Widmer

Worst Part of the Job:

Perhaps the one downside to the job is getting stung "almost every day." Depending on what type of jellyfish, you might not feel it at all. A medium strength jellyfish sting feels like "a slow burn that grows steadily, accompanied by itching." Widmer compares it to "rubbing up against some fiberglass or stinging nettles." If you do get stung, he recommends vinegar and a topical antihistamine lotion like Benadryl. Otherwise, you'll feel a stinging sensation again if you shower or you may possibly wake up in the night from itchiness.

Most Unusual Part of the Job:

"Everything about working with jellyfish is unusual."
- Chad Widmer

For Widmer, the weirdest part of his experience was working with different television film crews. Out of the 15 programs, some of his favorites include Mythbusters and the BBC.

Somehow in between maintaining the exhibits, discovering new jellies, and appearing on tv shows Widmer found the time to write a book, How to Keep Jellyfish in Aquariums: An Introductory Guide for Maintaining Healthy Jellies. The book aims to answer the questions that he frequently receives from professional aquarists, entrepreneurs, and people who want jellyfish as pets.

Wonder what Chad's favorite jellyfish is?

Although he says he likes them all, he chose the Crystal jellyfish, or Aequorea victoria, for a tattoo. "It's just good looking," said Widmer. He also is fond of the new to science discoveries he made such as Amphinema rollinsi, named after Henry Rollins. Soon he will name a recent discovery after his nieces.

People Would Be Surprised To Know That:

"Jellyfish exhibit an entire range of behaviors based on what their environment is like at the time...They aren't just passively drifting through the water column as has been reported."
- Chad Widmer

Food, light, darkness, and other stimuli impact their behavior. Widmer is developing a protocol to test the idea that jellyfish can be trained to do something.

Another current project of Widmer's is looking for new deep sea jellies and methodical describing them and their life cycles for scientific journals. One day he hopes to become a professor of marine biology at a junior college.

Definitely check out Chad's website for jellyfish pictures, blog posts, and how you can start your own jellyfish aquarium. You can also follow his updates on twitter @jellykeeping101.

All pictures courtesy of Chad Widmer

A Far-Out Fish - Fresh Catch Friday

2009-03-20T12:05:00.002-04:00

Credit: AP

Hope you all are having a grooovy Friday! Today's Fresh Catch will definitely make your mind trip. Meet Histiophryne psychedelica, aka Psychedlica, a frogfish with beige and peach stripes and blue eyes.

Credit: AP

In an almost drunken matter, this fish uses its legs and gills to propel itself through the water. The end result is a bit like Flubber underwater. While frogfish are pretty well-known, none have as colorful patterns or bounce through the water. Discovered in Indonesia a year ago, Psychedelica was identified as a new species thanks to University of Washington professor Ted Pietsch's DNA tests.

You can learn more about the fish and see it swim in the video below!

Go Green For St. Patrick's Day - Fish Friendly Tips

2009-03-17T15:00:00.007-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all! You don't have to be Irish to go green today. Here are some easy eco-friendly things you can do to help preserve marine life.

1. Eat Sustainable Seafood

Think "there's plenty of fish in the sea"? Think again! According to a 2003 report published in the journal, Nature, within the past 15 years of industrial fishing we have depleted "nearly 90% of our ocean's large predatory fish." That figure doesn't even include all of the fish thrown away as bycatch or those killed by pollution.

You can help by eating sustainable seafood which is harvested in limited quantities from carefully managed stocks. This prevents species from becoming over-fished while preserving their marine habitat. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a great site with more information about the issues, regional guides to which types of seafood are ocean friendly, a sushi guide, and even a iPhone App you can download to help you make sustainable choices when dining out.

2. Recycle Cans and Bottles

When the party's over, don't forget to recycle all your beer cans and bottles that you drink today. Recycling helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, saves energy, saves natural resources.

In 2006, recycling of cans and bottles in the Twin Cities metro area reduced greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking 125,000 cars off the road.*
Recycling a single aluminum can saves enough energy to power a television for three hours. In total, metro area recycling of metal, glass and plastics in 2006 saved enough energy to heat over 78,000 houses for the year.*
Recycling aluminum reduces water consumption and air pollutants by 95 %. Making glass from recycled material cuts water pollution by 50%.*

*Rethink Recycling

3. Don't Use Plastic Bags or Bottles

Photo: Melbourne Zoo

Next time you buy groceries, consider bringing your own canvas bags. You will be doing your part to reduce the 500 billion to a trillion plastic bags that are used every year worldwide.

An estimated 30 billion become litter and end up in the oceans, which many marine animals, like sea turtles, mistake for food.

10% of your purchase of these tote bags goes to protect sea turtles.

4. Reduce Your Water Use

While 80% of our planet is water, don't think of it as a renewable resource. We are using up fresh water faster than it can be replenished naturally. This means more energy used and emissions generated from water treatment plants.

You can conserve water by:

Reducing your shower time
Installing a low-flow showerhead
Fixing a leaking toliet (saves 140 gallons of water/week)
Turning off the tap when brushing your teeth (Saves 80% of water used)

5. Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

Many cleaning products contain harmful chemicals that end up in the soil or waterways. Choose "green" soaps, detergents, and cleansers that are water based with low volatile organic compound (VOC). I am a big fan of the Method line at Target.

Here are some more natural laundry detergents and dish washing soaps.

Crafty Coral

2009-03-09T09:20:00.005-04:00

Look closely at this stunning display of coral. Notice anything unusual? Everything you see here is actually made out of yarn. It's part of the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef Project. Twin Australian sisters Margaret and Christine Wertheim started this project to raise awareness of world's disappearing reefs.

With Australia's Great Barrier Reef for inspiration, the sisters only needed a method to translate the unique forms into yarn. There's actually a lot of mathematics behind these reefs.

Their technique? The hyperbolic crochet discovered by mathematician Dr. Daina Taimina.

With this method they have made several different themed reefs including: the Blue Reef, the Red Reef, the Bleached Reef. Then of course, my favorite, the Toxic Reef which is crochet from trash.

Read more about the reef and how to create your own anemones here.

All pictures courtesy of The Institute for Figuring.

This Dolphin is Tickled Pink - Fresh Catch Friday

2009-03-06T13:20:00.001-05:00

Meet today's Fresh Catch, the only pink bottlenose dolphin in the world! This adorable dolphin was discovered in a Louisiana lake by charter boat captain Erick Rue.

He said, "I just happened to see a little pod of dolphins, and I noticed one that was a little lighter. It was absolutely stunningly pink. I had never seen anything like it. It's the same color throughout the whole body and it looks like it just came out of a paint booth."

Credit: Caters News

The beautiful pink color is actually due to albinism, as indicated by its pink eyes. As always with wild dolphins, visitors are urged to observe from a distance and be respectful to this amazing creature.

You can read more about the dolphin at the Telegraph and Caters News.

Eye See You - Fresh Catch Friday

2009-02-27T14:17:00.000-05:00

Credit: MBARI

Say hello to today's Fresh Catch, the Macropinna microstoma. Commonly known as a barreleye fish, this amazing creature has a transparent head that acts much like a fighter-plane cockpit.

This fish is well adapted for the dark ocean depths. The barreleye has flat fins that allow it to remain still in the water. Its eyes point upwards to scan for prey in the light. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) discovered that its light sensitive barrel-like-eyes can also rotate forward as they eat their prey. Even though they have a small mouth, they have a large digestive system. Perfect for a jellyfish snack.

Credit: MBARI

You can learn more about the barreleye fish here.

Watch the video below to see the fish in action.

ECHO Lake Aquarium Review

2009-02-25T07:59:00.012-05:00

ECHO Lake Aquarium © Curran Photography 2006

Long time, no post! I've been traveling for the past two weeks to Buffalo and Vermont. BRRR! Although this time I was there to ski, the last time I went to VT I found a small but wonderful aquarium.

Overview:

Vermont is known for a lot of things: beautiful scenery, skiing, and maple syrup. But did you know about Champ the lake monster? You can learn about him and many other marine animals at The ECHO Lake Aquarium. This "green" building is located in Burlington on the shores of Lake Champlain. With "over 100 interactive experiences", this is a great aquarium to make science hands on for kids.

Things to Do:

PLAY!

My favorite aspect of this aquarium is the sense of fun. None of the "DON'T TOUCH" signs and exhibits behind velvet ropes here; visitors are encouraged to play. I really like the river in the "Before the Basin" section. At kid height there is a long wide table that holds a miniature river. You can see the water flow from the source all the way down to different streams. Because the river actually runs, you can float boats down it, create dams, change the direction of the flow etc.

Want to get your hands dirty? Go on an dig for a beluga whale. Paleontologists-in-training can use goggles, a brush, and a scraper to unearth recreated whale bones.

Credit: Serge Lebel, PhD

On a less scientific note, tucked away in the basement is a pirate ship, or at least part of one. The hull of the pirate ship becomes a playground for kids complete with nets and buried treasure.

Discover Frog World

Want to actually see some animals? There are over 60 species in the 2,750 gallon river community. The source of fresh water comes from a 20-foot waterfall inside the entrance of aquarium.

But the cutest display by far is Frog World. Visitors can see many exotic frogs from six different continents up close. Like this red-eyed tree frog. And of course there's interactive features like a 3-D frog call tracking station and froggy-face "morph" that you can send to family and friends.

Become a Weather Reporter

Guests can go on camera in front of a green screen with a teleprompter and report the weather with real maps. Or go "on location" complete with props and report the weather.

Credit: ECHO

Needless to say, a blizzard is one of more popular options here in VT. The best part is you can burn it to a DVD (for a fee) or send a video e-card to your family and friends (free).

Look for Champ the Lake Monster

For those of you who don't know, Champ is kind of a big deal in Vermont. He is a legendary sea creature that lives in Lake Champlain.

Famous pic of Champ by Sandra Mansi 1977

The Iroquois of the region described a horned serpent in the lake. Later in 1609 Samual de Champlain wrote about a strikingly similar creature.

In 1873 there was even a story in the New York Times about an enormous serpent in the water. P.T. Barnum offered a $50,000 for Champ's hide in 1887! Interestingly, there have been over 130 reports of Champ sightings since 1982.

Today the search for Champ continues, as does Champ Mania. He has his own Myspace page, there's a catchy camp song about him, and he's the masco t for the Vermont Lake Monster's baseball team.

So be sure to go to the upper deck of the aquarium and enjoy the beautiful scenery, you may just see Champ.

Visitor Information

You can visit the aquarium 10 AM - 5 PM year-round, except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Day.

Tickets prices are the following:

Adult: $9.50
Senior (ages 62+): $8.00
Students: $8.00 with ID
Child (ages 3 - 17): $7.00
Children (under 3): Free
Teachers: Free with ID

Get a dollar off admission here.

For more information about ECHO Lake Aquarium visit the official website.

Pygmy Seahorse - Fresh Catch Friday

2009-02-13T09:00:00.003-05:00

Credit: Kai Walz

These tiny treasures are today's Fresh Catch. In all, five new species of pygmy seahorses were discovered in the Red Sea and Indonesia.

Credit: Stephen Wong and Takako Uno

These adorable seahorses are all under an inch tall, so you could imagine how difficult they were to find and photograph.

They are the first new seahorses to be discovered in five years. Don't look for them in a pet store or even an aquarium anytime soon.

Instead, you can enjoy pictures of them in their natural environment here.

Roses are Red, Water is Blue, Here are Some Valentine Ideas for You!

2009-02-12T11:00:00.001-05:00

Still don't have plans for Valentine Day? Many aquariums are doing special V-Day events. Below are some of my top picks.

Best for Adults - "Motions of the Oceans Sleepover"

Where: The Georgia Aquarium
When: Feb. 14th at 6 PM - Feb. 15th
Price: $160/Non-Member, $135/Member

Credit: Georgia Aquarium

The beautiful backdrop of the Georgia Aquarium and the 21+ age restriction creates the ideal setting for adult couples looking for an romantic evening.

Start the evening out right with a cocktail and appetizers at the reception. Then, feast on a seductive dinner, featuring kumomoto oysters, by Wolfgang Puck Catering.

After dinner, attend the "Motions of the Oceans" lecture by married aquarium biologists Al and Patricia Dove. The lecture focuses on mating rituals of marine animals, or as the couple put it, "Everything I wanted to know about what fish do when the lights are out but was afraid to ask."

Next up, guests will receive a behind-the-scenes and gallery tours. Then it's lights out as guests spend the night with spectacular views of whale sharks in the Ocean Voyage gallery. Breakfast will be provided the following morning.

For more information, go to www.georgiaaquarium.org or call 404-581-4000.

Best for Families - "Sleep in the Deep"

Where: The Tennessee Aquarium
When: Feb. 13th at 6 PM - Feb. 14th at 8:30 AM
Price: $55/Non-Member, $50/Member

Credit: Tennessee Aquarium

Want to include your kids in you V-day plans? Try the Tennessee Aquarium's family friendly sleepover with tons of great activities.

Throughout the night families will learn about critter courtship, dine on pizza, watch an IMAX 3-D movie, and explore behind the scenes at the aquarium. Guests will also get the chance to encounter aquarium animals close up. Then, fall asleep watching the exotic fish near the soothing Gulf of Mexico exhibit. Wake up early for your breakfast and then feed the river otters their breakfast.

All children 6+ y/o welcome if accompanied by an adult.

For more information, go to http://www.tnaqua.org or call 423-267-FISH.

Best for a Budget - "The Wild Side of Love"

Where: The Cincinnati Zoo
When: Feb. 14th 7PM
Price: $26/Non-Member Couple, $22/Member Couple

Credit: Cincinnati Zoo

OK, so it's not an aquarium, but they do have marine animals. Besides, I think the 2nd oldest zoo in America deserves some credit for offering a fun and affordable way to spend time with your sweetheart.

Think it's hard to get a date? At this event, visitors will learn about the extreme measures some animals use to attract a mate. Each ticket admits two people and even includes sparkling beverages and chocolate. Guests must be 16+.

For more information, go to http://www.cincinnatizoo.org or call 513-559-7767.

Best for Singles - "The Masquerade Ball"

Where: The Virginia Aquarium
When: Feb. 14th 9 PM - 1 AM
Price: Regular $35, Couples $60, VIP $50, Presidential Package $200

Credit: InsiderPassport

No date, no problem. Grab some friends, and go to the Masquerade Ball at the Virginia Aquarium.

While masks are not required, attire is definitely dressy. There will be Hip Hop, R&B, Top 40's, Dance and Reggae music. Also, they're giving away cash prizes for the best masks. When you need a break from dancing, check out the sharks, sea turtles, and stingrays. Guests must be 21+.

If you splurge a little for the VIP ticket you will get priority entry, free coat check, midnight champagne toast, and a special VIP lounge and bar. Also a reception will be provided for VIP guests with free wine, beer, passed hors d'ouevres, a southern buffet, as well as a dessert bar.

The Presidential package includes the entire VIP package for two adults, plus overnight accommodations at a Virginia Beach ocean front hotel.

Please note that this event is run by Amayesing Events, not the Virginia Aquarium.

For more information, go to www.themasqueradeball.eventbrite.com.

Can't make it to any of these aquariums? You can still send a cute Valentine's Day E-Card from the Tennessee Aquarium here or from the Monterey Bay Aquarium here.

It's Ok to Flush - Amazing Aquariums

2009-02-11T10:27:00.000-05:00

Credit: Splash News

For fish owners, the toilet acts as a grave for their pets. A moment of silence, a flush, and Nemo goes to fish heaven. A Chinese toilet manufacturer has designed an ironic, but space-saving aquarium. Don't worry about flushing, there is no chance the fish will end up in the bowl. The toilet has three tanks: a glass one for the fish, one for entering water, and one for drainage. It's also eco-friendly. "Because it is composed of 3 tanks and it only takes 1/8 of total amount of water each flush," said a spokesperson for Runto Sanitar y. This amazing aquarium would be convenient for fish owners that often find themselves with floaters.

Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Review

2009-02-10T11:00:00.000-05:00

There are plenty of reviews of popular aquariums, and eventually I'll give you my take on them. But for now, I'd like to highlight a hidden gem to visit in Florida: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park.

Overview:

An hour north of Tampa, Weeki Wachee is one of Florida's oldest attractions. It has a very family friendly environment with a touch of nostalgia. A great day trip if you are in the Tampa area, and a welcome break from the crowds and prices at Sea World or Disney.

Things to Do:

Get Up Close With The Manatees

The manatees are my absolute favorite part of the park. They love swimming through the springs. Many manatees that are victims of boating accidents find refuge here. They come pretty close to the shore, and visitors can feed them lettuce and carrots at certain times of the day. When I last went, there was also a staff member telling visitors more about the manatees and answering questions.

Watch An Underwater Mermaid Show

The park is most famous for their underwater mermaid shows. Visitors watch the performance in the theater which sits 16 ft. underwater. My favorite show is Weeki Wachee's version of Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid.

The mermaids stay underwater the whole show by using free floating breathing tubes and do crazy acrobatics all while wearing tails. For younger kids is a must, but even older kids will be fascinated by the manatees and otters that often come to interact during the show. Elvis was a big fan of the show, and Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie were mermaids for a day on their show the Simple Life. Be sure to check out the Mermaid Roster and this behind the scenes video of how they do it.

Take A River Cruise

Tired of walking everywhere at other parks? Sit back and relax on the River Boat Cruise. During this guided tour you will learn more about the history of Weeki Wachee and see several of the inhabitants of the springs. There are several different kinds of birds, manatees, turtles, snakes, and even alligators.

See An Animal Show

Another fun thing to see at Weeki Wachee is an animal show. They have a very entertaining and educational bird show. There are parrots doing cute tricks and a few majestic falcons, to name a few of the acts. The reptile show is less active, and more show and tell. I didn't find the reptile show as amusing, but maybe it's more of a boy thing. Definitely try to see at least one show though.

Visitor Information

Currently ticket prices are the following with tax included:

Adult: $14.68
Child (Ages 6 - 10): $11.66
Children 5 and under: FREE

Currently the off-season hours of operation are:
Thursday - Sunday 10 AM - 3 PM

In the spring and summer they are open seven days a week from 10 AM - 4 PM

For more information visit the official website.

All Photos by John Athanason

A 'Seuess-Like' Sea Creature - Fresh Catch Friday

2009-02-06T13:56:00.001-05:00

Carnivorous Sea Squirt
Credit: Advanced Imaging and Visualization Laboratory, WHOI/Jess Adkins, Caltech.

This is the first of what I hope will be a regular feature, Fresh Catch Friday. Every Friday I will post an interesting story and/or picture relevant to the aquatic world.

Today's Fresh Catch is of a newly discovered type of sea squirt. The carnivorous creature acts much like a Venus fly trap, catching fish as they swim by and trapping them inside its translucent body. The sea squirt pictured, 1.6 feet in length, was found in deep in Australian waters by a team of international scientists.

"It was truly one of those transcendent moments," said the cruise's lead scientist, Jess Adkins of Caltech, referring to the descents made by Jason. "We were flying — literally flying — over these deep-sea structures that look like English gardens, but are actually filled with all of these carnivorous, Seuss-like creatures that no one else has ever seen."

I really like the shape and transparency of this species! Check out the full article here.

RingRing* It's For You - Amazing Aquariums

2009-02-05T12:30:00.001-05:00

Ever play that game in a pool where you sit underwater and try to talk to your friends? Maybe that's where artists Benoit Deseille and Benedetto Bufalino got their inspiration from?

They created the aquarium from an unused school pay phone for the Lyon Light Festival in France.

“With the advent of the mobile telephone, telephone booths lie unused. We rediscover this glass cage transformed into an aquarium, full of exotically coloured fish; an invitation to escape and travel," said the designers. I wonder how they take care of the fish?

My First Dolphin Encounter

2009-02-04T19:30:00.001-05:00

Before Discovery Cove and the idea of paying for dolphin encounters existed, some noble aquariums picked one lucky audience member to interact with the dolphin during the show.

One such Aquarium was the National Aquarium in Baltimore, and I was the lucky chosen one. I was 10 y/o and obsessed with dolphins. I went to the show early because I was so excited. I wasn't the only one there, but a nice staff woman came to talk to me (perhaps a PR person?). She asked me a few questions, which led to me telling her about my dream of becoming a marine biologist/animal trainer. "How would you like to pet a dolphin during the show?," she asked.

Needless to say I was very happy to be chosen. Mid-show the trainer called me to the front of the tank where there was a soft platform. I had to put on very big rain boots and walk onto the platform.

Then the trainer called the dolphin up onto the platform. I was in awe. A close encounter with someone with my dream job and my favorite animal. She instructed me about how to touch a dolphin (like petting a dog). Then she asked me to describe it to the audience over the microphone. It is a difficult feeling to describe; rubbery satin, but firm and bouncy. The dolphin's skin was infinitely smooth, and I could feel the skin being shed a bit as I petted it. The most accurate description I've seen is in A Ring of Endless Light, by Madeleine L'Engle, when the main character describes a dolphin's skin as "resilient pewter."

The dolphin did a few tricks for me, like giving me a kiss and rolling over so I could pet its belly. I rewarded it with some fish that I fed it myself. Everyone clapped, and I eventually had to return to my seat for the rest of the show. After the show, I thanked the woman who gave me this amazing opportunity and she also gave me a gift card to the gift shop.

Can you guess what I bought with it? A dolphin stuffed animal, complete with squeaker, of course. I still have that toy, and the wonderful memory of that day.

Just Add Water...

2009-01-28T21:00:00.003-05:00

Hello all! I just wanted to introduce myself before I started writing. My name is Allie and the ocean has always been a fascination of mine.

Maybe it's a coincidence that I am an Aquarius, but throughout my life I've always been drawn to water. From family vacys to the beach, to the varsity swim team, life guarding, and of course aquariums.

As a writer, I feel that this blog will be the perfect way to share my passion with all of you. While I am just starting up, I intended to deliver both serious and fun posts about:

The latest aquarium and marine life news
Reviews & guides of aquariums I have visited
Interviews with people with marine life related careers
Unusual aquariums
Marine life in pop culture
Relevant pictures and links
And of course, my encounters with marine life

I hope you all enjoy my posts, and I am looking forward to all of your comments and questions. Be sure to check me out on twitter @aqua_allie.