Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration turns 35 years old in 2008!

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July 25th

A final thought heading into another Red Sox-Yankees series. Go Sawx !

July 23rd

The largest Great White Shark ever caught??? The record dates back to the mid-1940's. The place: Cuba. The shark: 21 feet long and 7,100 pounds!

July 22nd

Where do our over 750,000 annual visitors come from? Well, many obviously come from right here in Connecticut. After that, Rhode Island; Long Island, NY; Massachusetts and other New England states are well represented, as well as the rest of New York State. We also see our share of visitors from outside the region, such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania. As CT's largest non-casino attraction, we also get our share of guests from all over the nation and the world.

Many are here to visit the casinos and find that there is also much to do outside of the world of poker and slots. Mystic is a unique region, it really has so much to offer. From the Aquarium to the beautiful and historical Seaport, to the downtown shopping area and the beaches, not to mention Olde Mistick Village, the area offers so much for kids and adults. The food is also quite amazing! I know I'm sounding like the head of local tourism, but when you think about it, there is so much to do in such a regionalized area, that who wouldn't want to stay here for a vacation. And, with the cost of gas being what it is, it's only a short trip away. Take advantage if you can, and don't forget about the fall season as well, it's cool and crisp and a little less crowded!

July 21st

Top ocean related cartoon of all-time is.........? That's a tough one. My vote goes with SpongeBob Square Pants. The animated series has some serious laughs. Is Patrick the dumbest creature ever? Is the Crusty Crab the worst below the sea restaurant you've ever seen? What exactly is a crabby patty anyway? Sounds kind of yummy, in fact.

I like the writing in SpongBob-it's quick witted and keeps things moving down there at Bikini Bottom. There are very few "good" cartoons around anymore. Most of the junk out there is computer animated, high-tech garbage. What ever happened to Scooby-Doo quality? Well, with SpongeBob it's back! What's your favorite sea-related cartoon??? Btw, you can tell I have kids.

July 18th

HOT!!!!!! Smokin hot or "wicked" hot as many New Englanders like to say. It's 95 degrees here in CT on a Friday and actually, the humidity makes it feel like it's over 100 degrees! Yuck! Some people like it hot, not me. I lived in Florida for several years and found all the heat and humidity rather nasty. The worst thunder and lightning storms I ever saw were in Florida.  

The skies would get totally dark in the mid-to late afternoon and then the "boomers" would begin. The Tampa Bay area of FL is considered the lightening capital of the world. All the storms roll in off the Gulf of Mexico and across the state. Not fun, but they were awe inspiring. Ok, that's my weather thought of the day. Maybe later, we'll get rain here to cool things off, but I doubt it. Stay cool!

July 17th

Since Andy Pettitte's visit to the Aquarium on July 15th, I have been asked about other celebrities who have visited recently. Last summer Harrison Ford was reportedly here for a time, but was overwhelmed by people who recognized him and had to cut his visit short. This past winter Nicolas Cage visited with his family and spent a good part of the day here. Cage got a behind the scenes tour and really enjoyed his time here. UConn coach Jim Calhoun and his family visit on occasion. Pettitte, Cage and Coach Calhoun were all great to deal with and very nice people. You just never know who you'll see here, so keep your eyes open! Know of any other celebs who've been by? Let us know via email!

July 16th

NY Yankee star pitcher Andy Pettitte and his family paid a visit to the Aquarium on Tuesday, July 15th. Pettitte was off for the all-star break and was happy he and his family had the opportunity to make their first ever trip to Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration!

July 15th

Interesting reading. Reprinted from the New Haven Register: By Mark Zaretsky

Since it’s mid-summer, folks are spending lots of time at the beach sunbathing, barbecuing, playing Frisbee and some are swimming. But an increasing number of them are also going, “Ewwwww!!! What’s thaaaaaaaaaat?????” and heading in the opposite direction as a small, translucent, gelatinous parachute of a critter floats by in the water. If they’re lucky, they didn’t touch the jellyfish. But some people always get stung, and this summer, an increasing number of visitors to Long Island Sound beaches are getting stung earlier and more often than normal. Rob Alex, a lifeguard at Oak A Beach in West Haven, saw four beachgoers get stung last week. Typically, jellyfish come to the beach in August, when the weather is hotter, and this year’s early turn out has more swimmers “staying on the sand,” he said. David Brown, an aquarist at the Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration, said there are several research agencies that have actually documented the rise of the jellyfish in recent years. “There is documentation that they do get pushed up with warmer waters,” Brown said. A jellyfish begins in what’s called the “planular” stage as something “almost like a sea anemone,” then spawn or reproduce sexually and “swim out into a larval stage,” he said. Finally, “they grow into the medusa stage — that gelatinous stage that we’re more familiar with. “That’s when they get pushed in to shore,” Brown said. As with any complicated ecosystem, “it’s hard to make a direct correlation” between environmental factors and an animal’s numbers visibility “because there is always more than one thing going on,” he said. But a warming climate, excess pollution or runoff that cause algae blooms that can eat up oxygen in the water and contribute to a die-off of fish that eat jellyfish, or excess food all are possibilities, Brown said. “We’ve seen them,” said Mark Alexander, a supervising fisheries biologist for the state Department of Environmental Protection’s marine fisheries unit. In fact, one state organization that spends a lot of time on the Sound, Project O in Groton, which introduces youths to the water, even had a boat generator overheat because it got clogged with jellyfish, Alexander said. Jellyfish are gelatinous, free-swimming, non-aggressive marine critters that have wispy bodies surrounded by easy-to-miss tentacles.The tentacles are covered with sacs, which are called nematocysts, that are filled with venom that can cause painful stings, particularly in sensitive people who react to them the way some people react to bee stings. Susan Delima, who brought her young son and his two friends to the beach on a recent morning said she saw an alarming number of jellyfish washed up on the shore at low tide. “It’s pretty bad,” Delima said. “I didn’t notice this many last year.” Some shoreline communities, such as Fairfield, even have put up jellyfish warning signs. Others, like West Haven, just keep a ready supply of white vinegar and that traditional standby remedy, meat tenderizer, on hand to help sooth the invevitable stingees. “I knew they were coming,” said Mark Paine, West Haven’s pool and waterfront coordinator. “A mola mola,” or ocean sunfish, “was spotted off Branford the other day” on June 30, “and they eat jellyfish.” To Paine, it just comes with the beach territory. When you’ve got summer and folks at the beach, sooner or later — somewhere — you’ve got jellyfish stings. “We’ve just had people alerting us that there’s jellyfish in the water,” he said. “Some years, (there are) more than others and some years (they come) earlier than others, but it’s pretty much a fact of life down on the beach.” But let’s think positive. In the case of a jellyfish sting, the best treatment is to soak or rinse the affected area in vinegar, or acetic acid, for 15 to 30 minutes to stop the nematocysts from releasing their venom, according to the website EMedicineHealth.com.  If no vinegar is available, you should rinse in sea water, 70 percent isopropyl alcohol or commercial Safe Sea Jellyfish After Sting gel. Many sources advise NOT to use fresh water, which causes the nematocysts to release their toxins. Also, do not rub the area or apply ice or hot water. You can remove the tentacles with a stick, a credit card or driver’s license or a pair of tweezers — and wear gloves if you have them. The Web site suggests applying shaving cream or a baking soda paste to the area and shaving the area with a razor or a credit card to remove any remaining nematocysts. The shaving cream or paste prevents nematocysts that have not yet been activated from releasing their venom during removal, it says.

July 14th

It's a good Monday. The Red Sox are in first place again (by a 1/2 game over Tampa Bay-who've lost something like 7 straight!) and it's now the All-Star break, which means Boston will remain in first place until at least Thursday. As for the NY Yankees...well-who cares!!! Seriously, I'm glad the All-Star game is at Yankee Stadium this week. I've been to the stadium several times and you really can feel the history there. It's a magical place if you're a baseball fan and hopefully, you'll get the chance to visit before they play their final game there this season. Here at the Aquarium, our animals are pulling for the Rays of course...especially our own rays who obviously keep track of the standings every day to see if "their boys" are doing well. The rays are a bit sad this morning-especially about the big losing streak, but they'll be fine once they're fed this morning!

July 11th

Random thoughts on a Friday:

• Is there really a Dunkin Donuts on every corner or does it just seem that way?
• If you are out fishing and the Captain calls you "chum"...I'd ask to return to port immediately.
• Why are alligators so ornery? Because they have all that teeth and no toothbrush?
• The best line in a song I've ever heard is from the Talking Heads who sing; "There is water at the bottom of the ocean." That makes total sense to me and they are right!
• The best nickname in a movie is from Dumb and Dumber. One of the characters is named Sea Bass! (And it's former Boston Bruin Cam Neely playing the role).
• I've only been fishing once in my life, but I caught an 8-foot Hammerhead shark when I did (off the coast of Fort Myers, Fla.) He was huge and we let him go.
• We should give the whales harpoons too if whalers on ships are allowed to use them.
• Same with hunting. The animals should get guns as well-just to even the odds.
• The kindest dogs I know are Boxers.
• I don't like it when people don't return my emails. It's like asking someone a question (in the 21st century form) and not having them answer you.
• Do you think Penguins are mad that they can't fly?
• Dolphins are always smiling because they have a great inside joke.
• Heat, humidity and dead sea turtles washed ashore make for a smelly day at the beach.
• There is a pro golfer named Craig Stadler who's nickname is the Walrus.
• The most quoted movie of all time has to be either the Godfather or Caddyshack.
• Former football coach Lou Holtz said "When all is said and done, more is said than done."
• Do cats really hate us or is it just the way they look at me?
• I hate humidity.
• I love the fall.
• Soft-serve ice cream is the best.
• I wish pigs really could fly. That would be fun to watch.
• Speaking of pigs, I love crispy bacon!
• Denzel Washington is one of my favorite actors. He was great in Remember the Titans.
• Televison today has really reached an all-time low. It seems like everyone wants to be famous.

July 10th

Dead sea turtles. What do we do with them? Good question. Just got a call about an animal washed ashore in Rhode Island, near the Galilee Beach Club in Point Judith. Normally the process plays out this way: Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration's Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Rescue Team will go to where the animal came ashore and do a very brief necropsy. A necropsy is an autopsy in the animal world. Our staff will cut the animal open..remember it's dead already...and see if the animal ingested anything that would have most likely caused its death, things like plastic or fishing line etc. Our staff is not responsible for removing the dead animal. That usually falls on the state or town where the animal came ashore. The most common way to dispose of the carcass is to bury it. After a while, the animal begins to smell, so removing the carcass is a major goal. If the animal lies on a state beach, then the state is usually in charge of doing that. If the animal is found on a private or town beach, then the town usually takes care of removal. Right now we're actually dealing with two sea turtles ashore, the one in Point Judith and now, one in Newport. The one in Newport is a Leatherback that is 7 feet long!

July 9th

How does one hold a graduation for a sea lion? Read on. On July 16^th Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration will award an MBA (Masters of Boomerang Administration) in Higher Animal Learning (tranious behaviorous maximus) to Boomerang, the California sea lion pup. With his degree Boomer, as he is known to his fellow classmates and visitors to the aquarium, will become a full-fledged member of an exclusive and extremely popular club, the Marine Theatre Sea Lion Show. Boomerang came to Mystic Aquarium after being deemed non-releasable after several strandings in northern California this past winter. Since his arrival, Boomer has been studying hard with the goal of joining Coco and Surfer as the key performers in the Marine Theatre. After many months of hitting the books (aka learning new behaviors and eating fish) his time has come to graduate and share the marquee with Coco and Surfer. So, dust off those old mortar boards, tassels and graduation gowns. We’ll provide the pomp and circumstance and the diploma. It’s time for our newest graduate to savor his academic (training) success and head out into the real world (marine theatre show). As Albert Einstein once said at a similar graduation; “Try not to become a sea lion of success, but rather try to become a sea lion of value (a little liberty taken here).

July 8th

What is the greatest film ever that involves the sea or ocean? Is it 20000 Leagues Under the Sea? Titanic? The Poseidon Adventure? Tora, Tora, Tora? Jaws? Lifeboat? Das Boot? Battle of Midway? Old Man and the Sea? If we're voting my vote goes with Jaws! Heck, for weeks after that film I was even afraid to take a bath. What is your opinion?? What is the best "sea-themed" movie of all time? Let me know!

July 7th

What is MTV doing at the Aquarium today? Filming the latest U2 video? No Bono here today. Could it be that Chris Brown is in the house? Nope. Will the Real World be setting up shop for a special on Beluga whales who live together in the same tank and try and get along? No! Actually, MTV will be filming a segment at the Aquarium today for their popular show, Made. A girl from Killingsworth, CT will be featured. She wants to be a pro surfer and I guess MTV wanted her to get the "total" aquatic experience by taking part in a Beluga Encounter with one of our trainers, Justin. So, keep a watch out for a future edition of Made on MTV and you'll see Mystic Aquarium playing a role!

July 3rd

Won't be posting for the 4th, so I just wanted to save have a safe holiday. Our animals do enjoy the 4th believe it or not, they are patriotic after all like the rest of us, just without the fireworks. It's going to be a hot weekend and the best place to be is at the Aquarium..it's really the COOL place to be this summer...and looking at those Beluga's swimming around in 50 degree water makes you feel 10 degrees cooler-I promise that is true or the next raw fish that comes along belongs to you! Yum!

July 2nd

You can lead a penguin to squid and fish but you can't make him eat! Ok, I just made that up, but we found it was true today as we held a "birthday" of sorts to celebrate the determination that our two five month old penguin chicks are both boys. A wonderful three-tiered jello cake make with a tasty squid topping and sprinkled with yummy capelin fish was created. We even included real vanilla frosting and guess what, not one of our 27 penguins tried it! Not one! You would think this type of cake would be big with penguins, but not in this case. The only birds who took a stab at eating this creation were seagulls and they'll eat anything!

Oh well, we tried..maybe next time we'll go with the fried calamari!

July 1st

Just where has the summer gone? It's already July!

Today's topic is the color of lobsters...not to be confused with the Paul Newman and Tom Cruise movie, The Color of Money:

Blue lobsters

Around one in two million lobsters is blue. A research study conducted by Professor Ronald Christensen at UConn discovered that a genetic defect causes a blue lobster to produce an excessive amount of protein. The protein, and a red caratenoid molecule, combine to form a blue complex known as crustacyanin, giving the lobster its blue color.

Yellow lobsters

In August of 2006, a Maine lobsterman named David Percy caught a yellow lobster near the mouth of the Kennebec River. The odds of finding a yellow lobster are apparently around 1 in 30 million.

Split-color lobsters

In 2006, another Maine fisherman named Alan Robinson caught a half-and-half lobster, where the colors are perfectly divided on each side of the shell. He submitted the brown and orange lobster to the local oceanarium which has only seen three lobsters of this kind in 35 years. The chance of finding one is estimated at 1 in 50 million. Lobster shells are usually a blend of the three primary colors: red, yellow and blue. The colors mix to form the greenish-brown color of most lobsters.

Albino lobsters

It is estimated that only about one in 100 million lobsters are albino- lacking in colored pigments .Also known as "white" or "crystal" lobsters. (thanks to Wikipedia for this information)

June 30th

Start off Monday with some humor that's a bit fishy!

• Why are fish so smart? ......Because they live in schools.
• What has no beginning, end or middle and touches every continent?..........................The ocean.
• What happens when you throw a green rock into the Red Sea?....................It gets wet.
• What happens when you throw a red rock into the Black Sea?............It sinks to the bottom.
• What fish is the most valuable?........a goldfish
• Why is it so easy to weigh fish?.....They have their own scales.
• What's the best way to catch a fish?.....Have someone throw it at you.
• Why did the fish cross the road?....Somebody threw it!
• What sea animal can be adjusted to play music?.......The tune-a fish!
• What happens when you cross a great white shark with a cow?........I don't know...but I wouldn't want to milk it.
• If they made a movie starring the Loch Ness monster and the great white shark from Jaws, what would the movie be called?.......Loch Jaws.
• Why are manatees so wrinkled?......Have you ever tried to iron one?
• What lies at the bottom of the sea and shakes?.....A nervous wreck!
• What do you get when you graduate from scuba diving school?.........A deep-loma.
• There was a sea scout camp near a beach where the porpoises were so friendly they swam into shore at dinner time. The chef used to announce dinner by yelling: "Dinner! For all in tents...and porpoises."

June 27th

Great White shark attacks seldom happen off the coast of New England. In fact, through research by done by the folks at NewEnglandSharks.com there are only two well documented fatal attacks, one in 1830 and the other in 1936.There is a mention of a third attack which happened in the 1700s. It appears the fatal attacks were all by white sharks. According to the website, two of the attacks were in Mass Bay and Boston Harbor which rules out a tiger shark. The attack in Buzzards Bay was investigated by a Dr. Hugh Smith and deemed to have been done by a white shark, based on the written testimony of two eyewitnesses, one who was actually swimming with the victim, and the other who came over to help the victim into a boat. 

If you're looking for some amazing photos of a Great White off Block Island, Rhode Island, then check out the website www.newenglandsharks.com. The folks there have an spectacular photo of a Great White feeding. It is the best site for New Englanders who may want to know who is sharing the water with them in the summertime. You'll see by the statistics that the sharks are more afraid of you then you should be of them!

June 26th

If our animals were sports fans (and maybe they are), what teams would they root for?

• Sharks-San Jose Sharks (NHL)
• Rays-Tampa Bay Rays (MLB)
• Penguins-Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
• Beluga whales-Old Hartford Whalers of the NHL-or maybe not, whales aren't too fond of whalers!
• Fish-Seattle Mariners (I know, it's a stretch)
• Sea Gulls-We do have them here, although they are not residents-San Diego Gulls (East Coast Hockey League)
• Tarantulas-Topeka Tarantulas (Central Hockey League)

June 25th

Amazing how a quick thunderstorm can clean out the heat and humidity. That was the case yesterday in Mystic as a real big "boomer" moved through the area taking with it some serious humidity. It also seem that when the humidity is gone, the crowds start to come out to the Aquarium. It really is a more enjoyable day when you're not dripping sweat on your hamburger. I always felt the Aquarium is the perfect spot no matter what the weather. If it's raining, there's still plenty to see inside like all the exhibits..rays, sharks and fish and of course, the sea lion show in the Marine Theater. Hey, even the Beluga's and seals and sea lions are out and about in the rain..no worries from those guys and gals. I guess I'm just not a humidity type of person-even though I lived in Florida for five years. There's nothing like a summer in the sunshine state...100 degrees and 95% humidity. Yuck. Stay cool!

June 24th

The world's deadliest fish is............the Stonefish!

This is the most venomous fish known. It reaches up to 35 cm in length and lives in the Indo-Pacific region and northern Australian waters, from Brisbane to 600 km north of Perth. Stonefish may be found from exposed sand and mud in tidal inlets to depths of 40 m. Lying on the sea bed, it is perfectly camouflaged and looks exactly like an encrusted rock. It feeds on small fish and shrimps. When they swim by, the stonefish opens its mouth with lightning speed and gulps them down. The whole attack lasts for just 0,015 seconds.

Because the stonefish is vulnerable to attacks by bottom-feeding sharks and rays, it has found a way to defend itself- there is a row of 13 venomous spines along its back. In fact, the victim is the one who injures oneself. The stonefish is only dangerous if stepped on or caught. The thirteen dorsal spines project from venom glands along the back and venom is involuntarily expelled when pressure is exercised upon them. Then, a few weeks pass before the glands regenerate and recharge.

The sting causes excruciating pain and a tremendous swelling rapidly develops with death of tissues. The severity of the symptoms depends on the depth of penetration and the number of spines involved. The effects of the venom are muscle weakness, temporary paralysis and shock, which may result in death if not treated. Fatalities are known in the Indo-Pacific region but not in Australian waters.

One can prevent oneself from stonefish injury by wearing thick-soled shoes and treading very lightly- spines can piece through a shoe! From Thinkquest.org

June 23rd

What if our animal residents played for the World Champion Boston Celtics?....hmm...

• Shark-Paul Pierce-(Put the bite on the Lakers!)
• Sting Ray-Kevin Garnett (Just glides along effortlessly)
• Sea lion-Ray Allen (agile, smart and a real veteran)
• Birds of the Outback-Rajon Rondo (flys down the court, pesky on defense)
• Steller sea lion-Kendrick Perkins (hard to move, a real big body at the center position)

June 19th

What if our animal residents played for the Boston Red Sox? How would they match up to the World Champs current human roster:

• Penguin-Dustin Pedroia (small, but steady)
• Northern fur seal-Jacoby Ellsbury (quick and fast)
• Electric eel-Manny Ramirez (powerful, zaps out hits and a Hall of Famer)
• Male Steller sea lion-David Ortiz (large, strong, powerful, muscular and graceful for a big guy!)
• California sea lion-Mike Lowell (consistent, a bit playful, a real pro)
• Shark-Jason Varitek-(Don't mess with the Captain!)
• Sting Ray-Julio Lugo-(glides along, and used to play for the Rays in Tampa)
• Lobster-J.D. Drew-(he's finally come out of his shell and worth the $14 million a year)
• Angel fish-Kevin Youkilis (a baseball Angel when it comes to playing first base, can do no wrong with the glove)
• Clown fish-Jonathan Papelbon (Do I need to explain further!)

June 18, 2008

Sorry I missed posting yesterday, but it was a "Zoo" at the Aquarium on Tuesday! Today's blog is about Tim Russert. I was as shocked as everyone when it was announced on Friday that Russert had died of a heart attack. I enjoyed his work on Meet the Press and his reporting on politics. A couple of years ago I also read his book Big Russ and Me, which I enjoyed very much. Tim Russert was the best news interviewer in television. I think a lot of that had to deal with his preparation, which was unmatched. I also believe Russert, unlike reporters like Mike Wallace, had a way to asking tough questions without seeming like he was out for bear. Much of this had to do with Russert's facial expressions. He didn't seem like your normal investigative reporter. His guests would be nervous, but they also new Russert would give them a fair shake in the end. Russert liked to joke that he "had a face for radio," he wasn't Stone Phillips or Brian Williams handsome, but for us that is what made him appealing. He was a "regular looking guy" who was tough, fair and the person we looked to to gauge the political climate in this country. Above all, Russert was beloved by all those who came in contact with him, from kids to the most hardened politician. He was very active in charitable causes and never forgot his blue collar roots in Buffalo. Tim Russert was just a great guy who happened to also be one of our nation's most respected journalists. He will be missed.

June 16, 2008

"Rainy days and Mondays always get me down"-The Carpenters

How do our animals feel on rainy days and Mondays? Hard to tell. Every day seems good if you're a seal or sea lion, penguin or shark. Are animals affected by changes in the weather? Science says yes and so do I. Ever watch a group of cows when it's about to rain?....not that I have time to do it mind you..... but those "in the know" say our bovine pals make excellent weather forecasters. Cows tend to sit down prior to rain, like they know there's not much they can do until the weather front passes. Other animals do the same. Many creatures know ahead of time when an earthquake is going to hit or a tornado is approaching. Perhaps they sense the change in barometric readings before we do. Next time when there is weather approaching, check out what your cat or dog is up to. Maybe you'll catch them looking at the Doppler Radar and it will shoot down my theory, but in any case, they seem to know what's up in the skies before we ever do!

June 13, 2008

Friday the 13th is always an interesting day. Don't walk under a ladder, break a mirror or cross a black cat. How do our animals here feel about Friday the 13th? Is it really an "unlucky" day? I spent some time with Astro, our celebrity Steller sea lion. Astro had these thoughts on Friday, the 13th:

• "Out in the wild every day is Friday the 13th when you're being chased by a hungry Great White shark!"
• "This one time on Friday the 13th, I found myself in the middle of a salmon run, so I don't think I was unlucky on that day!"
• "We generally don't go by the calendar out in the ocean, so we just never know when Friday the 13th rolls around."
• "Out in the sea, every day pretty much seems the same to us animals.  It's not like we sit around the water cooler talking about unlucky issues like walking under ladders or coming across a black cat(fish)."
• "The first time I ever really heard about this Friday the 13th thing was recently when I heard some of our guests talking about it while Commander and I hung out on the rocks in our pool. I guess Commander had been down this road before, so he explained it pretty well to me that is was just a human thing."

June 12, 2008

Sharks in local waters. Sounds scary doesn't it? But the reality is that sharks are more afraid of you then you should be of them. Having grown up in New England I once saw Mako sharks off the beach in Narragansett, RI. I think I was about 10 years old. Safe to say, I haven't seen sharks off the beach since then..and I'm now much older that 10! The movie Jaws had so much to do with the "shark scare" in this country. I remember when the movie came out and people were even scared to take a bath in their own bath tub! There are so few shark attacks in the world, that when one does occur it's really big news and gets a ton of publicity. Usually if a shark does attack a human it's because from below the prey they've locked onto is a seal or sea lion. Normally one bite tells them otherwise and they immediately let go because they just don't like the way we taste. Perhaps we just don't have enough blubber for them or we taste bland, who knows. But rest assured, the chances of a shark biting you are quite remote. Enjoy the water and don't watch Jaws prior to your summer vacation at the beach.

June 11, 2008

Today Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration's Marine Animal Rescue Team released two seals back into the wild. One of the seals was a male gray seal, the other was a female harbor seal. We are often asked why we always release our rehabilitated animals back into the wild at Blue Shutters Beach in Charlestown, Rhode Island. The answer is two-fold. One, it's a quite stretch of beach and two, it gives our once stranded animals great access to Block Island and Long Island Sound. So, the next time you hear we are releasing some animals back into their natural habitat, it's a pretty safe bet you'll find us at Blue Shutters in RI! June 10, 2008

Another 97 degree day in Mystic, Connecticut. The coolest place in the region may be our Beluga whale tank, where the water temperature is roughly 51 degrees. Don't think I haven't noticed how happy those whales looks while the rest of us mammals are trying to beat the heat! One would think our African penguins aren't too keen on the heat but in fact, they are from Africa so they actually are more used to the warmer temperatures then those of their snowbound Arctic cousins. I stopped by to ask the sharks how they felt about the heat wave and didn't get much of an answer--when they look hungry I tend to leave them alone! Our sea lions seem to enjoy the warm weather and they, like the Belugas, have a nice cool pool in which to take a dip if it gets too hot. It always seems cooler at the Aquarium on hot days like these. I guess it comes from watching our animals swim around in cold water, perhaps just seeing that brings us some comfort during the present dog days of June.

June 9, 2008

"It's hot. Africa hot." That's a line from the movie Biloxi Blues starring Matthew Broderick. Seriously, are you like me and are always thinking that anytime there's a severe swing in temperatures, it's got to be a Global Warming issue? Global Warming is such a hard concept for us to get our arms around because it's not in front of us on a daily basis (or is it and we just don't notice?). Yes, we see the ice caps melting and the polar bears losing their habitat, but how serious of a warning is this? Unfortunately, for us, it's a very serious warning. It is often nature that first sends out the warning that something is wrong. Habitat is lost, animals begin to migrate or perish, ocean's begin to rise and warm. Not everything we see and feel is Global Warming, but if we read the signs, we'll be able to see patterns that lead us down a road that will hopefully make us all aware that something just isn't right.

June 6, 2008

Today is the 64th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of Northern France on June 6, 1944. Since Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration is located just miles from United States Coast Guard Academy, the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, RI and Electric Boat, one of the world's top builders of submarines, we thought we'd answer some questions about D-Day:

Q: What does the "D" in D-Day stand for?

A: The “D” does not stand for "Deliverance", "Doom", "Debarkation" or similar words. In fact, it does not stand for anything. The “D” is derived from the word "Day". “D-Day” means the day on which a military operation begins. The term "D-Day" has been used for many different operations, but it is now generally only used to refer to the Allied landings in Normandy on 6 June 1944.

Q: How many ships, troops and planes were involved in the D-Day landings?

A: Over 5,000 ships, over 150,000 troops and roughly 12,000 planes.

Q: What was the code name of the invasion that day?

A: Operation Overlord

Q: What was the first French town to be liberated on D-Day?

A: Sainte-Mere-Eglise by the 82nd and 101st Airborne.

Q: How many miles of beach did the Allies land on on D-Day?

A: 50 miles

1,500 WWII veterans are passing on each day. Please take a minute today and thank them for what they did to preserve freedom in the world.

June 5, 2008

Our Penguin population is a bit sad this morning. Why, you ask? Is it because they didn't enjoy their breakfast? Was it because the sun isn't shining? Did one of their copies of "Happy Feet" get caught in the VCR player? No, it's because the Pittsburgh Penguins were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs last night. The Pens put up a good fight against the mighty Detroit Red Wings, but in the end their feathers were ruffled and they lost the series 4 games to 2. It's been a while since the Penguins were in the Cup finals, so our bird guys (and gals) here were pretty upbeat the last week or so as Sidney Crosby and his mates made it an interesting fight for the cup. But in the end, the Red Wings were just too good! Our penguins should be ok soon, just a little down today. But have no fear, it's still baseball season and the Rays and Marlins are doing well!!!