Zoos and aquariums - Articles - Zimbio

Monterey Great White Sheds Tag Prematurely

Tue, 12 Nov 2008 15:28:00 GMT

posted by neutraldivegear

It appears the young Great White Shark that spent 11 days in the Monterey Bay Aquarium has shed its tracking mechanism prematurely.

Its tag was set to report to scientists at Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station in five months, but it popped free prematurely on Oct. 8 at 6 a.m..

It was recovered near the backside of San Miguel Island on Oct. 23.

"The map of data from the tag shows the shark spent its whole time after release around the Channel Islands," reports Ken Peterson, a spokesman for the aquarium. "All data from the tag show normal swimming and diving pattern up to the moment of release -- no sign of mortality of the shark as a cause for the premature release."

If the shark is alive, it may be traveling south to warmer water. The last white shark the aquarium held swam around the Baja California peninsula into the Sea of Cortez, where it remained until its tag life expired.

San Diego Zoo, California, USA

Sun, 10 Nov 2008 01:13:53 GMT

posted by travelcia

The San Diego Zoo is one of the largest zoos in the world! Operated by the Zoological Society of San Diego and stretched on 100 acres the zoo has over 4000 animals of more than 800 species.

A guided tour bus and a gondola lift are provided for the visitors. The Skyfari (the lift) gives the San Diego Zoo guests an unique aerial view of the animals in their habitat environments and it also travels fast between the opposite ends of the park.

Red Panda

Flamingoes

Giraffes

Skyfari

Tiger

Grizzly Bear

Blue Bird

Tags: San Diego, Skyfari, Zoo

Shark Tags Monterey Bay A.Q

Thu, 7 Nov 2008 18:29:00 GMT

posted by sharkdiver
Peter Thomas L.A Times is putting us out of a job. His Outposts Blog is home to some of the sharkiest news you can get fresh from the media machine:

This is a chart (click image) showing the female shark's wayward wanderings after its release in the Santa Barbara Channel on Sept. 7.

Its tag was set to report to scientists at Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station in five months, but it popped free prematurely on Oct. 8 at 6 a.m..

It was recovered near the backside of San Miguel Island on Oct. 23.

"The map of data from the tag shows the shark spent its whole time after release around the Channel Islands," reports Ken Peterson, a spokesman for the aquarium. "All data from the tag show normal swimming and diving pattern up to the moment of release -- no sign of mortality of the shark as a cause for the premature release."

If the shark is alive, it may be traveling south to warmer water. The last white shark the aquarium held swam around the Baja California peninsula into the Sea of Cortez, where it remained until its tag life expired.

--Pete Thomas

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Mon, 9 Sep 2008 17:33:00 GMT

posted by queenbrandy17

We just got back from another awesome trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We were just there about a year ago and I continue to be impressed by the place. Have you ever been there? I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Here are mine:
For those of you who have never been - put it on your bucket list. It's amazing. It really is. In my opinion, it's a little more catered towards short people (aka: kids) but it's still appealing and interesting for all ages - that even includes the hard to please teens.
It's a little pricey (for me at least - $25 per adult), but if you stay at a near-by hotel you can get tickets (for regular price, there's no way to get a discount, trust me) but they are good for two days rather than the normal one day. And really, you need two days to see the whole place, that is, unless sprinting/pushing a stroller/carrying a toddler/eating while walking etc. all day long with no leisurely observing - and no time to really appreciate all there is to at this awesome aquarium, is your type of vacation.
For moms with little ones: Splash Zone. It even has a baby area complete with a "water bed" circle surrounded by bubbles to simulate waves and a slide area with dress up Nemo clothes for kids up to 7 or even older. There's also touch pools where kids can touch starfish, friendly crabs, sea anemones and more. It's such a great place for them to explore, be able to touch whatever they want, and spark their imaginations.

For environmentalists: Everything is done with the animals in mind, and everything is eco-friendly. Even when you take a bathroom brake they make you feel guilty for every drop of water and inch of paper towel you use. The weird thing is: it works, and I like it. Paper=Trees is what you read on the paper towel dispenser. It really does make you think twice about grabbing two (or seven), which is what I normally do. One other thing (I'm almost done) I was impressed with was how clean everything was! It is extremely well-kept. And I mean extremely. Also, the ambiance they create in the different areas of the aquarium is so incredible. The use of different music, different lighting... Well basically - I liked it. And I think you would too. If you're not from California and you come out - it's a must. If you are from here and you've never been - plan your trip asap! And if you need any tips on cheap (but nice, come on here) hotels and discounts, email me. I'd love to help. I'd also love to hear what you love about the Monterey Bay Aquarium that I didn't mention - or even what you dislike...

Tagged White Shark Released From Monterey Bay Aquarium

Tue, 10 Sep 2008 16:10:00 GMT

posted by GGEKKO

The young white shark brought to the Monterey Bay Aquarium on August 27 has now been released back into the wild after 11 days on exhibit. She was captured on August 16 in Santa Monica Bay and has now been safely returned to the same waters. During her stay at the Monterey Bay Aquarium she lived in their million-gallon Outer Bay exhibit, but despite her relatively roomy accommodation she only fed once and the staff decided that she would be better of in the wild.

A white shark

“These decisions are always governed by our concern for the health and well-being of these animals under our care,” says Jon Hoech, director of husbandry for the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

On September 7, the young female was released in offshore waters in the Santa Barbara Channel at 1:30 p.m. (Pacific Time). Before being released, she was tagged with a tracking device that will provide researchers with data on her life in the ocean. For 148 days, the pop-up tag will collect information about geographical location, depths, and water temperature. After this period, the tag will pop free and deliver the collected data via satellite.

As of now, a total of four White Sharks with tracking tags have been released from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The three other sharks did however stay longer at the aquarium before going a back to the wild; between four and six months. Together with their research partners, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has tagged and tracked 18 juvenile white sharks off Southern California as a part of their “White Shark Conservation Research Project”. The aquarium is also involved in the project “Tagging of Pacific Predators” (TOPP) led by Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station, which has tracked 143 adult white sharks off the Central Coast using data-collecting tags.

If you wish to know more about the white shark research at the Monterey Bay Aquarium you can visit www.montereybayaquarium.org/whiteshark/.