Ocean Explorers Blog 5

Today they finished up the week with a presentation for moms and dads in the auditorium. Before lunch, a lady from the wildlife rescue center introduced them to a recovering pelican and explained how to help birds in trouble. Here are some of their memories...

Sydney: "It was really a fun week. I enjoyed everything, because I got to have fun with my friends. We got to touch velvet pelicans because you don't usually get to pet one. We learned we should not litter fishing lines because it can hurt birds. Also, if a nest is lying on the ground with a bird without feathers, put it in a clean container with a towel on the bottom."

Hampton: "I liked the pelican because it was so cool." "If you find a bird without feathers on the ground put it in a Cool Whip container because it is small and comforting."

Ryan: "I liked lunch, because I was hungry." "I learned it is not good to keep wildlife."

Noah: "I liked meeting birds. We touched the pelican." "What did I learn? Don't look birds in the eye, or they will be scared."

Elena: "I liked the dive show." "When saving birds, pick them up with a towel."

Alex: "My favorite thing was to see a pelican." "If you find an injured bird, bring it to Ellen at the Sea Biscuit Wildlife Center."

Kelly: "I liked touching the bird because it was softer than a blanket and I have never done that before." "I learned that you can pick up a baby bird if it is on the ground and it has no feathers or its eyes are closed."

Andrew: "I liked everything." "I learned that monofilament lines take 600 years to break down, and there are a lot of cigs that we need to pick up."



Another group of Ocean Explorers starts blogging next week!

Ocean Exporers Blog 4

Today they learned about oil spills, went crabbing, and more!

Alex: "I learned that turtles have brains the size of thumbs and they think plastic bags are food."

Sydney: "One of my favorite activities was going crabbing, because you never really get to crab with your friends and it was fun to feel the tug on the rope." "We learned how to clean up oil spills. They hurt animals because they may eat it or get covered. Also it wa a fun project because we got to experiment and see how we could take it [the oil] away."

Ryan: "I liked seeing the turtle, because it was cool." "I learned not to litter in the sea."

Elana: "I liked going behind the scenes." "We learned about oil spills and littering and how to clean them up."

Andew: "My favorite was crabbing, because I caught a crab." "I learned that an oil spill can take a very long time to clean up."

Kelly: "I caught TWO crabs!" "I learned that to help sea turtles the aquarium moves the nest if it is too close to the ocean.

Hampton: "My favorite was the mini oil spill, because we tried to clean up oil." "I learned, Don't cause oil spills!"

Noah: "I liked cleaning up the oil spill." "I learned that when cleaning up an oil spill you can try anything to clean up the oil but it does not always work. You can donate your hair when there is a spill, but it does not always. work."

Check back tomorrow -- their last day of camp!

Ocean Explorers Blog 3

Wednesday: Another day of learning and fun for our summertime day-campers. Today's blog entries:

Kelly: "I liked going behind the scenes and seeing the sharks and the octopus, because I haven't seen the octopus in all the 3 years that I have been here." "I learned about the sea turtles. To help save them we can: stop littering, try to watch where you are driving your boat, and not messing with them."

Noah: "Behind the scenes, there were live sharks!"

Alex: "I liked going to the saltwater quarantine." "I learned we can save turtles by not messing with them."

Sydney: "I liked behind the scenes, because we got to learn about animals such as seahorses, yellow stingrays, fish, jellyfish and sharks." "We can prevent losses of sea turtles. We can help them by not littering, picking up trash, and helping the people who work at the sea turtle hospital."

Hampton: "I liked going to the beach, because we had fun." "We should help protect beaches because turtles bury their eggs there."

Elena: "I liked watching a sea turtle movie." "I learned all about turtles and how we can save them."

Andrew: "I liked going to the beach, because we had fun." "I learned sharks have 30,000 teeth. Octopuses, 3 brains and 7 hearts."

Ryan: "My favorite was the turtles." "I learned to not to lietter in the sea."

More coming tomorrow!

Ocean Explorers Blog 2

Second day for our 10- to 12-yr-old Ocean Explorer day-campers. We asked them to tell what they liked best, and what they learned about helping and protecting wildlife.

Alex: "I liked going to the beach, because we found fossils, and I learned, To save a turtle, pick up trash."

Elena: "My favorite activity was making shirts." "I learned all about snakes."

Andrew: "I liked the movies." "I learned that litter can harm wildlife and that it's important to help."

Hampton: "I liked going behind the scenes, because we got to see all kinds of animals." "I learned Don't cut down trees because animals live there."

Ryan: "My favorite was going to the beach." "We learned not to wreck their habitat."

Kelly: "My favorite was seeing the baby alligators because I have NEVER seen one that small!" "I learned that if you find or see an albino anything call a zoo or aquarium so they can take care of it."

Noah: "My favorite was watching videos, because they were relaxing." "Never litter, and if you see an albino send it to an aquarium or a zoo."

Sydney: "Going to the beach was my favorite because we got to play and jump in the waves with our friends." " Don't cut down animals habitats because the animals will have to leave for some unknown place."

Check back tomorrow for more!

Ocean Explorers Blog 1

Whoa! Another wave of Ocean Explorers arrived today! Let's check their blog entries to see what they like, and what they're learning:

Kelly: "I liked going to the rocky outcrop and collecting all the trash, because I like helping clean the environment. I learned that when you have a balloon, don't let it go, because a turtle might think it is a jellyfish."

Noah: "I liked meeting Wilson [the wood duck]. He was biting the air randomly." "I learned you should grab things you see, like trash."

Andrew: "My favorite activity was meeting everybody, because I made a new friend and now I'm not scared to talk to people." "I learned that you need to reduce, reuse and recycle, to help keep something bad from happening to another animal."

Elena: "My favorite activity was making fish, because it was fun." "I learned about ducks. Oil spills can be bad for birds."

Alex: "My favorite was playing a game." "We learned to protect animals."

Hampton: "We went to the rocky outcrop and saw anemones and algae." "I learned if a duck or bird is covered in oil it can't fly or swim, so you should clean it up."

Sydney: "I liked the arts and crafts, when we made a fish out of a bottle and paper that was recycled. The reason it was my favorite was because it was really fun and it was a cool way to recycle." "We learned how plastic bags and balloons can hurt sea turtles because they think they're jellyfish. I also learned about how to keep them safe because they could get stuck in something, and we learned how they survive."

Ryan: "My favorite today was the beach pickup. I liked this because it helps the earth." "We learned how to protect wildlife by sorting plastic cans and stuff like that."

More to come, tomorrow!

Ocean Exporers Blog 4

It's Friday, and our campers are finishing up the last day of a very busy week. Here are today's blog entries:

Jonathan: "Everything today was my favorite activity because everything was so fun." "I learned what hermit crabs look like out of their shells."

Alana: "I liked going to the Megalodon exhibit because it's extinct, and I learned some stuff."

Blake: "I learned that cigarette butts take 25 years [to decompose]."

PJ: "I learned that the big tank is 24 feet high. I liked the show in the big tank because it was interesting."

Matt: "I liked going to the top of the big tank because I saw all the fish. I learned that in the big tank all the coral is fake."

Michael: "My favorite activity was going to the top of the shark tank, because of the sharks." "I learned that everybody can help [protect wildlife]."

Jon: "I liked everything. We went all around the aquarium." "I learned we can all make a difference."

Conor: "I liked going to the top of the large tank because it was so cool to see all of the fish from above."

Katy: "My favorite was going to the top of the big tank and seeing the fish and seeing the divers clean the glass. We learned how deep the big tank is -- 23 to 25 feet."

Ocean Explorers Blog 3

Another full day for our 10- to 12-year-old day-campers. What were their favorite activities? What did they learn?

Matt: "My favorite was the sharks. I learned Don't put garbage in the ocean or in anything but a trash can."

Alana: "I liked going behind the scenes because it's something you usually don't get to do when you go to the Aquarium."*

Michael: "My favorite was the fossil pit because I found this [he has a shark's tooth]." "I learned that balloons can harm sea turtles, so now I won't let balloon go."

PJ: "I learned that when a turtle shell splits they put sugar on it."

Jonathan: "I liked watching the baby yellow stingray because it was the first one born in captivity." "I learned how to look for cigarettes [on the beach] and to thrown them away."

Blake: "Don't put plastic bags in the water because sea turtles will eat them."

Conor: "I liked going behind the scenes because it was cool to see all the fish and how they take care of them."

Jon: "My favorite was getting a white tooth [in the fossil pit].

Katy: "I liked going behind the scenes in the saltwater quarantine. I love seeing the new animals they have." "We can rescue sea turtles hung up in a fishing line if we help get it free.

CHECK BACK TOMORROW FOR THIS GROUP'S LAST-DAY BLOG!

*(Remember that Behind-the-Scenes tours ARE available as Special Activities -- just check the Website to make reservations.)