Love Life of the Octopus

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada on Instagram

2013-10-14T11:36:00.000-04:00

Three months ago I started working at Ripley's Aquarium of Canada. In that time I've worked day and night with a team of amazing aquarists to get the tanks ready and animals established. This past Saturday we opened our doors to a select few "Friends & Family" as a pre-opening sneak peek of the facility. Our official opening day is Wednesday, October 16, 2013.

Up until now we've been forbidden to share any photos of the facility with the public, but on Saturday there was a surge of social media activity from the guests. Browsing Instagram, I was a little blown away by how many beautiful photos were captured in just one day. Here is a selection of my favourite shots.

And the best videos:

Is Sharon Stone an Ocean Nerd?

2013-05-25T14:26:00.000-04:00

The internet is ~~abuzz~~ humming with news of a Russian estate agent who bought himself a £1.2 million trip into outer space alongside Leonardo DiCaprio at yesterday's amfAR Cinema Against AIDS gala. Overlooked is the more pertinent news that there may be a dedicated ocean-nerd in the midst of Hollywood's elite. This annual Cannes star-studded event was hosted by Sharon Stone, who arrived decked out in some heavily nature-inspired haute couture.

Actress Sharon Stone at the 2013 Cannes amfAR Cinema Against AIDS Gala

The most noticeable feature of her outfit was the bulky red sea star cuff clasping her wrist so lifelike, it almost seemed as though it were really clinging with hundreds of tiny tube feet. The rubies and diamonds encrusting the gold realistically mimicked the characteristic spiny texture of echinoderm skin. Echinoderm literally translates to "spiny skin" in Latin, and it is the taxonomic phylum in which sea stars, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers are classified.

Ruby and diamond sea star cuff by Swiss jewelry designer de GRISOGONO.

The typical spiny texture of sea star skin.

A golden serpent suspended with gold chains along the spine of her ivory Roberto Cavalli gown rivalled the sea star in both boldness and bad ass-ness. Okay, so it's not actually sea snake, since the tail is not laterally flattened, as it is in snakes whose bodies are adapted for a swimming lifestyle. But the serpent is a symbol that has long been associated with marine mythology, so I won't hold this detail against her.

Sharon Stone wearing an ivory floor-length Roberto Cavalli gown with golden serpent.

The morphological difference between the tails of a land and sea snake.

Arguably the most interesting and unusual piece incorporated in Stone's gala getup was her gold clutch, which uncannily resembles the dentition of a stingray dental plate. As both an elasmobranch and fashion enthusiast, this accessory really triggered my sartorial salivary glands. Take a look at the similarity yourself...

This is a stingray dental plate, embedded in which are rows of hexagonal teeth:

A typical stingray dental plate, lined with rows of hexagonal teeth.

And this is the gold clutch Sharon Stone wore to the amfAR Gala:

The gold clutch worn by Sharon Stone to the 2013 amfAR gala, resembling a stingray dental plate.

Is it a coincidence that Stone's clutch looked like the inside of a sting ray's mouth? Who knows. But I choose to think not. Did she assemble this statement of an outfit herself, or did a biophilic stylist? Who cares*. I adore it either way.

For those interested, Sharon Stones other accessories included:

TUBETTO ring by de GRISOGONO

JANE ring by de GRISOGONO

ANNELI earrings by de GRISOGONO

*Wait, I care. I want to know all the ocean-themed fashion accessories that exist. Someone tell me who styled this killer outfit! And also, where is that clutch from?

Manta Ray vs Stingray: What's The Difference?

2013-05-16T04:20:00.000-04:00

It has come to my attention that many people aren't sure what the difference is between a manta ray and a stingray, and often misuse the two terms. Let me clarify.

In short, a manta ray is a type of stingray. A manta ray is to a stingray like a boa is to a snake.

I've noticed some people will slap term "manta ray" onto any old stingray, which is incorrect, as a manta ray is a specific genus within the ray group.

This is what a manta ray looks like:

The manta ray has distinct white markings and cephalic fins on either side of the head. And it's huge.

This is what a southern stingray looks like:

A southern stingray is NOT a manta ray.

This is what a cownose ray looks like:

A cownose ray is NOT a manta ray.

The manta ray genus is within the eagle ray family. This is what a spotted eagle ray looks like:

A spotted eagle ray is NOT a manta ray.

Once again, the manta ray:

A manta ray IS a manta ray.

Hope this clears some things up! Now please don't ever call a stingray a manta ray again.

Deep Sea ID App for iPhone

2013-03-20T12:08:00.001-04:00

Just a few days ago the Natural History Museum released an iPhone app that contains taxonomic information for over 20, 000 deep sea species, with eerie pictures and all. This is pretty much the first app that's been able to tear me away from my new obsession with Vine.

Deep Sea ID is a field guide interface to the World Register of Deep-Sea Species (WoRDSS) that currently stores on your device (for offline access) the taxonomic information for over 20,000 deep-sea species, over 350 high-resolution photographs of deep-sea specimens as well as links to online taxonomic tools, sources and important references. The app is designed for the scientific community but also offers a visual tour of the remarkable biodiversity of deep sea life that is of interest to educators and the general public.

Download the app here.

Sea Urchins Planktonic Origins from Parafilms

2013-03-13T19:22:00.000-04:00

I nearly lost my mind when I found this gem of a video on Vimeo's Staff Pick list. It's a beautifully shot video clip of the sea urchin its adult and larval forms. The sea urchin is one of my favourite animals, and its larval form holds a special place in my heart, as the animal I researched for my undergraduate thesis.

The clip is from a documentary series known as "The Plankton Chronicles," which, as the title aptly suggests, chronicles different types of plankton that inhabit the ocean. The cinematography is astounding. Watch below!

Sea Urchins - Planktonic Origins from Parafilms on Vimeo.

Some screencaps:

Close-up of the surface of a sea urchin

The larval form of sea urchin, the pluteus larva.

Zygotes in early stages of division

Ova being released by a female urchin

Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind

2013-02-11T03:11:00.000-05:00

Well this is disturbing.

2400 meters down, near the world's #DeepestVents, we found a Fanta can on the seafloor.
— Andrew Thaler (@SFriedScientist) February 11, 2013

Giant Squid Filmed for First Time

2013-01-08T21:29:00.002-05:00

Scientists in Japan have captured on film, for the first time ever, footage of a living giant squid ( Architeuthis dux) in its natural habitat, in the depths of the ocean, over 600 meters below the surface.

Giant squids sightings are very rare because of the great depths at which they live. Previous video footage of giant squid has been in shallow waters, with the animal already dead.

More info at Deep Sea News

Gifts for Scientists

2012-12-22T02:24:00.003-05:00

Whenever I go holiday shopping for friends and family, I end up spending the greatest amount of money on myself. This year, I was pretty good, but I inadvertently compiled a list of ~~nerdy~~ cool stuff that I came across and really badly wish I owned.

If you're lucky enough to have a nerd as a friend, and need to figure out what the best gift for a scientist might be, here's some inspiration. Truthfully, these gifts would appeal to not only scientists, but to anyone with an appreciation for the natural world.

Science Gifts for the Study

1. Altitude Memo Block ($10.99) | 2. The Infamous Drinking Bird ($6.00 via ThinkGeek) | 3. Sand dollar bookends ($39.99 via Etsy) | 4. FermLiving Decorative Molecules ($75.00 from Huset-Shop.com) | 5. Darwin Bust (£15.99 at the English Heritage Shop) | 6. Explorer Globe ($41.49) | 7. Newton's cradle ($19.99) | 8. Vintage Microscope with wooden box ($15.95 on Etsy)

Science Gifts for the Home

1. Illuminated Remote Control Moon ($45.00 from Urban Outfitters) | 2. Deep Tea Diver ($14.95 from Amazon.com) | 3. Molecular coasters, set of 2 (£15.00 via Science Museum Shop) | 4. Mad Mixologist's Laboratory ($49.95 via Edmund Scientific) | 5. Constellation Lamp (£25.00 via Science Museum Shop) | 6. Earl Carafe (£18.00 via Science Museum Shop) | 7. Star Theater Pro ($169.99 via ThinkGeek) | 8. Erlenmeyer Flask salt and pepper shakers (£12.00 via Science Museum Shop)

Imagine Science Film Festival Winners Announced

2012-12-11T17:42:00.000-05:00

The Imagine Science Film Festival (ISFF) is an annual science-themed film festival based in Brooklyn and Paris. All submissions are narratives of real-world science and the people behind it. Normally, an established film-maker partners with a scientist or team of scientists to document their work.

ISFF started out in 2008 as a small film club at Rockerfeller University founded by Alexis Gambis, a geneticist. In the last 5 years, it has grown to a curation of international short films that make relevant science discoverable and palatable for the masses.

Mission statement from the website:

"Imagine Science Films is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in existence since 2008 committed to promoting a high-level dialogue between scientists and filmmakers. ISF encourages a greater collaboration between scientists who dedicate their lives to studying the world we live in and filmmakers who have the power to interpret and expose this knowledge, ultimately making science accessible and stimulating to a broader audience.

Imagine Science Films is committed to drawing attention to the sciences, whether it is through art or our community outreach efforts."

Just today ISFF announced the official winners of 2012 in 4 categories. Click below to find out who the winners are.
1. Nature Scientific Merit Award: The Nature Scientific Merit Award is awarded to a short film that exemplifies science in narrative filmmaking in a compelling, credible and inspiring manner.

Winner: Love Competition
Synopsis: Because “Love is a feeling you have for someone you have feelings about.” In order to find out if it’s possible for one person to love more than another Brent Hoff teamed up with neuroscientists at Stanford University to test seven contestants’ ability to love using an fMRI to monitor brain activity while the contestants focused on loving thoughts.

2. Nature People Choice Award: The Nature People’s Choice Award is awarded to the best short film voted by ISF Audience members.

Winner: Centrifuge Brain Project
Synopsis: A group of scientists conduct a series of bizarre experiments with amusement park rides to study their effects on the human brain.

3. Imaginal Disc Visual Science Award: The Visual Science Award sponsored by Imaginal Disc is given to a short film that depicts science in a visually-engaging manner.

Winner: America's Dead Sea
Synopsis: Deep in the desert of southern California sits one of the worst environmental sites in America—a former tourist destination that has turned into a toxic soup: the Salton Sea.
The sea was born by accident 100 years ago, when the Colorado River breached an irrigation canal; for the next two years the entire volume of the river flowed into the Salton Sink, one of the lowest places on Earth. The new lake became a major tourist attraction, with resort towns springing up along its shores. Yet with no outflow, and with agricultural runoff serving as its only inflow, the sea’s waters grew increasingly toxic. Farm chemicals and ever-increasing salinity caused massive fish and bird die-offs. Use of the sea for recreational activities plummeted, and by the 1980s its tourist towns were all but abandoned.
The skeletons of these structures are still there; ghost towns encrusted in salt. California officials acknowledge that if billions of dollars are not spent to save it, the sea could shrink another 60 percent in the next 20 years, exposing soil contaminated with arsenic and other cancerous chemicals to strong winds. Should that dust become airborne, it would blow across much of southern California, creating an environmental calamity.

4. AAAS Scientist Award: The Scientist Award sponsored by Science/AAAS is given to a short film that depicts a scientist in an accurate and original way.

Discovering Mount Gorgongosa
Synopsis: Biodiversity Exploration on Mozambique’s Sky Island. In August 2011, Field Museum and African scientists joined forces in an expedition to Mount Gorongosa in Gorongosa National Park. Their goal was to study the diversity of birds and small mammals from this remote region and the parasites that live on these animals. The findings of this project will help to better understand this threatened ecosystem and formulate new questions regarding pathogens and their hosts.

SCUBA Diving in Curaçao

2012-11-19T09:35:00.003-05:00

This past week I had the immense fortune to complete my PADI Open Water Diver's certification in the beautiful country of Curaçao (the ç sounds like an s)!

I was very lucky to complete my first ever open water dives in one of the world's finest coral reefs. Curaçao's shoreline is bordered by dive sites with beautiful white sandy beaches, and reefs saturated with life.

I dove with my friend and colleague, Sophie, who purchased a GoPro Hero3 for the occasion, and captured some amazing HD video footage. I, on the other hand, had no underwater photography equipment, so the photos below are ones I scavenged from Google Images. But once Sophie processes her footage, I will be sure to post it here!

UPDATE: The video is complete! See the Curaçao coral reef through our eyes below!

Diving In Curaçao (GoPro Hero3) from the treefort on Vimeo.

Click the jump to see photos of the species we saw.

Our second dive on the third day was by far the best one.

We more or less descended directly upon an octopus, which I believe was probably a common octopus (Octopus vulgaris).

Photo by Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble

It was trying to hide in a crevice under a rock, but once surrounded by us, it emerged and turned sheet-white, in an effort to warn us off.

Then halfway through the dive, we found a white-spotted eagle ray swimming just off the edge of the reef drop-off.

Photo by Dixie Greenwood

A few days later. while snorkelling, we sighted two more eagle rays hunting in a sandy plain at Cas Abou.

Photo by Caroline Rogers

Then near the end of the dive, we spotted a hawksbill sea turtle munching on some coral.

Photo from delargy.com

Curaçao's reef is teeming with life. There are corals, sponges, fish, and crustaceans everywhere.

If planning a vacation there, which I highly recommend, I have nothing but good things to say about our accommodation, De Herberg Bed & Breakfast, as well as our dive shop and dive guides at Atlantis Diving. You can't really go wrong with any of the dive sites, but my favourite was Porto Mari. And our favourite beach was Cas Abou.

I definitely intend on returning one day, but now I'm dreaming about my future dive travels. Australia, Thailand, Hawaii...

Lakes And Oceans Brought To You By xkcd

2012-11-02T10:44:00.001-04:00

Any credible scientist follows xkcd webcomics. Or at least checks in periodically.

I must not be that credible a scientist, because I clued in a bit late on this gem: A to-scale illustrated comparison of Earth's deepest underwater locales.

I love stuff like this because you tend to dedicate a considerable amount of time really trying to fathom these unfathomable sizes of things. And after you think you have a pretty good grasp of the size relationships, you spend even more time taking in the humbling wave of realization, for what must be the hundredth time, of just how damn small you are.

I mean, LOOK HOW BIG THE OCEAN IS!

Bonus: A bacterium on a diatom on an amphipod

BOOM.

Eggs and Burritos: How a Stingray Gets Born

2012-09-17T22:24:00.002-04:00

Our exhibit was recently blessed by the arrival of two baby cownose stingrays! Say hello to Theodore and Madeline, born only one day apart to our female cows Wilma and "Zebra" (unofficially we call her this because of her unique scar patterning).

Theo, leading the pack.

Maddy, smiling for the camera.

Cownose rays, like most elasmobranchs (that's the sharks & ray family), give a specialized kind of live birth called "ovoviviparity" (which pretty much means egg-live-birth). Ovoviviparity is a bit different from our mammalian viviparous reproductive strategy. There is no placenta, nor umbilical cord, instead there is an internal egg that hatches partway through gestation.

NB: Inside the womb, a stingray baby's pectoral fins are furled up like a little burrito, which is precisely what we call stingray fetuses.

After birth, the mother and baby separate completely, leaving the baby to fend for itself. Luckily, it's born as a miniature version of the adult, complete with a miniature venomous barb!

The baby is born with a bit of yolk still in its belly, so it may not start eating on its own for up to two weeks! This can prove frustrating for a zookeeper, such as myself, who needs to tube feed a baby stingray that doesn't start eating a few days after birth.

Tube feeding involves restraining a tiny, slippery, and surprisingly strong little stingray upside down underwater while forcing a tube down its esophagus and into the spiral valve (a ray's modified extra-muscular stomach). It's unpleasant for all parties involved. But it ensures that the baby loses no weight and stays nourished while it figures out what eating is, and how to go about doing it.

Fortunately, both Madeline and Theodore are eating well on their own and are steadily gaining weight! We feed them tiny pieces of capelin, shrimp, and squid. Capelin is the least popular fare, as it is the most nutritious, and I suspect the stingray's equivalent of broccoli.

Our babies are fenced off in their own pen, so that visitors don't scratch their delicate skin, and the adult rays don't stress or bully them. Sometimes they get to go on recess in the main adult pool. Once the babies are big enough, they will graduate to full-time status in the main pool. Until then, they are working on building their strength by swimming in a little fever (the technical term for a group of stingrays) round and round the baby pen all day long.

"The Gang" - Bubba, Oliver, Pip, Smudge, Lily, Lorenzo, Theo, and Madeline!

Ocean Themed Stationery from Banquet

2012-08-27T21:51:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I searched Design*Sponge for neon-painted furniture, and I stumbled upon these incredible marine life-themed prints from Vancouver-based studio Banquet Atelier & Workshop. I had to share immediately.

It took me about 60 seconds from landing on the Banquet website to toss this "Animals of The Gulf Coast" print into my shopping cart. I love everything about it.

Oh, also, I bought these snake & ray temp tats:

Scientific German Educational Charts

2012-07-26T07:59:00.000-04:00

The Evolution Store offers for sale a series of Scientific German Educational Charts that were originally illustrated in the 1950s and 60s. They continue to be produced by the same printing company. This manufacturer has been internationally recognized for producing scientifically accurate educational charts since 1929.

Cuttlefish

Daphnea and Cyclops

Edible Snail

Madrepore

Red Sea Star

Whale

Creative Nonfiction and Narrative Science

2012-07-18T23:25:00.000-04:00

Lee Gutkind started the first ever MFA in Creative Nonfiction at the University of Pittsburgh. Today the similar programs are offered at over 75 schools in the United States. He advocates using narrative as a medium to embed information.

"The way in which most newspapers present the science section is they make it interesting and palatable for the people who are interested in science. But what we need to do, and we need to do this through story, is to be able to make science interesting and compelling to people who aren't interested in science—to people who are interested in other people, and other professions, and other ideas, and other ways of life."

Also, he refers to jargon as "gobbledegook."

I'm a little bit in love with this.

"The reward of creative nonfiction, especially in this world of science, is that people listen, people understand, people relate, and people connect."

Training Sea Lions to Aid in Rescue

2012-07-11T00:05:00.000-04:00

The Oceanogràfic at the City of Arts and Sciences is pioneering a new marine mammal training program—one that opens the door for oceanic air-breathers to pursue more rewarding careers than trick-performing at themed amusement parks. The Valencia-based research institute is currently assessing the potential and ability for sea lions to aid in rescue.

Sea lions are well-equipped for life-saving. They possess exceptional eyesight and hearing, they can skillfully maneuver through water even in tight spaces and choppy waves, and they even can go ashore if necessary for combined land-water rescues. And to seal the deal (ha), they are highly trainable.

Some instances where a trained rescue sea lion could be invaluable are in dangerous coastal waters unsuitable for life boats, carrying life lines to vessels in extreme danger, stabilizing the line on which the rescuer descends from a helicopter, searching for sunken bodies, and recovering objects. Another big plus: sea lions have the ability to make repeated deep dives without suffering from decompression sickness (unlike humans).

This training program is a fantastic endeavour, and I'm sure any drowning person would welcome the sight of a sea lion with a lifesaver for a backpack. Just as long as they steer clear of any loose seals sporting yellow bow ties, as such an encounter could potentially be disastrous.

(Speaking of bow ties, one critical question that has not yet been addressed is what their uniforms going to look like?)

Source

Underwater Photography on Instagram: amrala

2012-07-04T21:35:00.001-04:00

One of my favourite Instagramers is a PADI Digital Underwater Photography Instructor from across the world who goes by the handle @amrala online, and Amr Abdul-Majeed in real life. A prolific underwater photographer, Amr updates hourly with beautifully-shot portraits of bizarre water-breathing creatures. Some of the stuff he throws on Instagram could grace the cover of National Geographic.

Here is a selection of my favourite photographs:

And the photographer himself:

Follow him!

Ocean Art: Time-Lapse Macro Corals

2012-06-14T22:18:00.000-04:00

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. These videos created by Ben Wiggins are apparently old, but I just discovered them today via Advanced Aquarist. Better late than never, because this is seriously some of the most gorgeous moving imagery I have ever laid eyes on.

The title sums it up—time-lapse macro footage of colourful corals. But you really have to click play and get the whole visual experience for yourself—it's meticulous, otherworldly, and hypnotizing.

The first one is my favourite because it's weird and erie, but the second one is set to a funky rendition of the Space Odyssey theme. You've got to peep them both, they will blow your mind.

Cnidarian Lifeforms

Montipora

Breaking News! Most Sharks Not Aggressive!

2012-06-13T21:21:00.001-04:00

"Don't the sharks bite?"

When I'm at work I get asked this question a lot. My response is always the same:

"No."

Today I was asked something new:

"Why not?"

The answer to that question is very simple, and I informed her that most shark species are not aggressive.

Of the 375+ species of shark that have been identified, only about a dozen of them are considered dangerous to humans. That's only 3% of all known shark species.

Most people don't know this!

Sharks are misunderstood and demonized unjustly. They're just big fish (although sometimes small) who happen to have very sharp teeth. So you don't want to attempt to hand feed a shark, but otherwise you have little to fear. If they don't like you, they'll probably just swim away. And if your aim is to befriend a shark, your feelings may get hurt, but that's probably it.

The three sharks most related to accident statistics, and the ones you won't want to encounter in the wild, are the Great White, the Tiger Shark, and the Bull Shark. Although if you are diving in open seawater, your guide should tell you about the species to watch out for.

At the exhibit we have Nurse Sharks and Bamboo Sharks. They're really not scary. This is what a nurse shark's teeth look like:

Not scary.

If you don't believe me, you might believe BuzzFeed. About a year ago they compiled a list of 20 Things That Kill More People Than Sharks Every Year. Vending machines, deer, and shopping on Black Friday are all more lethal to humans than sharks are.

Check out the full list here.

So let's all stop hating and practice appreciating.

Underwater Stop Motion by Hayley Morris

2012-05-16T20:33:00.001-04:00

Ocean Imagery: Instagram Stingrays

2012-05-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

Instagram is a great source of all kinds of photos, even ones of marine life, as I've recently discovered. Here are some of my favourites of stingrays (and one whale shark).

@elliesmartie's photo

@jaroslavmacenauer's photo

@missbrenmark's photo

@friedsalad's photo

@shankey1968's photo

@maddycovelli's photo

@maximilner's photo

@chrijat0's photo

@littlesisterfry's photo

I really wish there was a way to easily embed a selection of my Instagram likes right into my blog. Until someone develops that API, command-C and command-P are my best friends.

Ocean Art: Tele-Present Water

2012-05-12T08:47:00.000-04:00

This installation draws information from the intensity and movement of the water in a remote location. Wave data is being collected in real-time from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data buoy Station 46246 (49°59'7" N 145°5'20" W) on the Pacific Ocean. The wave intensity and frequency is scaled and transferred to the mechanical grid structure installed at The National Museum in Wroclaw, Poland. The result was a simulation of the physical effects caused by the movement of water from this distant location.

Mechanical Animal Sculptures

2012-05-11T11:02:00.000-04:00

Ann Smith, from Providence, RI, creates animal sculptures out of old electronics and machinery. What a great alternative to tossing old electronics in a landfill! Her pieces are innovative, beautiful, and anatomically true to form. I wish you could disassemble them into anatomically correct body parts and see how each animal functions physiologically. My favourites are the jellyfish and the whale.

Mechanical jellyfish

Sea turtle

Squid

Another squid, close up

Whale

Bug Memorials and Piñata Anatomy

2012-05-05T08:24:00.000-04:00

This one's unrelated to the ocean, but I like the idea behind Carmichael Collective's Bug Memorials photo series.

While a lavish mini-memorial may be a little extreme, it's not wrong to cherish the life of a bug. Life is the most precious commodity in the universe, and all of its forms deserve respect.

Another one from their web site—pinata anatomy. Now this would have been a fun dissection to do in university.

Stingray Bay Toronto Opening May 1 2012

2012-04-30T08:49:00.001-04:00

It's been a very busy week at Stingray Bay Toronto. The exhibit is opening tomorrow, an our animals just arrived on Friday. We've had some hiccups with equipment, but everything is running right on schedule.

This is how you transport stingrays from one aquarium to another!

This year we've got our usual cownose stingrays, southerns, and nurse sharks. New additions include bamboo sharks and tropical fish!

Admission is $2.50 on top of regular zoo admission, but there's really no other exhibit like it. You get to pet the stingrays and sharks, and if you'd like to buy a cup of food you can feed the stingrays too.

Zissou, our male white-spotted bamboo shark, with a green chromi (bottom right)

If you see me in the pool, feel free to ask me questions about the animals. We also have "stingray staff" stationed around the pool, who are more than happy to answer questions and show you how to properly interact with the animals.

Our visitors sometimes get too excited about the sharks and rays to pay attention to the educational materials. Regardless, I hope that everyone who passes through will gain a deeper appreciation for these misunderstood fishes, and realize they are gentle, majestic creatures, and nothing to be feared.