Dolphin movie

Eye of the Dolphin has been released on DVD. If you have not rented or bought the DVD by now you are missing out on a good dolphin movie. Thankfully it is nothing like the old Flipper series where Flipper is always rescuing someone. This has dolphins in their own world and natural. A must see if you have an afternoon you just want the escape factor for.

Snow on the beach in Oregon

A rare occurrence in Oregon is snow on the beach. Normally the sea breeze will keep the snow laden clouds inland away from the beach, but not this time. We had snow on the beach yesterday but not here in the mountains were I live - strange.

Baby dolphin in Baltimore

Baltimore has a baby dolphin and now it has a name. The baby is now 3 months old. Watch the video below to find out the name:

The power of the ocean

The video below shows the power of the ocean as the beach is eroded over the course of 8 years. I still wonder why people still want to live so close to the beach. I like the beach as much as they do but I'll live a few miles in land thank you.

The days are getting shorter

It is getting that time of year when the sun sets around here at 5pm. Fog becomes a normal part of the day if you are away from the coastal breezes. It is also a time for the Pacific Ocean to produce some dandy winter storms. High winds are often a concern in my area as they cause trees to snap and power lines to go down.

I have often thought about getting an emergency power generator especially after being without power for 3 days 2 winters ago. Our cell phones are always charged up and I have learned to keep a good supply of batteries on hand at all times. I have several hand crank flashlights and a couple of mag lights as well. You can never have too many flashlights where I live. Surefire Flashlights are a must in an emergency.

I wouldn't mind the power outages so much if it wasn't a case of not having water when the power goes out. I am on well water and the well pump runs on electricity. Yep, even though I don't live in the water I still need it to live - we all do.

The US Navy and sonar

Of course you have heard by now that the US Navy is allowed to continue using sonar in the area off the California coastline. It has been proven that the use of sonar can damage and even kill whales. Sound waves are amplified in water much more so than in air so the sound to whales emitted by the Navy's sonar is deafening to them.

Shopping for new binoculars

I have been using an old pair of binoculars for years now. For whale watching from the coastline they are not a pair that I would choose for doing it. My old camcorder has a better zoom feature on it to allow me to get up close and personal. I have been looking around for a new pair and I think that I might have found a line of binoculars that I like - the NIKON line. The one I have pictured above is their Ocean Pro which they claim is made just for using in an marine environment. I quite frankly never had a problem with the old pair I am using around the water. What NIKON is offering is Free ATB Pro Gear when you purchase a pair of binoculars from them. It is something I'll have to think about since I am also looking for a more powerful zooming feature than what I currently have.

In celebration of Halloween....

Since today is Halloween I thought I would share with you a scary picture. This is how much of our un-recycled garbage ends up - in the water. It is true that there are land fills over over the world to deal with household garbage but this (the picture above) is what happens after a rain storm, when carelessly thrown away plastic bottles and other trash flow down drains, streams, rivers and and man made canals to the ocean.

Sea World in San Diego to get new whale

Sea World has applied for a permit to import a Pilot Whale from the Lisbon Zoo. The Lisbon Zoo is the world's largest zoo and has fantastic facilities. I imagine that the whale in question would be located in a smaller tank in California. The permit details are below.

Sea turtles in Mexico

It is that time of year again when the sea turtles migrate to the shores of Mexico to lay eggs. Video below

Lion fish invade the Atlantic

I have been hearing stories about the Lion fish present in the off shore areas of the Caribbean and Florida for years. One person reported to have seen a Lion fish in the area over 15 years ago. The Lion fish is not native to the area. There are theories of people dumping their pet fish and or the fish simply migrated over the years. What ever the case it looks like they are there to stay.

Over 100,000+ fish found dead in Maryland

The video news story is below about a massive fish kill in Maryland.

India bashed by France on pollution issue

Global warming has gotten many of the world's countries up in arms. India is one of the world's worse polluters along with China. read the news article below how it is suggested that India change it's ways.

New Manta Ray in Georgia aquarium

The Georgia Aquarium now has a new exhibit, Nandi the Manta Ray. Nandi was rescued from a net off of South Africa and has been nursed to health. The video of this beautiful animal is below.

Baby whale will be killed in Austrailia

The baby whale that adopted a yacht as it's mother will be killed according to the news story below. Sad news indeed.

Another oil tanker spill

The Mississippi River has been closed down from New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico due to an oil tanker collision. Roughly 400,000 barrels of oil have spilled into the Mississippi so far. The local wildlife rescues are expecting a lot of work ahead with clean up of the shore birds as well as possible sea mammal rescue. The coast guard has set up inflatable barriers to prevent the oil from spreading.

The loggerhead sea turtle

The loggerhead sea turtle is found on the east coast of the USA from the Carolina's to Florida. It is an endangered species. I would love to take a trip to the east coast of the USA just to see first hand these creatures come up on shore to lay their eggs each year. There is a large undisturbed barrier island off the shore of North Carolina that is home to the loggerhead turtle, it is called Masonboro Island. The island is accessible by boat only and is located just off the southern tip of Wrightsville Beach.

If I ever get the money together to go to the east coast that island will be on my agenda. If I really liked the area, who knows, I might drop in on a local Wrightsville Beach real estate agent and ask about a small cottage near the beach. I am the type of person that falls in love with the areas that I visit and always want to live there until I find another place to fall in love with.

2 massive oil tankers collide causing huge oil spill

Oil tanker accidents are not limited to the USA, they have them in south America too. The article below states that 2 oil tankers colided with each other while trying to avoid a 3rd ship. I hate to say this but how in the heck did they manage to screw up that? Oil tankers are not known for speed. They are lumbering giants. When did the 2 tanks know that they were even getting cloase to each other - a week before? Of course now the wildlife has to suffer because of it.

All the pretty fish

It is time I wrote a mellow blog post about fish instead of standing on my usual soap box about Global Warming. I am not against having aquarium saltwater fish or fresh water fish as pets. It is sometimes the only way people can get a first hand appreciation of our water world, by caring and understanding wildlife first hand. I am against depleting our world's fish population by catching wild fish and putting them for sale as pets. I am on the other hand all for any Saltwater Fish Store that gets it's stock from a commercial or hobbyist fish breeder.

If you are considering adding fish to your marine aquarium and consider yourself a ecology advocate then I strongly suggest you ask the supplier of your fish or Live coral where they acquired them. If you find out that they also are pro-ecology just as you are then my guess is that you will spread a positive word about how they are doing something good about the environment. If on the other hand they are simply raping the environment to line their own pockets I bet they won't be in business very long.

Some people just don't get it

I was talking to an acquaintance a few days ago when she happened to make the statement of "helping the environment is a matter of choice", she then added "if I want to recycle or not, that is up to me and no one is going to tell me otherwise".

I just shook my head and did not have an answer to her statement simply because arguing with people with a mind set like that is like beat your head against a brick wall, it doesn't help the matter and it only makes you feel worse.

When will people like that wake up and smell the Earth dying? When will she realize that her very existence depends on her steps to recycle, preserve and waste less. Only a few hours before that conversation she was talking about the "crazy weather" and how the drought in California and the floods in the mid-west will affect the price of food in the coming months.

I am slowly coming to realize that the great majority of people in this world are only concerned about getting from one week to the next without losing a place to live or having enough to eat rather than thinking about the ultimate place to live - our Earth.

Coral reefs are now dying

The evidence is clear, the world's coral reefs are dying. The news video is below, watch it and weep.

North Pole to completely melt this summer (2008)

This news is an historic first. Everyone that cares about our planet and the affects of Global warming should watch the video below:

Tropical Marine Life

Interesting video found at YouTube.

Say no to new off shore drilling

I have got to hand it to the politicians, they not only want the support of the general public opinion but they are also in the back pocket of the oil companies. Bush and McCain both wanting to lift the ban on new off shore oil drilling and exploration are nothing more than bids for votes. I wonder which oil company owns which politician?

Let's get the facts straight first, shall we? The USA imports only 10% of it's oil. The great majority comes from Canada, while the next supply comes from Venezuela, with about 1% coming from OPEC countries. I wonder why those facts are not more widely known by the American public? I know, because the oil companies don't want you to know.

Next, the price of gasoline is governed largely by supply and demand. As long as we are willing to pay for the current asking price of a gallon of fuel the price will stay high. Once the demand goes down, so will the price. Now you have to keep in mind that the USA is not the largest consumer of oil but China is. The second largest consumer is India. Once our consumption of oil decreases the oil companies can then supply other countries with oil. The USA would then become a supplier instead of a consumer. So much for the lesson in economics today.

Now to the ecology stand. I wonder if everyone has forgotten about this little subject of Global Warming? Do I need to go and slap someone up the side of the head and say "knock it off with the oil production and consumption"? China is so polluted right now because of industrialization it makes me want to puke. We as a human community on the face of this Earth have to learn to do without fossil fuels. With the prospect of new oil drilling that might take the pressure off of car companies and government to find alternate non-polluting fuels. Can we live with more flooding, extreme temperature and climate changes due to our zeal in consuming oil? Give it a break people, learn to do without for once.

Charlie the tuna, filleted!!!!

I just about fell off my chair when I read about that lovable tuna mascot, Charlie the tuna. Someone stole a statue of him and cut it up! The story made the national news!!! The full story is here

Salt water aquariums

As you know I have always had a fond spot for salt water aquarium fish. I personally have never had a salt water aquarium although I had been tempted at one time to raise dwarf seahorses. My main reason behind not having a marine aquarium was the fact that most of the exotics were either too pricey or not available in a local store. I have also had a long standing fight with myself about how the marine life was captured or tank raised for the pet industry.

Marine aquariums do take more than the average amount of aquarium care compared to the fresh water tanks I use to keep. The most demanding fresh water fish that I raised was the pond full of Koi I had in my teens. They stayed with my parents when I left home. My father was so thrilled when they were breeding like crazy. To him that meant the Koi had the perfect environment.

Salt Water Fish can and do make a wonderful addition to the home that has someone that can devote the time and care that they need. They will require the best of filtering for the salt water and you will need to check the ph balance of the water often. I have heard from friends that live coral can be tricky to raise but you can pat yourself on the back when they thrive in your care.

My favorite as I said is the Seahorse and they are very picky eaters that require just the right size of live food. They eat brine shrimp that would need to be raised as well as the fish themselves. So you can see how have a salt water aquarium can become very labor intensive, but the fish are so beautiful.

Tuna fishing companies go netless

The price of saving our seas is in the hands of the consumer.

Major studies just out have documented a red flag for our marine environment. Marine biologists now estimate that the world's population of fish in the ocean is roughly 20% of what there was about 50 years ago. That's a drop of 80%!!!! They blame the fishing methods of the world's commercial fishing fleets, mostly the ones out of Japan that use the "drag net" method of fishing. The "drag net" simply lays on the bottom of the ocean floor and is dragged to fill it. Any and all sea life that is on the ocean floor is either crushed or scooped up. About 75% to 90% of the catch is not edible and has either died or dying and will be disposed of by throwing overboard or ? Japan is doing this because tuna is a prized fish needed for their sushi. The biologists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium estimate that the average tuna 200lb tuna is worth close to $100,000 on the Japanese sushi market.

The fishing methods have to be changed. This has to be done in order for the sea life to thrive before they are all extinct. There are several tuna fishing companies that now fish using the good old hook and bait method. Yes the price is higher for a can of albacore tuna but not by much. The consumer will have to change their buying habits in order to push the fishing industry to change it's ways. The most successful way to change something is to refuse to buy what is being offered - money talks. The great majority of the world's current problems were brought about by people trying to sell something to someone else, even if that something was bad for the environment.

Here is the website of one of the bait and hook tuna fishing companies
Pacific Fleet

Just for whale watchers

Each spring and early summer I try to make an effort to go whale watching from the shore of the Oregon coast. The past 3 spring trips I have also been fortunate enough to be invited on board one of the many research vessels in the area to view the whales up close. None of those trips have produced a whale sighting! I have actually had better luck with my binoculars sighting whales from the shoreline.

Oregon has some fantastic coastal parks and recreation areas that have numerous whale watching platforms. Many marine biologists offer to man those platforms as guides to people coming out to the coast to catch a glimpse of the whale migration. The service they provide is invaluable.

Now I only wish the weather would get better for my trip. The forecast for the next 4 days is nothing but rain.

The weather has been damp in the northwest

Rain, rain and more rain, so is the story of the northwest coast of the USA. It is June already and I think I have only seen one day of clear blue sky in the last 10 days. Even the Memorial Day weekend was cold and rainy. I had to delay a trip to the coast because of the weather last weekend and I have been itching to go for months now. I had been hoping to catch some of the whale migration off the coast.

Planning ahead

If you have ever been out on the ocean in a small craft then you know the importance of boating navigation. It is no laughing matter to get out on the ocean without a depth finder or communication to the mainland. I should know, the boat I was in had just narrowly missed hitting a reef that was only 5 feet below the surface but with the small swells the reef came within inches of slicing the boat open. This happened several years ago when I was a teen and I will never forget the panicked look on my uncles' face. Ever since then I have been a big fan of electronic gizmo's for marine use. Whenever I climb aboard a boat I am always asking if there is a depth finder on board along with the mandatory life jackets.

Update on Sea Lion deaths at Bonneville Dam

Last week 6 Sea Lions were found dead in a trap floating near the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River. It was reported that they were shot. An autopsy was performed and the results were found that they all died of heat exhaustion. It was not determined how the door on the large floating trap got closed to prevent the Sea Lions from going back into the water. The traps were designed to be manually closed when trapping the animals. The investigation into their deaths is continuing and all trapping of Sea Lions has been suspended. The news story can be found here with a news video.

Sea lions shot

6 Stellar Sea Lions have been found dead. They were shot near the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River that is the border of Washington and Oregon. As you may recall there was an order to remove(at the time they were to be caught and killed)the Sea Lions from the area because it was thought that they were contributing to the decline in salmon numbers. I hardly think that 60 Sea Lions would be the cause for the entire decline of the total salmon numbers on the west coast of the USA When the order came out there was an immediate law suit and stop order to the action by the American Humane Society(good for them). The Sea Lions were then to be caught and relocated to various zoos and other captive areas around the world.

The 6 Sea Lions were found today around noon by the mammal marine biologist working the relocation effort. The Sea Lions were shot in the capture cages on the floating barges set up to catch them. The local authorities are treating the area as a crime scene. They are currently looking into how to remove the bodies to do further exams.

Ice shelf has broken off

I am sure by now you have seen or heard about this. If you haven't then a video is below of the event.

Dolphin dies while performing at Sea World - Florida

A dolphin has died of as a result of a mid-air collision while performing a "trick" at Sea World on Saturday April 26, 2008. Sharky and Tyler both collided and Sharky died as a result. Tyler appears to be OK and was checked out by Sea World's vet. A full video of the news can be found here.

A Harp Seal's Birth and Growth

Amazing video of a live birth

Summer camp

My younger sister still lives with my parents and mom recently asked her if she wanted to do anything special this coming summer. She is very much like me. We both enjoy wildlife and she is the artist in the family so when she goes on vacation she takes her sketch book with her. Both mom and I thought she might pick a summer camp this year since mom and dad have a bit more money to spend now that my college tuition is paid for. She told mom that she was not interested in the team sports camps like she was in years past but wanted to still wanted to stay active. She saw several interesting types of summer camps on a local TV show a few weeks back. The one that piqued her interest was a surfing summer camp.

When my mom told me about my little sister wanting to learn how to surf and go to camp I must have had a look of envy on my face. My mom knew right away that it would have been something that I would have loved when I was younger. I don't even think that they had surfing summer camps for kids just 8 years ago otherwise I would have found out and bugged the heck out of my parents to send me. If my sister ends up going to surfing camp she has to promise me to take photos so I can put them on this blog.

Rare shark flimed

Interesting rare type of shark caught on film. When you watch the video, the shark looks very much like the mythical Chinese dragons of legends. Since the location of the shark is close to the Asian continent I wonder if that is where people got the idea of the dragon. I am coming to realize that many of the so called myths of the sea are based in fact and are just twisted slightly to enhance a story.

At the beach

I had a rare opportunity to head to the coast earlier today. I will be here for Saturday then head back home on Sunday. The weather is fantastic. It is the warmest it has been so far this year. We should have at least 2 more days of sunny weather before the rain storms start rolling in from the Pacific ocean. There is this really nice area of tide pools that I like to visit just south of Newport, Oregon. I'll have to visit them tomorrow since I just missed low tide. While I was out I happen to see a few surfers braving the waves in their wetsuits. I also saw something I had not seen before, they had their surfboards in surfboard bags. I had always seen surfboards arrive on the top of a car or in the back bed of a pick-up truck. This was the first time I had ever seen them in bags. I had not priced surfboards lately but considering that everything else has gone up in price so has the surfboard. They were just protecting their surfboard investment! I had better get some rest now since I am planning a busy day tomorrow.

The power of a shark

These are powerful fish.

Photography

I have mentioned that I am looking for a new digital camera to replace one that broke. I have been taking photos since I was about 10 years old and soon became the family photographer. Around the age of 15 I started to take more "artistic" types of photos, experimenting with light and angles. Over the years I have entered a few photography contests and have gotten as high as honorable mention but never placed. For me I thought that it was quite an accomplishment. At first the photos were of the family cat but soon progressed to landscapes with seascapes becoming my favorite.

I have several books on the subject but since technology is always out pacing the books I look for more current info. I have found a Digital Photography Forum where I can find out more information about using digital cameras. The same website also has a Photography Forum for general information. I have definitely bookmarked the website and plan on visiting it often.

I have better get my act together and decide on which digital camera to get so I can head out to the coast to watch the whale migration.

Ancient forest emerges from surf

There is an usual occurrence going on right now on the Oregon coast. An ancient forest that once grew far inland is being exposed by the surf. The once great forest is now located beneath the ocean on the coast and will rarely show the now petrified stumps above the surf. Known as the "ghost forest" it is a local attraction when it can been seen. You can find out more info and a video from this local news station reporting it.

Rare seahorses found in England

The Thames River is now hosting seahorses! This small miracle means that the river is now cleaner than it has been in decades. You can read more about it on the BBC news page found here.

Swimming with dolphins

I am always fascinated by the intelligence of dolphins. They have been depicted as mellow sea mammals with loving attitudes, how wrong can the media be about that! Flipper is the one that comes to mind when most older adults think of dolphins. A Lassie with fins!

The dolphin is a complex mammal with a vicious attitude about sex. They play it rough and will often leave scars on their mate. They are a strong muscled mammal and it amazes me that people on vacation would even want to go swimming with these creatures. It is not just a matter of putting on your one piece swimwear and taking a dip in the pool. There have been countless accounts of "tame" (and I use the word loosely) dolphins attacking humans in swim pools.

All of this does not take into account of how badly the captive dolphin is treated by it's caregivers. Some have extremely small pools and inadequate nutrition. If that wasn't enough to put a dolphin into a bad mood then just put a human on vacation in the same pool and see what happens.

Pygmy Seahorses

Fasinating video

History has shown that humans are mostly to blame for the extinction of sea animals

Yet more proof of man hunting and killing for sport.

Sea Lions to be murdered

The Feds have OK'd a plan to kill up to 85 Sea Lions in the Columbia River bordering Washington and Oregon. The fishermen have been hounding the government for years to do this. The Feds it looks like have given in to the special interests yet again. What ever happened to the Marine Mammal Protection Act? Just last year a fisherman in California was charged with violating the Act when he stabbed a Sea Lion with a knife when the Sea Lion took some bait.

The Sea Lion hunts to eat and live where as humans fish for sport. The fish in question is not salmon but the steelhead that is making it's annual run at this time. Just last week a co-worker boasted to me about how he caught 5 steelhead that morning out on his drift boat. He didn't need to fish for food, the man makes 3 times what I earn and could shop at the grocery store for his dinner. He fished for the "sport" of it. Not only did he catch the fish but in his actions he did not allow them to breed first. Now who is the real cause of the declining steelhead population? Certainly not the Sea Lion.

The ocean's gems, pearls

Pearls are considered a gem even though they are produced by a live animal. Most people are aware of how a pearl is formed. A tiny speck of sand or grit finds its way into the oyster. The oyster has a need to protect it's soft body so it covers the speck with layers and layers of the shell type substance that lines it's shell. Soon the speck is no longer a sharp piece of grit but another part of the oyster's shell.

Humans, in a effort to speed up the process of the pearl production will often put a plastic bead into the oyster's shell in order to encourage the oyster to put layers on the bead. The pearl's value is based on how many layers of oyster shell it has around the speck. The more layers the higher the price. Also the color of the pearl can vary from black (which are often dyed) to pure white.

The more highly valued pearls are natural pearls, not cultured. For more information on pearl culture go to the "pearl basics" page at this website that sells Pearls.

Here is a look at how human activity has affected the Earth

Watch this interesting video and see how our activites has effected the Earth.

Oyster facts

The common oyster is a member of the mollusk family. It can be found in both marine environments as well as brackish waters. Brackish water, for those of you unfamiliar with the term is water that is partly fresh water and partly salt water. Brackish water is most commonly found at the mouths of rivers entering into the ocean.

Oysters have been harvested and eaten since prehistoric times. If a population lived close enough to the coast line then they probably ate oysters at some point in their local history. Since the water that the present day oyster lives in has become polluted there are concerns about the health and safety of those that eat the oyster. There is a very informative website that has educational information about the oyster industry. It is at Gulf oysters. For those of you needing oyster recipes they have them there too. I was particularly interested in the “Oyster Cornbread Dressing”

Getting ready for water sports

I swear, I have got to get some rest and get away from this computer. I am finding more and more water sport sites and items that I would love to have on my next diving trip. I found a wakeboard website that sells a really nice selection of wet and dry suits. The same site also had an interesting section on instructional DVDs on how to ride a wakeboard. I might try wakeboarding this summer. A friend of mine has been bugging me to go with him next time he goes. Frankly I feel more comfortable underwater than on top of it. My parents use to call me the family "fish" when I was on the swim team. Now I have to get some rest and get off of this computer - at least for a few hours.

Diving around the world

Being injured gives me some time to surf – the internet, that is. Finding some interesting ecology items and just plain wishful thinking on my part. For example I have wanted to go to several places to deep sea dive but funds have been hard to come by so I dream. Here are some of the places I would love to go diving:

Hawaii, need I say more about this place? Warm water and tropical fish. When I was very young my family and I use to live there. I have been to Pango Pango when I was in my late teens and that is another place I would love to revisit.

Alaska for a cold water dive. Something intrigues me about that place.

The Great Barrier Reef off of north Australia. A few of my cousins have been there and they tell me it is fantastic. I have been to Western Australia and the coast line is clean but windy at times.
The Mediterranean. I have never been to Europe and the history that abounds in the area would be a great addition to the dive.

Egypt. In fact I came across a Dahab, Egypt dive guide that was interesting.

In fact the website that has the Egypt dive guide is a blog run by divers. The blog is called Dive Guide Book. They actually go out on dives and map the underwater areas for other divers. They have many other dive guides like Caribbean Dive sites. If you are planning on a diving vacation this is a blog you should check out.

Treating my injuries

I am going to have to postpone my trip to the ocean for at least another 2 weeks. I was hoping to go whale watching since early spring is the best time on the west coast of the USA. I had a slight accident and hyper extended my leg. Oddly enough my doctor suggested water therapy but since my pool is not heated to the point of comfortable this time of year I guess that is out. Instead I have been going to physical therapy and I was prescribed an TENS machine. It attaches to my inner thigh and with electrodes, stimulates the muscles. It has an interesting, tingling feeling. The therapist also said some people use the machine to tighten muscles as a way to lose weight. The accident also gave me a wake up call that I need to be in better shape to do some diving later this season. When I was at the doctor I was worried about my general physical health and he said at everything else was good and that I didn't need a blood pressure monitor for now.

I guess it gives me more time to spend on this blog now.

New sea otter study

Sea otters don't always eat the same thing. They are very adaptable. Aren't most animals adaptable? Interesting article.

Flushing the Grand Canyon

To help the fish in the Grand Canyon the river is flooded by the government. Watch the video and learn more about it.

STOLEN - Guard your equipment

I was out a local lake to practice diving. All went very well, to a point. I had my wet suit and full scuba gear with me. The tank was new and worked great. I even got a new full face mask. I was practicing counting of fish since the local fish and game ask for volunteers to count fish in the local rivers. The area that I was doing my work was remote or so I thought. The only other person in the area was in a boat out on the lake and I had a small row boat that I had taken to a remote shore line. At one point of my dive I came up to take a break and noticed that a fish depth finder I had with me was gone. The only person that could of taken it was the other boater which had now disappeared. As soon as I got back I reported the incident to the local forest ranger's office. I will be checking my homeowners insurance policy to see if the depth finder was covered. I already checked my auto insurance, since I tow the boat with it car, and it might be covered under that policy instead. I guess I am lucky I had auto and not Motorcycle Insurance. Let's hope I am not completely out of the $300.00 depth finder.

Six legged octopus

Interesting find of an octopus with only six legs. I would assume that the researchers have ruled out the possibility that the octopus had not had the legs removed by a predator.

My trip to the coast

I have made several trips to the Oregon coastline to document the tide pools found near Newport. During my trips I have found a real need for the right type of outdoor wear. I typically travel to the coast during the late winter and early spring when the storms are just coming onshore. My last trip was a few weeks ago and I had an unfortunate accident, my digital camera got broken. The knob that you turn to select the mode snapped off. I really didn't mind that much since the camera was over 8 years old and was only 1.5 mega pixels. It now gives me a chance to up grade to a better camera.

I will be returning to the coast in the next few weeks. This time I will be documenting the different variations of starfish found in the tide pools. The data and resulting report will be part of a learning presentation that I will be doing at a local school. Along with the presentation the children will see an except of the movie "Jaws" and another person will be answering questions about sharks.

Now I am off to find some office supplies at Office Depot, Staples or Quill because I need some items for the presentation.

Alarming news

Experts expect the Arctic polar cap to disappear this summer (2008). This is drastic news. The full article is below.

Oysters

Apart from the fact that pearls comes from oysters and they taste great not many people know much about them. They are grown commercially for their meat as well as the cultured pearls the produce. Since they are in no danger of becoming an endangered species soon - unless the global climate dramatically changes and that would affect more than just oysters. That reminds me of an oyster joke:

One oyster was showing off it's pearl to another oyster. The larger oyster claimed to have the bigger pearl. An argument ensued. Soon they were fighting. The other oysters near them remarked "they're at it again, they are always fighting in bed"

Oysters do carry dangerous organisms and can be a health risk if eaten raw.

Fish are dying because the water is too cold

We are all worry about global warming and now we are hearing that certain parts of the oceans are getting too cold. Too cold for some fish to survive. Watch the video.

Military sonar hurts whales

Did you ever think about how whales and dolphins hear? They are very sensitive to underwater noises. The US Navy often does sonar practise off the west coast of the USA. The practise of using sonar is now thought to cause the sea mammals to have hearing damage. More in the article below.

Horseshoe crab’s blue blood

Did you know that the Horseshoe crab had blue blood? Did you also know that the blood is used in medicines? Pharmaceutical companies have been using Horseshoe crab blood in the making of medicines for years now. They remove the blood the same way human blood is removed – with a needle and syringe

Edinburgh, Scotland, gateway to the North Sea

Edinburgh, Scotland is known for its castles, green countryside and noted for being photographed in many movies such as Harry Potter. Located on the North Sea it is also known for its access to the ocean and many ocean studies. Leigh is the port of Edinburgh and they were officially merged together in 1920. Leigh port is the home of the Royal Yacht Britannia as well as most of the major ocean cruise lines.

The University of Edinburgh has on going research into the world’s ice sheets. They also have done extensive climate studies with the world’s oceans as their model. One of the major staff personas at Edinburgh University is Dr. Tim Malthus. His fields of expertise are remote sensing; freshwater systems. Remote sensing for quantitative applications; high spectral resolution remote sensing; remote sensing of aquatic systems with emphasis on algal and macrophytic vegetation. Change detection in semi-natural vegetation. Remote sensing of leaks from aqueducts and applications of high spatial resolution remote sensing.

The Port has many local cruises available where you can cruise under the famous Forth Bridges to beautiful Inchcolm Island, the 'Iona of the East', with its historic abbey. You'll see seals and many seabirds including puffins, gannets, guillemots and terns.

For more information on the city of Edinburgh go to the following sites: Wikipedia, City of Edinburgh and the Edinburgh tourist page.

Global warming, one effect

Did you know that scientists are predicting the disappearance of Polar Bears in 10 years? The shrinking of the vast northern polar cap is making life hard for the Polar Bears. You can read more about it here.

Rise in home aquariums boost illegal fish trade

The hobby of keeping aquarium fish has been a boom to the illegal fish trade, Read the article -

Suicide over Korean oil spill

Care of your saltwater aquarium

Saltwater fish can be a bit tricky to properly care for. With the right information you can have a beautiful small replica of the ocean. The book Saltwater Reefs 101 contains just what you are looking for - information and an easy to understand guide.

Seahorses their care and conditions

I have always been fascinated by Seahorses. When I was little I wanted one as a pet. I have studied them and since I am now much older and wiser I am glad that I did not get a Seahorse as a pet. With my inept childhood care the poor thing would have not lasted very long. They need almost precise conditions to live and thrive in captivity. Getting them to eat is one of the hardest things for a Seahorse pet owner to accomplish. The Seahorse has to have it's live food be at the right size for it to eat. Too small and they are not interested in it, too big and they can't eat it.