Humpback Whales

HUMPBACK WHALES BY MATIAS TOTZ
                  Scar from Orca attack
              Humpback whales are one of the largest baleen whales in existence and can grow up to 12-16m in length and weigh about 80,000 lbs. You may be wondering how these giant beasts can grow up to be so huge without having teeth to eat large prey? Well, baleen is very useful when you want to eat large schools of krill and small fish. The humpback whale will open its mouth and thousands of krill and small fish will get stuck in its baleen. The humpback will then close its mouth and use its tongue to pull out the animals stuck in its baleen so it can swallow them. Pleated grooves located inside the whale's mouth help drain the water initially taken in, filtering out the prey. You may hear that humpback whales are almost extinct, which is partially true because they were once hunted to the brink of  extinction. Its population fell almost 90% before a 1966 moratorium on hunting them. They have recovered since then but fishing nets, ships and noise pollution continue to impact the worldwide population of about 80,000 humpbacks. Orcas are also known for hunting small juvenile humpback whales which explain the giant scars sometimes found on their bodies. Humpback whales are fascinating creatures and we have so much more to learn from them like why they sing.

                                                                 Baleen

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humpback_whale

Turtles

LOGGERHEAD TURTLES BY MATIAS TOTZ



     During my travels in Greece, I had the chance to learn about the Loggerhead Turtles who are currently endangered but are slowly making a comeback due to a lot of human effort. I was very lucky because I was able to see these magnificent creatures at night when I slept overnight on a beach in Kyparissia, the second largest breeding area for loggerheads. At first glance, these turtles look like giant boulders but once you get close enough you are able to make out a head and tail. I was blown away at how humongous these creatures are!! The ones I saw were about 70 cm long, but they can grow up to about 95cm and 450 lbs!!!!

    Now you might be wondering how these giants could possibly be extinct in a few years? Well as you might be able to tell, these guys are almost invincible once they reach their adult stage but when they are in their youth stage many things can go wrong. First of all, many turtles die when they are first born if they hatch in the first place. Almost anything will eat these delightful egg snacks, including crabs such as ghost crabs, dogs, birds like owls, flies, and even ants. Then after they hatch they start running for their lives to make it into the not-so-safe ocean. While they run to the ocean, birds, and crabs will pick them off one by one. If there are any bright lights near the turtle nest like a restaurant light, the baby turtles may run towards the bright lights thinking it is the sun instead of running the right direction into the ocean.

      Their intriguing lives begin when they reach the depths of the ocean. But it only gets tougher in here because these guys can get stuck in fishing nets, illegally captured for pets, mauled to death by sharks, eaten alive by diseases, and maybe a few will drown (as did almost four thousand humans this year!). If they somehow manage to survive the horrors of the ocean they will be able to lay their eggs when the whole cycle starts again. To help increase the chance of the turtles surviving after they hatch, a  group of university students called ARCHELON put up protective cages around each and every nest. They place bamboo sticks on the borders of a nest and put a metal fence over the top so that nothing can dig up and eat the eggs. Due to efforts such as this, the loggerhead turtles are slowly but surely increasing their population size over the years and hopefully will soon be off the endangered list.


Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loggerhead_sea_turtle

Octopus Fun

GIANT PACIFIC OCTOPUS

By Matias Totz

Background Info
At the aquarium I volunteer at, one of the biggest tourist attractions is our Giant Pacific Octopus! I have been fascinated by these creatures for so long and now I get to see one every week. I took some time to research these magnificent creatures. Apparently, the giant pacific octopus is the biggest species of octopus in the world and they live in the North Pacific ocean, in the intertidal zone about 6,600 feet below sea level! These little guys are not so little and can have an arm span of about 14 feet and can weigh about 30 pounds! I also learned that you can’t call an octopus’s arm a tentacle because it is actually an arm. They have a total of eight arms and have a beak in the center of their arms that contains a radula. A radula is toothed tongue and it is quite commonly seen in marine animals. Probably the coolest thing I learned about the octopus is that it has its stomach in its head! The mantle contains most of the major organs including the stomach, the hearts, the brain, and anus! Sadly my aquarium can only keep one octopus for about eight months at a time because these animals only can live up to 3-5 years old.
Diet
I always wondered what an octopus’ diet looked like, so I looked it up. Octopus eat shrimp, crabs, abalone, scallop, clams, lobster and fish. The octopus captures its prey by using its tentacles which are lined with suckers, and then bites into its prey with its beak. Some shark species have also been found inside this octopus! Maybe that’s where my missing dog went…

Fun Facts
I learned a ton of things from these creatures and maybe you can learn a few things about them too! They have blue blood to survive in the deep ocean. The blood contains a copper called hemocyanin, which makes their blood blue. The copper is more efficient at transporting oxygen when water temperature is very low and not as much oxygen is around. This octopus also has three hearts. Two of which are branchial hearts which each pump blood to one of the gills. The third heart pumps blood through the whole body. I don’t think these guys need to worry about getting a heart attack! This octopus can fit through small holes because they have no bones. A 600-pound octopus can squeeze through a quarter-sized tube! Do I even need my bones? I think the first super human should have rubber bones so they can squeeze through small cracks and holes too!  

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNvMgGpGrrs
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus

Salmon Fun

CHINOOK SALMON

By Matias Totz

Basic Info

Chinook Salmon are the largest of Pacific salmon and can grow up to be around 24-36 inches and around 10-50 pounds. At the aquarium, the Chinook salmon only get to be around 15 cm before we release them. Chinook salmon have black spots on their tail and the upper half of its body which helps us tell it from other types of salmon. These salmon spend one to eight years in the ocean before returning to their home river to spawn. Chinook salmon have massive changes before the spawning period. Both males and females will lose their silvery blue colour and their colour darkens. The males will develop sharp frontal teeth and their jaws curve or hook.  The female will stay and guard her eggs for 25 days before she will die and the males will go off to seek another female. Chinook salmon eat zooplankton, larval, and adult invertebrates while in the river, but in the ocean, salmon will eat smaller fish such as herring and krill. Many animals love to eat salmon such as other fish, members of their own species, snakes, birds, whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, bears and of course humans! I like Chinook salmon better than any other type of salmon because of how scary they get to be. Imagine swimming in a pool with these guys!⇢
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salmon

Hermit Crab Fun

HERMIT CRABS

By Matias Totz

Basic Info
I have always wanted to know more about these little creatures, the ones that will come out and pinch you if you grab their shell.  Most crabs will run away when you come near them and on occasion some will pinch you but only when you get too close, but hermit crabs are territorial and will fight over shells. They don’t make their shells but they find shells that they can fit into. A hermit crab has an exoskeleton that only covers their head and thorax which is why they stick the rest of their squishy body in a shell. They can be found on land and in the sea but you will have to look for them on land because they will most likely be hidden in a shell. These little guys eat decaying plants and animals and some of them can even filter feed. Sharks, fish, birds, octopus, and squid are known for eating these guys. Hermit crabs are by far my favorite type of crab because of how cool they can look. Some hermit crabs prefer a tiny shell while others prefer large shells. If I was a hermit crab I would want a big shell so the children and birds couldn’t get to me. Some hermit crabs even use the sponge instead of a shell!
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermit_crab