Starstruck

So you work for the Monterey Bay Aquarium and you're walking across the street in front of the main entrance. Suddenly, out of the blue, you're whacked on the head -- hard. You reach up to touch the tender spot and your hair is wet, but not with blood.

You look around. There's no one nearby. What gives?

Turns out that Nanci Hubby, whose company CAD Carmel assists us with exhibit design projects, was starstruck. Literally.

In her case, the star was an ochre sea star (Pisaster ochraceus) that fell from the sky, dropped by a passing seagull that bit off more than it could swallow.

The good news? Nanci's head broke the sea star's fall and it survived. (Both the star, and Nanci's skull.) Neither she nor the sea star seem any worse for the experience.

Nanci and co-worker Debbie Raquenio, who was with her at the time, hustled the star into the care of our Husbandry staff, who returned it to the ocean off the back deck of the aquarium, in our Great Tide Pool. At last report, it was still there, safe from seagulls -- for the moment.

One lucky star.

Comments

[DDeden]

a crab would be fab!
we'd do lunch...

[AC Smith]

Seafood keeps falling
From the sky
If I get tuna-smacked
I just might die

No lie
Tuna-smacked
Could die

So I hope anchovies
Maybe brine shrimp
No blowfish

Will fall on meeeeee
It's a danger
Can't you seeeee....

[Jason R]

Had this happen to me once, only it was a mullet dropped by an osprey onto the car next to me. BAM! Fish falling from out of the blue.