Sea Notes

Another Baby Otter on Board!

For the second time ever, a rescued sea otter pup has gone on exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. She is 16 weeks old and weighs just over 17 pounds, but growing by the day! You can see her with her companion, Joy, in our sea otter exhibit or on our live web cam.

Sick and Stranded

The young female was found stranded on Morro Strand State Beach, San Luis Obispo County on June 30. She was picked up by staff from the California Department of Fish and Game and the Marine Mammal Center, and transported to the Aquarium's Sea Otter Research and Conservation (SORAC) program for assessment and care.

On arrival, she was examined by aquarium staff veterinarian Dr. Mike Murray, who saw she was dehydrated and malnourished. Sea otter mothers usually wean their pups around six to seven months of age. Aquarium staff believes this pup was prematurely weaned from her mother in the wild.

Dr. Murray also suspected acanthocephalan peritonitis, a condition caused by eating sand crabs infested with thorny-headed worms. Sand crabs are a likely prey item for a young animal that strands near the sandy seafloor habitat, where this pup was found. In young or weakened animals, the worms can migrate through the intestinal wall and cause an often-fatal infection.

Proceed with Caution

Tests confirmed peritonitis and she is receiving ongoing treatment, including antibiotics and a de-wormer (much like you'd give your dog!) delivered via frozen clam cubes - a little trick invented by our staff. Yum! 

According to Andrew Johnson, manager of the SORAC program, because of her medical condition, she faces a long period of treatment and care and is not a candidate for return to the wild. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has authorized the aquarium to manage the pup in the sea otter exhibit.

What's in a name?

The pup is currently known as 502. This is her intake number into our SORAC program, which has been sequentially numbering stranded sea otters brought to the Aquarium since 1984. As you can see, that's over 500 animals, with many returned successfully to the wild.

Given her ongoing medical condition, she will continue to be called 502. It may seem odd to us, but much like a pet, animals don't know a name from a number and she will be indifferent! Once she's fully rehabilitated, we can determine the best permanent home for her, either with us or another accredited facility, and she'll receive an appropriate name.

Growing Pains

At just four months old, 502 has a lot of learning to do, including essential otter skills like foraging, grooming, diving and cracking clams. Fortunately, she’ll have a good teacher. Among our Aquarium otters, Joy is a veritable super-mom.

“Joy is 12 years old and has raised 12 pups – more than any other surrogate in our program,” says Chris DeAngelo, associate curator of mammals. “Her calm presence and nurturing maternal instincts should be just what this young animal needs to move forward.”

Though not officially in a surrogate mother role on this occasion, Joy has plenty of skills to impart to a young animal. Even though 502 had lived in the wild without a mom, she was very happy to meet Joy. DeAngelo said with a smile, "The pup went from a teenager to an infant." Talk about taking advantage!

They were introduced to each other behind the scenes the morning of July 20. By mid-day, the precocious pup was stealing food off Joy’s chest (a good sign) and Joy was grooming and taking care of her new charge.

Visitors can expect to see all this, as well as unscheduled feeding and training sessions conducted by our staff in the exhibit.

Eventually we may introduce other otters to the exhibit, including the Aquarium’s first-ever exhibit sea otter pup, Kit. Kit is currently behind the scenes serving as a companion to several young animals that are scheduled for release to the wild.

Meanwhile, 502 is working her magic as only a young sea otter can: enchanting staff and visitors alike. We hope you can come and visit her soon. They grow up so fast!
 

Save Us, Sea Creatures!

Given the almost endless stream of insults we're hurling at the oceans and marine life, isn't it time we recognize how much we have to gain from these marvelous creatures? For concrete, bottom-line thinkers, that's the selfish, anthropocentric "we" -- forget appreciating the intrinsic majesty of marine life. I'm talking saving our lives, and saving our planet.

Take humpback whales. Cruise ships may run them over and kill them, but scientist Frank Fish found inspiration for more-efficient wind turbines from the shape of humpback flippers. As a result, clean wind energy could be more profitable to bring to market from Whalepower, a company using the humpback-inspired design.

How about seahorses? Researchers in Australia are studying the development of the seahorse eye for clues that may help reverse macular degeneration -- a disease that causes progressive blindness as people age.

Living corals, so vulnerable to climate change as oceans warm and turn more acidic, may also hold a solution to the threat. The Moss Landing Cement Co., just up the road from Monterey Bay Aquarium, believes it can produce an eco-friendly cement by mimicking the way corals build their skeletons -- in this case, by combining seawater with carbon dioxide from a neighboring power plant.

And what about kelp, the humble seaweed? Like the humpback-inspired turbine, a new bioWave turbine design is based on the way that marine plants sway back and forth with the pulsing of the waves.

There are so many more innovations just like these, and likely others to come as we learn more about how animals and plants have adapted to life in the ocean. The aquarium's sharing a number of stories in a daily auditorium program, Whales to Windmills: Inventions Inspired by the Sea.

The trick now is to preserve them -- and their homes -- so we can reap the benefits.

A Craving for Krill

By Jim Covel, senior manager of guest experience at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Want a swift and silent way to view the whales? Check out the Aquarium's sailing adventures. 

Monterey Bay has been invaded by whales.  Every few years the krill population explodes, and that means dinner’s on for a wide variety of birds, fishes and marine mammals that gather for the feeding opportunity.  The shoals of krill are 200-300 feet thick and may extend for a couple of miles in each direction.  This is the stuff that baleen whales dream of!

In a good year we may see 10-12 blue whales in Monterey Bay.  This year over 40 blues are concentrated in this area.  There may be up to twice that number of humpback whales along with them.  These whales are in serious feeding mode.  They’ve been lounging in tropical waters off Central America all winter where food is relatively scarce.  So they’ve hit town with an appetite, ready to make up for many months on slim rations.  The blue  whales alone are consuming as much as 160 tons of krill each day collectively.  You can’t get that volume of food sucking up one krill at a time.  The whales look for dense swarms of krill, and then they literally take bites out of the ocean, but those bites contain tens of thousands of krill per bite.  After filtering out the sea water, they’re left with a mouth full of bright red crustaceans for lunch.  This strategy only works when the krill are very dense, and scientists think blue whales move from one krill swarm to the next up and down the coast. 

The humpback whales have a slightly different strategy.  Several whales work together, diving under a swarm of krill and pushing them up toward the surface.  They may blow a bubble ring around the krill to force them more closely together.  As the krill are trapped against the surface of the ocean, the humpbacks swim up through the swarm in sequence, mouths agape, scooping up hundreds of pounds of krill in each mouthful.  As the first whale hits the surface it closes its mouth to trap krill and water inside.  Some krill will spill out of the side of the whale’s mouth—right into the mouth of the whale coming up next to it, and so on until perhaps five or six whales have all hit the surface and gulped a big hole through the middle of the krill swarm.  This “lunge feeding” can go on for hours, and still not make a dent in the big shoals of krill. 

I recently spent the afternoon parked on top of a shoal of krill with blue whales and humpbacks feeding all around.  At one point I could look directly down into the red (with krill) waters below, and see the white flippers of humpbacks rising very close to our boat!  But the whales are just part of the show; many other creatures come to capitalize on the abundance of food.  Blue sharks and basking sharks appear to feed on krill near the surface.  Albatross, shearwaters and many other seabirds come from hundreds of miles away to feed on the krill and/or small fishes and squids that are drawn to the krill.  In past years I’ve caught my share of salmon around the edges of these krill swarms. 

These feeding frenzies are a spectacular example of nature’s abundance in a healthy ecosystem.  What I find truly amazing is how these creatures of the open ocean find these concentrated feeding opportunities with so many thousands of square miles to search.  As we learn more about the lives of whales and seabirds, we’re starting see how they follow sea surface temperature gradients, pressure systems and other subtle clues that may guide them to ideal conditions that concentrate food.  Whales may able to communicate across miles of open ocean, so if one whale finds the groceries, it may be able to invite others from some distance to join in the meal. 

We never know how long these conditions will persist and how long the whales will stick around.  We’re just enjoying the scene while it lasts, and trying to learn as much as we can while we’re observing these magnificent creatures.

Photos by Alison Barratt, communications associate manager.

A Whaley Great Week

Sometimes, you're just in the right time at the right place, when all the stars align and something really magical happens. That was the experience for a select few folks out on Monterey Bay this week when conditions sparked an enormous bloom of krill and the ocean equivalent of the Serengeti migration, with blue and humpback whales substituting for zebra and wildebeest!

Local whale expert, Nancy Black, best known for her 25-year study of orcas in the bay, found herself and her boat in the middle of it; she estimated over 100 animals in total with maybe close to 30 of those being the endangered blue whale.

The biggest animal to ever roam our planet, the blue whale is a frequent flyer to Monterey Bay. (Although it has not been seen too regularly in recent years, as krill has been found less abundantly inside the bay.) The last regular sightings were in 2003; not only were they in the bay, they actually were visible from the deck of the Aquarium!

So far this year you definitely need to be offshore to see them; not so for the minke whale who entertained our visitors off our back decks for over two hours one day this week. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the minke is the smallest of the baleen whales - the filter-feeding variety. Generally less showy than the peoples' favorite - the humpback  - nevertheless, it's a thrill for people to see without leaving the shore!

Another whale to surface this week can also be seen from dry land: the skull of an ancient sperm whale ancestor. While the modern sperm whale does battle in the deep with giant squid, its predecessor's row of 14-inch-long, sharp teeth suggest that it feasted on the flesh of other whales,  perhaps like a 60-foot-long version of our modern-day killer whales. That's probably one whale watch trip I would not have taken!

Update: the whales are still in town in big numbers! Including one very friendly humpback who is watching the people watch the whales! Check out this video from 7/7.

The Otter-Shellfish Debate

Sea otters and shellfish lovers have always had an uneasy relationship.

People who like to gather clams at low tide, or dive for abalone -- or who make their gleaning sea urchins and abalone -- resent the presence of furry predators that can eat a quarter of their weight in shellfish each day.

On the other hand, sea otters are the charismatic stars of coastal waters wherever they live. And they're they're the linchpin of ecosystem health and abundance, too.

So there's tension, sometimes conflict, when sea otters and fishermen intersect.

That's what's happening now in Japan, where the tiny sea otter population off Nemuro, in eastern Hokkaido Island, is drawing oohs and aahs from tourists -- and grumbles from urchin fishermen.

"We can't remain calm, wondering whether sea otters are eating sea urchins," complained one.

Sound familiar? The same story has played out in California waters south of Point Conception, where commercial and sport fishermen want sea otters excluded from their historic range for fear hungry otters won't leave enough urchins and abs for people.

The federal government has dropped that approach, though the no-otter zone remains on the books. That's why some conservation groups are suing, so that sea otters can continue to re-colonize waters from which they were hunted to near-extinction by 19th century fur traders.

If history's any guide, the return of sea otters will be a boon to southern California marine life -- if not to shellfish divers.

Dr. Steve Palumbi, director of Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station, has chronicled the recovery of Monterey Bay's coastal marine ecosystems and gives the lion's share of the credit to sea otters.

"In the early 1900s you’d see all these beautiful rocks but you wouldn’t see any kelp and you wouldn’t see very many of these birds and you wouldn’t see a lot of the other life that's really here because the kelp forest was gone," he said in a PBS documentary.

That's because the kelp had been devoured by sea urchins and abalones that flourished in the absence of their chief predator. When otters returned, so did the kelp forests -- and all the other marine life supported by those healthy forests.

The same story has played out in Alaska, where kelp forests wax and wane depending on how many otters are in the same waters.

Sea otters also bring tourists, who are happy snapping photos before eating (sustainably) farmed abalone at seaside restaurants.

More Whale Tales

A gray whale entangled in fishing gear in Southern California this week has become a local star. Sadly, the scientific community is not too sure what the future may hold for the animal. At this time of year, it should be well on its way to the feeding grounds north of Alaska. Since being freed, the whale has still to leave the area.

There seems to be debate over whether this is a young whale, or an older individual - but all agree the whale is malnourished and the future uncertain. Update: sadly two days later the whale was found stranded dead on the beach. There were large lacerations from the entanglement.

Meanwhile, off the Washington Coast, attempts are being made to free a juvenile humpback whale from lines attached to crab pots. Fortunately, reports say that this whale is in good condition and we hope there's a good outcome in this case. Marine debris, particularly lost and abandoned fishing gear, is often deadly to marine mammals and other wildlife as it continues to "ghost fish" indefinitely.

In 2005, an unlikely consortium of folk enacted a rescue of a humpback whale off the coast of San Francisco. I highly recommend you listen to the story in their own words, from this recent edition of Radiolab, and check out the amazing way this plays out between man and grateful leviathan (starts around the 5 minute mark. Kleenex required!)

Return of the Native?

Google "gray whales" and you will find that there is a healthy population on the U.S. west coast, a severely endangered population on the Russian Pacific coast (around 300 animals) and an extinct population in the Atlantic.

Tell that to the gray whale that's living off the coast of Israel.

Photographic documentation confirms that the whale previously deemed extinct since the 1700's, is indeed a gray whale.

This is probably the equivalent to finding the Loch Ness monster has been living in a lake shore condo for the last 300 years.

The ancient ancestors of the modern gray whale actually were to be found in the Mediterranean. It's believed they traveled from the Atlantic to the Pacific, when the land bridge connecting North and South America was submerged.

It's not yet clear if this individual has somehow made some extraordinary long distance swim from the Pacific to the Atlantic, or if somehow the species has come back from the dead. I'm sure there will be some DNA analysis before long, if it's not already underway. For now, it must just remain a mystery and a marvel. Who doesn't love that?

A Profusion of Pups

Since this story was posted, even more pups have been born to surrogate-reared reared otters in the wild.

In mid April Karl Mayer, animal care coordinator for the Aquarium’s Sea Otter and Research and Conservation organization (SORAC), was out in Elkhorn Slough checking up on a very special pup. Just a few weeks earlier, the pup had been born to an otter, known only as 327, that had been reared behind the scenes at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It was a welcome event—the fourth pup born to a surrogate-reared otter since 2008.

After briefly coming ashore in his small Zodiac, Karl decided to make another round of the Slough to check on other tagged otters. There, in a remote part of the Slough, he discovered another surrogate-reared otter, number 339, with a tiny pup of her own, born less than 24 hours earlier.

Correction: make that five pups born to surrogate-reared otters in the wild!

Eat, sleep, repeat

These very young pups lead lives of continuous coddling and sleeping. Lying on mom’s stomach, they’re painstakingly groomed. Afterward, it’s time for a nap. Occasionally, mom will leave her pup to float while she makes forays for small clams. After a quick snack—you guessed it: more sleeping.

Did I mention that these pups sleep a lot?

“At this point the female is conserving energy and doing a moderate amount of foraging, to allow the pup to eat and sleep,” says Karl. “She’s staying close to shore and living off existing energy stores.” But before long the pups will trade their fluffy coats for adult fur and start to follow their mothers on dives. “The mother and pup will become more of a functional unit,” says Karl, “and they’ll go for larger prey items.”

But for now, at least, everything is going according to plan. “The pups look healthy, bright and alert,” says Karl. 

Five pups and counting

Since 2005, SORAC staff have been raising and releasing stranded pups through the surrogate program. The goal is to evaluate surrogate-rearing by studying behavior and survival of pups after release. The hope is that these pups assimilate into the wild population, survive to maturity and produce offspring of their own.

 “With the surrogate program we’re establishing that the methods we use to rear stranded pups enables them to reproduce as part of the wild population,” says Karl. “And that means not just giving birth, but getting their pups through the dependency period and weaned. That’s our benchmark for our rehabilitation.”

There’s another benefit, too. Just having that many tagged animals in the wild (there are currently seven) provides a “great look at the permanent residents of the slough,” says Karl. “We can follow them for a long time. And we know that the group here is thriving, in contrast to some other groups in the area.”

And there may be even more good news to come. Karl believes there are at least two more surrogate-reared otters that could give birth in the coming months, providing even more SORAC success stories.

Tales of Whales

What a week for whale news!

On the positive side, there are reports of record sightings of rare right whales off the Rhode Island coast. It's a great opportunity for New England whale aficionados, even if it doesn't reflect a sudden surge in the population. (Current estimates: There are only 400 North Atlantic right whales left in the world.)

There's also news about orcas. Genetic research concludes that there at least three distinct orca species, though they may appear identical to our eyes. Their feeding preferences differ, too. One species favors Antarctic seals, another fish.

The existence of distinct species could mean that different populations face greater threats to their survival. Orcas are not now protected under the Endangered Species Act. That could change, based on the status of the newly identified species.

Whale poop is in the news, too. Australian scientists believe iron-rich whale droppings act as a fertilizer, sparking plankton blooms that help sequester carbon in the Southern Ocean. No details yet on how significant a contribution this might make to global greenhouse gas reduction.

As we learn more about these remarkable, intelligent animals, we're still debating whether it's OK to hunt them for food.

The International Whaling Commission is considering a compromise plan that would end the global ban on commercial whaling adopted in 1986.

Perhaps Andrew Revkin, the Dot Earth blogger for the New York Times, has a solution: Rename the IWC as the International WHALE Commission to reflect our current relationship with the world's cetaceans.

Photos courtesy National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (top); and Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation

 

Finnigan's Wake

A young gray whale calf born in the lagoons of Baja California has found himself with quite the following! Finnigan, as he is affectionately known, was born with an oddly shaped knuckle that resembles a fin. Gray whales are typically characterized as having no fin, but a series of small ridges close to the tail.

The young whale has his own Facebook page, and the hope is that his Friends will post record of any sightings as he travels to the Bering Sea on his first long northerly migration with his mother. With gray whales being the only true coastal whale, there's a good chance he'll be seen and documented. Tracking the movements of a single whale in this way would be a rare opportunity.

We'll certainly be wishing him well as he comes through Monterey Bay - an area notorious for orcas that lurk in the deep canyon waters hoping for an unsuspecting calf and mother to pass by. Some moms bring the calves close to shore and into the kelp forest (shallow waters where the predators won't follow). But that's a long diversion for the hungry mom and many will take the shortcut. Flippers crossed for young Finnigan.