Hello! Welcome to sunny San Diego, California. Today we are taking a field trip to SeaWorld. SeaWorld is home to a diverse population of marine life. We are going to explore and learn about a variety of oceanic animals as well as their basic needs. Together we will discover each animal's habitat, feeding patterns, behavior, and survival needs. Hopefully we can also discover the similarities and differences between the different aquatic animals and make observations based on what we learn. Let’s put on our thinking caps and let the journey of marine exploration begin!
The first stop on our journey is Shamu: Close Up. At this exhibit we have the opportunity to view Shamu, an orca whale, in close quarters.
Orca whales are also known as killer whales and can be found from both poles to the Equator although they prefer cold, ocean waters. Orcas feed on aquatic mammals including sea lions, seals, fish, squid, seabirds, and even other whales. Orca whales pursue their food in large groups called pods and use echolocation, noise that travels underwater, to locate objects and communicate with one another.
Listen closely as Shamu tries to communicate with us.
Our next stop takes us to Rocky Point Preserve where we can observe and learn about bottlenose dolphins and California sea otters.
Bottlenose Dolphins
Bottlenose dolphins are known for their intelligence and friendly behavior. These mammals live in tropical oceans and other warm waters around the world. In order to breath, bottlenose dolphins must swim to the surface of the water to get air and do so two to three times a minute. These dolphins feed on bottom-dwelling fish, shrimp, and squid. Like the orca whale, bottlenose dolphins also travel in groups and communicate and hunt using echolocation.
Listen to the squeaks and whistles this dolphin makes while communicating.
California Sea Otters
California sea otters are found in California along the Pacific coast. They are best known for their fur coats and floating on their backs. A sea otter's fur is special because it is water resistant which allows the sea otter to stay dry and warm in cold water. The California sea otter spends the majority of its time in the water while sometimes seeking land for sleep or rest. This mammal feeds on clams, mussels, sea urchins, crabs, squid, octopuses, and fish.
Shark Encounter is the next stop on our journey. Here, we will be able to walk through a large acrylic tube in which a habitat of sand tiger, bonnethead, blacktip, and whitetip sharks are enclosed. Don't be scared, although these big fish appear frightening, they are more timid than you may think.
Today we are going to explore the sand tiger shark. Sand tiger sharks reside in temperate or warm ocean waters around the world excluding the eastern Pacific. They prefer to swim along the shorelines and near the bottom of the ocean. Now can you see where they get their name? Sand tiger sharks are the only identified shark to swim to the ocean's surface to swallow air. These sharks have the ability store air in their stomachs which allows them to hunt their prey. Sand tiger sharks feed on small fish, crustaceans, and squid. They usually hunt their food at night sometimes in groups called schools or shoals.
Our next stop takes us to Penguin Encounters. At this exhibit we are able to observe the larger emperor and king penguins as well as the smaller Adelie, gentoo, chinstrap, rockhopper, and macaroni penguins in their chilly habitat.
Today we are going to focus on the popular emperor penguin. Emperor penguins live on and in the freezing Antarctic ice and waters. They have special features and behaviors that help keep them warm in the icy climate. These flightless birds huddle in groups called colonies to keep warm while each penguin takes turns in the middle of the group where they will be shielded from the chilly winds. Female penguins "lay a single egg" that the male penguins balance on their webbed-feet and keep warm and protected with their brood pouch while the female penguins go on a two month hunting trip. On their search for food, female penguins dive deep into the icy waters were they are able to "stay under for more than 20 minutes". They feed on fish, squid, and krill and upon returning home, the female penguins regurgitate their food to feed their newborn chicks. The male penguins will then begin their search for food after their two month sacrifice of protecting the unhatched chick and not eating.
Wild Arctic is the next stop on our journey of marine exploration. Make sure your coats are zipped up because as we walk through the ice tunnel we will experience freezing temperatures. At this exhibit we will be able to view polar bears, beluga whales, walruses, arctic foxes, and seals. For now, we will just explore the polar bears and beluga whales.
Polar Bears
Polar bears live in the Arctic regions where they wander the ice sheets and swim in the chilly water. Their fur is insulated to help keep them warm as their hidden black skin absorbs the sun's rays. Female polar bears even build dens in snow drifts to stay warm and protected. It is in these dens where the females give birth to twins in the winter. The cubs will stay with their mother for about 28 months while they learn basic survival needs. One of the survival needs mother polar bears teach their young is how to hunt for food. Polar bears have white fur which allows them to blend in with the snow and ice when hunting their prey. These powerful mammals feed on seals and other carcasses when food is scarce.
Beluga Whales
Beluga whales, also known as white whales, are easily recognizable for their unique and vivid white color. Baby belugas or calves, however, are not born white but grey or brown instead and turn white only when they mature around age 5. These mammals live in small groups called pods in the Arctic and subarctic waters. Belugas that live in arctic waters "migrate southward in large herds when the sea freezes over". Beluga whales are very friendly and have an expanded language of noises that they use to communicate. Beluga whales feed on fish, crustaceans, and worms.
Our next stop leads us to Pacific Point. Here we will learn about California sea lions. Get out your quarters because we will have the opportunity to buy fish to feed these animals.
California sea lions live near the rocky coastlines of the Pacific Ocean where they group together in colonies or rookeries on large rocks near the water. These marine mammals are able to get around equally well on both land and in water. California sea lions are able to reach speeds of 25 miles an hour and have the ability to "slow their heart rates to allow them to remain underwater for nearly ten minutes before surfacing to breathe". This capability gives the sea lions a better opportunity to catch their prey which consists of fish, squid, and shellfish.
Our journey continues as we explore Aquarium de la Mer. This exhibit allows us to view some of the world's most beautiful and exotic marine life. We will see creatures such as seahorses, octopuses, and lionfish. We will study the clown anemonefish and moon jellyfish more closely.
Clown Anemonefish
The movie "Finding Nemo" made the clown anemonefish one of the most well-known fish around. The clown anemonefish or clownfish can be found in the Indian Ocean, the Read Sea, and the western Pacific where they make their homes in sea anemones that reside in shallow water. These fish are able to avoid the lethal sting of sea anemones because their skin is covered with a protective layer of mucus. Clownfish do a complex dance with their sea anemone that allows them to adapt to their host in a gentle manner. Clown anemonefish are protected from predators in their sea anemone homes and even feed off the food scraps left behind on the anemone's tentacles. In exchange for a safe home, these fish remove parasites from the anemones and scare away predators.
Moon Jellyfish
Moon jellyfish can be found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans where they prefer warm, tropical waters with low salt content. Moon jellyfish are very fragile and delicate creatures who use pulsation movements to stay near the surface of the water. These animals move in a horizontal pattern with their bell-shaped upper region near the surface at all times. This allows the tentacles of the moon jellyfish to cover a larger range of space to catch food. These exotic marine creatures feed on zooplankton, mollusks, crustaceans, and other small aquatic organisms.
The Freshwater Aquarium is our next stop. Here, we can observe a diverse population of marine life that live in freshwaters around the world. We are going to explore two such animals today, the blue poison dart frog and the electric eel. Blue Poison Dart Frogs
Blue poison dart frogs are found in the tropical forests that range from Costa Rica to Brazil. These amphibians are extremely toxic and vividly colored to fend off predators. Their high toxicity levels are thought to come from plant poisons that are absorbed by their prey. Blue poison dart frogs feed on insects such as ants, termites, and beetles.
Electric Eel
Electric eels are best known for the electric shock that they create to ward off predators and stun their prey. These fish are able to generate such a powerful shock because their organs contain "about 6,000 specialized cells called electrocytes that store power like tiny batteries". Electric eels can be found "in the murky streams and ponds of the Amazon and Orinoco basins of South America". Electric eels must swim to the surface of the water regularly for they are air-breathers. These marine animals also "have poor eyesight, but can emit a low-level charge, less than 10 volts, which they use like radar to navigate and locate prey". Electric eels feed on fish, amphibians, and even birds and small mammals.
The final stop on our journey of marine exploration takes us to the California Tide Pool. Roll up your sleeves and prepare to get wet as you to touch and feel a variety of creatures such as sea stars and sea urchins.
Sea Stars
Sea stars, also known as starfish, are named after their shape. Sea stars can be found in oceans all around the world ranging from cold ocean floors to tropical habitats. These invertebrate "have bony, calcified skin, which protects them from most predators, and many wear striking colors that camouflage them or scare off potential attackers." Sea stars have the special capability to regrow limbs and even entire bodies. Sea stars feed on clams and oysters that they force open with their suction-cupped tube feet and ingest their prey outside their bodies.
