• Home
  • About
  • Marine mammals
    • Dolphins
    • Porpoises
    • Seals, sea lions
    • Whales
  • Phenomena
    • Climate change
    • Invasive species
    • Pollution
    • Oceanography
  • Inspiration
    • Animal encounters
    • Earth musings
    • Easy Reader columns
    • Ocean heroes
    • Photography
    • Writing & Poetry
  • Happenings
    • Consumer Alerts
    • Ocean events
  • Resources
  • Contact

Ocean Wild Things

Meet the grunt sculpin

October 8, 2010 by Carolyn Kraft 1 Comment

I recently met a grunt sculpin and had to share the experience. While peering into a tank at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, suddenly the strangest looking creature started moving towards the front. My first thought, what the… It kind of looks like a seahorse / fish hybrid with a few funky genes in the mix. Thankfully,… [read more]

Filed Under: Fishes Tagged With: evolution, sculpin

A whale’s flukeprints

October 4, 2010 by Carolyn Kraft 1 Comment

Whales don’t have feet, but they still leave their version of footprints. Only their footprints are called flukeprints! Pretty clever I must say, wish I could take credit for that one but I can’t. And I can’t give credit either since I don’t know who thought of it. Flukeprints are left by whales when they… [read more]

Filed Under: Whales Tagged With: cetacean, dolphin, porpoise, whale, whale watching

Swimming with humpback whales

October 1, 2010 by Carolyn Kraft Leave a Comment

If you want to be amazed and can live with a bit of envy, then attending a presentation by Jodi Frediani is definitely the activity for you. Jodi presented a slide show of her top photographs during a lecture hosted by the American Cetacean Society’s Los Angeles Chapter (ACS/LA) on September 28, 2010. The photos… [read more]

Filed Under: Whales Tagged With: whale, whale watching

The history of fishy thinking

September 30, 2010 by Carolyn Kraft 2 Comments

I finally just read an article I’ve been saving from the New Yorker, published on August 2, 2010. It’s a book review titled “The Scales Fall” by Elizabeth Kolbert or rather a book review summing up the problems discussed in four books: “Saved by the Sea: A Love Story with Fish” by David Helvarg; “Managed… [read more]

Filed Under: Fishes Tagged With: endangered, gillnet fishing, over-fishing

Thanks to everyone who picked up trash

September 27, 2010 by Carolyn Kraft Leave a Comment

Many thanks to everyone who participated in Coastal Clean-up Day across the globe! I have to admit I feel slightly guilty for not participating because I signed up to be a whale watch naturalist for the same day. Who knows how long the blue whales are going to hang around I said to myself. But… [read more]

Filed Under: Ocean pollution Tagged With: marine debris, ocean trash, pollution

Injured blue whale

September 23, 2010 by Carolyn Kraft Leave a Comment

After ranting about the importance of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) two posts ago, I wanted to share this photo of an injured blue whale. I took this photo on a whale watching trip out of Redondo Beach on the Voyager. You can see the big white gash down the left side of the… [read more]

Filed Under: Whales Tagged With: cetacean, endangered, whale, whale watching

My best blue whale photo

September 21, 2010 by Carolyn Kraft 2 Comments

With all the blue whale mania off the coast of Los Angeles and more specifically near Redondo Beach, I’ve been fortunate to have the chance to serve as a naturalist on a few whale watching trips. I always take my camera along hoping for the best shot ever, but since I’m not a professional photographer… [read more]

Filed Under: Whales Tagged With: cetacean, flukes, whale, whale watching

Remember the Marine Mammal Protection Act

September 16, 2010 by Carolyn Kraft Leave a Comment

Blue whale watching off the coast of Los Angeles has brought much excitement, but also much craziness. As with all things where humans get into the mix, some whale watching off the coast of Southern California has gotten out of control. I was appalled to learn from Captain Brad Sawyer, who expertly steers the Voyager… [read more]

Filed Under: Marine mammals, Whales Tagged With: action alert, cetacean, endangered, whale, whale watching

Elephant seals are lucky to be alive

September 13, 2010 by Carolyn Kraft 2 Comments

I just learned about some fascinating elephant seal history that is a must share. It turns out that the two male elephant seals going head to head in the photo are truly lucky to be alive. In fact all northern elephant seals are lucky to be alive for reasons that are both predictable and shocking.… [read more]

Filed Under: Seals, sea lions Tagged With: elephant seal, pinniped, seal, sealing

Ocean sunfish holy mola!

September 9, 2010 by Carolyn Kraft Leave a Comment

What on earth is that? This is a common exclamation upon meeting an ocean sunfish, the craziest looking fish inhabiting the same ocean layers humans frequent. But this peculiar fish sports the coolest scientific name: Mola mola. Possibly Linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy who scientifically named thousands of species, suffered a brief nervous tic… [read more]

Filed Under: Easy Reader columns, Fishes Tagged With: dorsal fin, fishing, gillnet fishing

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • 33
  • …
  • 47
  • Next Page »

Join the Conversation

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Subscribe Via Email

Latest Tweets

  • RT @CabrilloAqua: Join us this Saturday for our monthly Walk Cabrillo! During the coastal park walk you'll visit the native garden, salt ma… 02:04:45 PM March 07, 2023 from Twitter Web App ReplyRetweetFavorite
  • RT @wantokmoana: Halo oloketa! Introducing Sabrina Pania MSc students and an ACAIR scholarship recipient. Sabi is studying the Nutritional… 03:58:25 PM June 14, 2022 from Twitter Web App ReplyRetweetFavorite
  • RT @TXSeaGrant: Approximately 45 Kemp's ridley turtles were discovered hatching on Magnolia Beach. "This has never happened in modern times… 03:57:48 PM June 14, 2022 from Twitter Web App ReplyRetweetFavorite
@oceanwildthings

Archives

Ocean Wild Things | Copyright ©2025 | All Rights Reserved