Sea Otter: Second Chances

When people think “otter”, they often imagine Sea Otter with her cute face, floating on her back, holding a clam. The most aquatic of Otters, Sea Otter spends most of her life at sea. Since She likes to be in the water near the shore, Sea Otter prefers living along coasts instead of the open ocean. During rough weather, Sea Otter will seek shelter in a rocky cove.

Unlike other Otters, Sea Otter will catch fish in her clawed forefeet. Other times, She dives to the sea bottom, snatches a tasty clam, and returns to the surface. Swimming on her back, Sea Otter uses a rock and bangs open the clam on her chest. She eats crabs, being careful not to get her nose pinched.

Sea Otter is a keystone species since She maintains the health of the near-shore ecosystem. Sea urchins which attack kelp are her favorite food. Since She maintains the kelp forest, many species have their homes there. Places where Sea Otter has been reintroduced has rebounded in health and been restored.

From time to time, Mother Sea Otter will gather with other mothers and their pups. While her pup is playing with the other pups, Mother Sea Otter grooms herself to keep her fur clean. As her pup has fun with his playmates, Mother Sea Otter rests with her friends. Usually, She has her pup rest on her stomach as they float in the estuary. The bond between mother and pup is so close, that a mother will carry and mourn a dead pup for days.

Because She lives in the cold waters of the Pacific, Sea Otter has the thickest fur of any mammal. To keep her fur in prime condition, Sea Otter will lay on her back and blow air into her under-fur. To clean Herself after eating, She will somersault and twist and turn to get the debris off her fur.

Sea Otter’s history with people is a sad one. Russians and Americans hunted Her to near extinction for her fur. What saved Sea Otter were other, more thoughtful people. When the hunters thought that there were no more sea otters, other people knew where sea otters were hiding and kept the place secret. After laws were enacted to save the sea otter, her numbers slowly recovered.

Today, sea otter populations face other problems. Coastal pollutants and habitat degradation limit the number the survival of the adult otters. Used cat litter has infiltrated the watersheds bringing with it lethal parasites. Every sea otter counts to the people of California who are doing their best to keep these mammals from going extinct.

Sea Otter once trusted people before they hunted Her. After about a hundred years, Sea Otter is willing to trust again. As people are working to give Sea Otter a second chance to thrive, so She is giving people a second chance. Learn from Sea Otter when to trust and when to walk away.

Updated and revised version of a blog posting in 2010.

Orca (Killer Whale): Unbroken Traditions

In January 2017, two notable orcas died – Granny (also known as J2) and Tilikum. Both lived tragic lives in different ways. Granny, captured and released because of her age, saw the gradual extinction of her pod due to pollution and overfishing. Tilikum, captured as a calf, killed three people arising from his torment at being a performing killer whale. Both animals were the impetus for humans to reconsider the ethics of using animals for entertainment. The result was an ending of orca shows at major marine parks.

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Called Orca (“Sea Devil”) by the Romans, Killer Whale is the only member of the Whale Family (Cetacea) to hunt other Mammals. The largest Dolphin of the sea, Killer Whales uses stealth and trickery in hunting. Her original scientific name, Dephinus orca, meant “demon dolphin.” In recognition of her size and complex social life, Killer Whale’s current scientific name is Orcinus Orca, after the Ancient Roman God of the Netherworld.

Ruled by an old Matriarch, Killer Whale’s Pod travels throughout the oceans in search of food. (Some pods may reside in one area, while others travel about.) Like Wolves on land, She hunts with her “wolf pack”. Because of this, Killer Whale is called the “Wolf of the Seas”. Her tightly knit pod hunts and drives Blue Whale into areas where He cannot escape. Killer Whale works with her Pod Mates biting and harassing Blue While until He dies. Then They share in their meal.

In Killer Whale’s Pod, They assist each other in raising Calves. Killer Whale and her mates learn their dialect of Orca language from their Mothers. In addition, Mother Killer Whale also teaches her Calf proper pod behavior. Meanwhile, the ancient Matriarch ensures that All learn their pod’s history and culture.

When She is not busy learning or hunting, Killer Whale likes to play. She pops out of the water (spy hopping) or spouts loudly to surprise her Friends. She likes to ride the wakes formed by boats and whales. Sometimes, Killer Whale forcefully slaps her flukes against the water while remaining partly underwater (lob tailing). She plays for the sheer joy of it.

Even in her flamboyant black and white colors, Killer Whale blends into the ocean. Every pod member has a different pattern on their bodies to identify each other and stranger Killer Whales. Her Mate has a high dorsal fin to tell Him apart from Female Killer Whale. Together in the pod, They roam the seas in search of adventure.

Killer Whale raises her Calf to know their language and culture. She passes on their pod’s history to Him. Because Killer Whale lives a long life, the pod reflects the culture and traditions of many generations. Pay attention to your cultural traditions says Killer Whale.

SPERM WHALE: Exploring the Abyss

The largest of all Toothed Whales, Sperm Whale can dive longer, faster, and deeper than any other Mammal. Known as nature’s submarine, Sperm Whale is well equipped to hunt in the ocean abyss for Giant Squid. Swimming in total darkness, He uses his echolocation to locate Squid. His huge head, which makes up a third of his total body length, houses the wax-filled spermaceti organ that helps Him to dive deep. With steady clicks, Sperm Whale approaches his Prey, then surprises Giant Squid with a sonic scream, disabling Him.

Among Whales, Sperm Whale has a unique social life. Elder Mother Sperm Whale governs his Nursery Pod. In the tropics, Sperm Whale Mothers, Females, and Young Males live together. When Sperm Whale reaches maturity, He leaves and joins a Bachelor Pod. Together, He and his Friends roam from the Polar Seas, where Squid lives, to the Tropics where the Nursery Pods are. When He is older, Sperm Whale will navigate the oceans by Himself.

Diving vertically into the abyss, Sperm Whale searches for Giant Squid. Using echolocation, Sperm Whale clicks until He sense the outline of Squid in the murky depths. No one knows what exactly happens in the murky depths; only that Sperm Whale is usually victorious. Like this extraordinary Whale, you can explore the Abyss. Just remember to surface from time to time.

Sperm Whale’s Teachings Also Include:
“There is more character in the Sperm Whale's head. As you behold it, you involuntarily yield the immense superiority to him, in point of pervading dignity. In the present instance, too, this dignity is heightened by the pepper and salt colour of his head at the summit, giving token of advanced age and large experience.” – Copyright: “Moby Dick”, Herman Melville

Sperm Whale’s Wisdom Includes:
Being Comfortable with Your Own Self
Being Comfortable with Your Own Sex
Diver of the Deeps
Lord of the Seas

Conservation Note: Sperm Whales are endangered, and are protected by international treaties. Because of extensive hunting, numbers of Sperm Whale Males are seriously low.

For reading on the teachings of Moby Dick, the most famous sperm whale of all: Moby Dick (opens in new window)

BALEEN WHALE FAMILY: Travel the World

Southern Right Whale

The largest Animals that have ever lived on earth, Baleen Whales depend on tiny organisms (Krill) for food. They strain the Krill (Norwegian for ‘whale food’) through bristly baleen plates in their mouths. Since Baleen Whales have no teeth, They swallow or gulp their food whole.

Each Baleen Whale has their own type of baleen and style of feeding. Bowhead Whale, who has the largest baleen, feeds yearlong in the Arctic. Meanwhile, Right Whale cruises with her mouth (which is full of finely fringed baleen plates) open. Swimming on his side, Gray Whale stirs up sediment in the shallow waters with his head. Using his tongue, Gray Whale pumps the sediment into his mouth, strains out the dirt, and eats his prey.

“Songs of the Whales” made Baleen Whales famous in the 1970s. Unlike Toothed Whales, who communicate with clicks, Baleen Whales use vocal sounds. Forming a language, these complex songs, which can last for 15 minutes, travel long distances through the ocean depths. Blue Whale uses the lowest sound on the bass register. Fin Whale also emits bass-frequency grunts, but not as low as Blue Whale. Among the Whales, Humpback Whale sings his famous songs during mating season.

Besides their songs, Baleen Whales are also known for their long migrations. Many spend summers in the food-rich polar waters, and move to warmer waters in the winter for breeding. Baleen Whales in the Southern Hemisphere migrate from the Antarctic to New Caledonia. Meanwhile, in the Northern Hemisphere, They go from Greenland to the West Indies. As They go on their epic migrations, Baleen Whales live on the energy stored in their bodies. Although Many Baleen Whales are not sociable, as a rule, They will travel in small groups to their winter and summer grounds.

Baleen Whales are great travelers. On their annual migrations, Some Whales cover a distance almost equal to half the earth’s circumference. Long journeys do not seem to faze Them. “Come see the world,” the Baleen Whales call to you.

Families of Baleen Whales (Mysticeti):

Rorquals (Blue, Fin, Humpback, Minke, and Sei)

Right Whale

Pigmy Right Whale

Gray Whale

Bowhead Whale

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Note: Baleens are thin, long, triangular plates of keratin (same material that human hair and nails are made from). These plates grow down from the Whale’s gums, covering the upper jaw.

Conservation Note: Baleen Whales are seriously endangered, and some species may not recover. They are protected by international treaties. Moreover, many countries have restrictions on whale watching to keep the whales safe during breeding seasons.

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BELUGA WHALE: Friends You Can Trust

Known as “Ghost Whale”, Beluga is the only whale that is all white. Because of her pale color, Russians named Her, Belulcha, which means “white one”. Like Manatee, Beluga was once thought to be a mermaid. Today, She is a major character in children’s stories.

Like her Mother, Beluga returns to the same river estuary every year. Her Mother first took Her to their “home” when She was a Calf. However, when the ice freezes over her estuary, Beluga will leave her home for warmer coastal waters. But come the springtime, She returns with her Calf to feed in the nourishing Polar waters of their estuary.

Unlike other Whales, Beluga has a flexible neck, and can move her head from side to side. Because of her unique ability, She does a visual sweep of the ocean floor while swimming. Her famed flexibility extends to other parts of her body as well. Beluga’s bendable flippers help Her get out of tight squeezes. Her moveable face makes Her one of the most expressive whales. In fact, She often forms her mouth into an “O”. When She is unhappy, Beluga will squirt the offender with streams of water from her puckered mouth.

Since She travels in pods of a hundred or more Whales, having a social life is important to Beluga. Called “Sea Canary”, She chirps, peeps, and squeaks to her Pod Mates. In her Pod, Beluga talks with Them all, using trills, chirps, and clucks. Sometimes, She sounds like a rusty gate or an out-of-tune string band, conversing with other Belugas.

Life in Beluga’s Pod is loud and noisy. The only time, She and her Friends are silent is when Orca (Killer Whale) is near. Then silence rules the ocean waters. Beluga shows that, with friends you can trust, you will always know when danger is near.

POLAR BEAR: Power of the Primeval

The largest carnivore on land, huge Polar Bear is well suited for life on the icy tundra. Strong and active, She has better eyesight than most Bears. The soles of her feet are covered with fur to give Her stability on the slippery ice. Polar Bear’s thick white coat traps warm insulating air, and also acts as a solar collector to keep Her warm. In addition, Polar Bear can stand high on her hind legs to scan the Arctic landscape.

Called “Ursus maritimus”, Polar Bear swims the seas like a seal. A fast swimmer, She uses her forepaws as flippers. Swimming from ice floe to ice floe, Polar Bear roams the frozen seas of the Arctic Nations, hunting from Russia to Greenland.

Feeding mainly on Seals, Polar Bear uses guile to hunt Them. She will pretend to be an ice chunk that just happens to drift by Bearded Seal. Not suspecting anything, Bearded Seal will surface next to the “ice chunk”.   Springing into action, Polar Bear lunges and kills Him in a single, powerful bite.

Polar Bear lives in a two-dimension world for sight in the Arctic and one-dimensional one during the long dark winters. For these reasons, She relies greatly on her sense of smell. Because the air is always moving, Polar Bear can smell the molecules of anything distances away.

Among the Inuit and Inupat, Polar Bear is a teacher. Since She showed them how to survive, they call Her “Person inside a bear hide”. With great reverence, they hunt Her, and also respectfully use her corpse.

Face to face with Polar Bear, a person feels her raw, wild power. Living in civilized places, most people rarely experience such power in its fullness. An encounter with Polar Bear is to come face to face with the primeval sense of life. Respect that power, and learn how to survive in your own Arctic wilderness.

Polar Bear’s Teachings Also Include:
“We are alone standing here. The only movement is the wind, our constant companion. And it comes, the sudden ghost-like appearance of the white bear moving silently, steadily across the gravel and ice-covered landscape.”   Copyright: “Bears of the World”, Terry Domico.

SEAL FAMILY: Seeing With Your Mind's Eye

Seals (Phocidae) are distant cousins to Sea Lions (Otariidae), who are, in fact, closer cousins to Walruses (Odobenidae). To many people, this seems odd, since they think that Seals and Sea Lions look alike. Actually, the “trained seals” at circuses are really female California Sea Lions. Seals are more streamlined and without noticeable ears. When on land, Seals move like Caterpillars, instead of walking, like Sea Lions and Walruses.

Contrary to popular belief, Seals not only live only in the Arctic and Antarctic, but also in the warmer seas as well. Also, Seals can be found living in inland seas like the Caspian Sea and Mediterranean Seas. Ringed Seal and Baikal Seal live in freshwater lakes. Hawaiian Monk Seal can be seen sleeping on the beaches of Hawai’i.

Humans have long traditions regarding Seals. The Romans believed that sealskins would protect people from thunder and lightening. The Scots and Welsh tell of seal-people (Selkies), who would become human by laying aside their sealskins and walking on the land. Some Irish and Scottish families claim Selchies as ancestors. Other Celtic peoples regarded Seals to be messengers from the Fairy Realms.

Seals connect people with the mysterious. They live in the water yet come on land from time to time. Seals have large eyes, rounded heads, and receding chins that resemble human children. Bobbing above the surface of the ocean, Seals watch life with uncannily human eyes. They could be people if you had the imagination to see Seals as “seal-people”. Seals help people to see beyond what is and to see with their mind’s eye.

SEA OTTER: Second Chances

When people think “otter”, they imagine Sea Otter with her cute face, floating on her back, holding a clam. The most aquatic of Otters, Sea Otter spends most of her life at sea. Since She likes to be in the water near the shore, Sea Otter prefers living along coasts instead of the open ocean. During rough weather, Sea Otter will seek shelter in a rocky cove.

Unlike other Otters, Sea Otter catches Fish in her clawed forefeet. Other times, She dives to the sea bottom, snatches a tasty Clam, and returns to the surface. Swimming on her back, Sea Otter uses a rock and bangs open the Clam on her chest.

From time to time, Mother Sea Otter will gather with other Mothers and their Pups. While her Pup is playing with the other Pups, Mother Sea Otter grooms Herself to keep her fur clean. As her Pup has fun with his Playmates, Mother Sea Otter rests with her Friends.

Sea Otter’s history with people is a sad one. Russians and Americans hunted Her to near extinction for her fur. What saved Sea Otter were other, more thoughtful people. When the hunters thought that there were no more Sea Otters, other people knew where Sea Otters were hiding and kept the place secret. After laws were enacted to save Sea otter, her numbers slowly recovered.

Sea Otter once trusted people before they hunted Her. After about a hundred years, Sea Otter is willing to trust again. As people are working to give Sea Otter a second chance to thrive, so She is giving people a second chance.

Otter Family: Living a Well-Rounded Life

Most people think that Otters live only in the sea or along rivers in Europe or North America. However, Otters live everywhere – in the tropics of South America and Africa, near Siberia, and in Asia. The only place that Otters do not live is Australia.

Wherever Otters live, They are known for their energy. They chase each other underwater, slide down muddy hills, and dive for pebbles. When They are not playing, Otters travel long distances looking for food or for a mate. The only time an Otter is still is when Sea Otter is asleep in the ocean or when River Otter suns Herself.

Otters are well suited for life in the water. With their long bodies and webbed feet, Otters easily paddle with their hind legs. While They are swimming, Otters move their powerful tails. Quite the acrobats, Otters turn somersaults in water.

Strangely enough, Otters are not born knowing how to swim. Mother Otter teachers her Pups how to survive in the water. At first, She plays water games with Them. When the young Pups are ready, She pushes Them into the water. While They try to swim, Mother Otter stands ready to rescue her floundering Pups. After much trial and error, They learn to swim.

Otters are curious about the world around them and like to explore. But what They like best is to play. Sea Otter will use a beer can to entice a small Octopus to come near. River Otter opens a house door and go inside to look around.

Otters live a well-rounded life, playing and working. They have boundless energy to do everything but Otters stop from time to time and sleep in the sun. Learn living well from Otters.

Save The Manatee Club

Manatees are one of the animals that I receive much wisdom from. This is the Save the Manatee Club's site. They are selling calendars for 2013 full of manatee pictures. The proceeds go to manatee conservation. http://www.savethemanatee.org/  

From the Website:

"In April, a manatee named Rita and her calf, Georgie, were released at Paradise Island in the Bahamas. They are wearing tracking gear, which will allow researchers to follow their movements. Learn more about Rita and Georgie and discover how the project will help manatees in the Bahamas. "

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We recently received the sad news that Dana, one of the longtime adoptees in Save the Manatee Club’s Adopt-A-Manatee program, had died on July 14th after suffering injuries from a boat strike that occurred in the St. Johns River. Dana was rescued in early May near Palatka, Florida, by staff from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Jacksonville Zoo, Sea to Shore Alliance, and Palatka Police and Fire Departments. She was transported for medical treatment at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, where zoo staff discovered that she was also near-term pregnant. A week later, Dana had her calf, but unfortunately, the calf did not survive and was stillborn.
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 Adopt a real manatee and help protect an endangered species at the same time. Funds from the Club’s Adopt-A-Manatee program go toward efforts to help protect manatees and their habitat.

Unlike other animal adoption programs, the manatees in our adoption programs are real, living manatees with known histories. You even have the opportunity of seeing your adopted manatee at one of three locations in Florida.

Extinct Animals: Steller's Sea Cow

Steller’s Sea Cow, a cold water relative of Manatee and Dugong, was unknown to modern people until 1741.  At that time, the crew of Vitus Bering’s ship, the Sv. Piotr was ship-wrecked off the coast of Kamchatka, where the last remaining herds of these Mammals lived.  Through overhunting, Steller’s Sea Cow went extinct thirty years later.  However, this Sea Cow (Sirenian) has remained in the memory of many people.  Over a century later, Rudyard Kipling in his short story “The White Seal” had Steller’s Sea Cow guiding Seals to a place of refuge from hunters.  A century later, people still report encounters with this marine Mammal.  In the mists and fogs of our imaginations, Steller’s Sea Cow still swims.

            What was this Sirenian relative of Manatee and Dugong like? Georg Wilhelm Steller, Bering’s naturalist, observed and described this Animal.  The largest of the Sea Cows, Steller’s Sea Cow fed on algae, kelp, and sea grass growing near river mouths.  Like Dugong, He had a large, flat, lobed tail.  He also had a huge midsection and a small head with a flexible neck.  Lacking flippers, Steller’s Sea Cow had short limbs shaped like hooks.  Instead of teeth, He used his keratinous plates to grind his food.

            Scientists believe that Steller’s Sea Cows that the Russian sailors found were an evolutionary relic (a small population restricted to a small area).  According to the fossil record, Steller’s Sea Cows once lived from California to Japan.  Some scientists think that early hunters eradicated Sea Cows from these areas.  However, others think that the evolutionary pressures from global climate change forced the eventual extinction of these Mammals.

            Lessons that Steller’s Sea Cow teaches are varied.  Because extinction is a part of living, life now becomes more precious.  Sadness fills us when we hear about the cause of his demise.  So much so that we neglect his life and fail to wonder who He was.  Did Steller’s Sea Cow follow his dreams to the colder waters?  Or were Manatee and Dugong wise for staying in warmer waters?  The answers lie beyond the mists of time and space.  Steller’s Sea Cow beckons us to explore his world through memories and dreams.

            Steller’s Sea Cow holds a place in our memories.  He asks us to remember Him as He was, adventurous and fearless.  We may feel sorrow and grief for his passing but we can hold Steller’s Sea Cow in our hearts.  The hole that comes from his extinction still resonates with Manatee and Dugong, who miss their Brother terribly.  The lesson that He teaches us is “that which is remembered still lives”.  With that in mind, let us work to keep his siblings alive.  Also let us venture into the mists to learn more from Steller’s Sea Cow.

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Moby Dick: Whale Avenger

"Moby Dick p510 illustration" by A. Burnham Shute - Moby-Dick edition - C. H. Simonds Co. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Moby_Dick_p510_illustration.jpg#/media/File:Moby_Dick_p510_illustration.jpg

I was watching the movie "Moby Dick" starring Gregory Peck the other day. I was rooting for the whale. I kept thinking, "This whale is mad as Hell, and he's not taking it anymore. Enough with the whale killing. This White Whale is the Whale Avenger for all the murdered whales."

One of the most famous of Whales is Moby Dick of Herman Melville’s novel, “Moby Dick”. Besides being white, Moby Dick has a wrinkled forehead, large hump on his back, and a curved jaw with crooked teeth. This giant white Sperm Whale took revenge on the whalers, who hunted him.

Harpoons did not seem to hurt him. One of Moby Dick’s favorite tricks was to swim away as if he was fleeing, then suddenly turn on the whalers, and smash their boats. Moby Dick was based on an actual white Sperm Whale who lived near the island of Mocha off of Chile. Mocha Dick, the White Whale of the Pacific, had become known in the 1800s for his violent attacks on whaling ships. When He was finally killed in the 1850s, sixty year old Mocha Dick was toothless, blind, and had eighteen harpoons sticking out of his body.

Moby Dick’s Teachings Also Include: “Nor was it his unwonted magnitude, nor his remarkable hue, nor yet his deformed lower jaw, that so much invested the whale with natural terror, as that unexampled, intelligent malignity which, according to specific accounts, he had over and over again evinced in his assaults. More than all, his treacherous retreats struck more of dismay than perhaps aught else. ” – Copyright: “Moby Dick”, Herman Melville  

Moby Dick’s Wisdom Includes:
 Lessons of Aggression and Obsession
Taking the Initiative
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For the teachings of Sperm Whales: Sperm Whale (opens in new window)

Blue Whale: The Colors of Life

Much bigger than the dinosaurs, Blue Whale is the largest animal ever to live on the earth. Besides her size, Blue Whale is noted for other exceptional qualities as well. Swimming alone in the ocean, She has to communicate long distances underwater to other Blue Whales, so She makes the loudest sound of any living creature. Her bass moans are also the lowest sounds in the ocean. Possessing the tallest and strongest blow of any Whale, Blue Whale’s water sprout is also noticeably slender and upright.

However, Blue Whale is full of contradictions. The largest animal on earth feeds on Krill, one of the smallest animals in the sea. (Instead of teeth, She has a row of plates in her mouth called baleen, which functions as a food-collecting device.) For such a fast moving Whale, Blue Whale has a distinctively small and stubby dorsal fin.

Although Blue Whale is called ‘blue’ because of her skin color, her mottled, splotchy body actually reflects more colors than any other Whale. When the sun sets below the horizon and darkness falls on the ocean, Blue Whale’s body mirrors the colors of the sky and sea. The hues of her skin turns from blue to yellow and orange, then red, lavender, dark grey, and finally to black. No long just ‘blue’, Blue Whale is now all the shades of the rainbow.

Blue Whale mirrors the colors of life. Her body shows the greens and blues of the sea and the yellow and oranges of the sun. If this seriously endangered Whale should pass from this earth, we will be the poorer for it. The sky, sea, and even the land would miss Blue Whale and her colors of the rainbow.


Blue Whale’s Wisdom Also Includes:
Breaking Records
Embracing Contradictions
Importance of Observing
Reflecting the Rainbow

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Blue Whale’s Statistics:
Length: 110 feet 2 inches (33.5 meters)
Weight: 209 tons (190 tonnes)
Sound: 188 decibels

Conservation note: Blue Whales are seriously endangered and may not recover. They are protected internationally by whaling treaties.

Copyright: Virginia Carper, Animal Teachers, 2008
For Animal Totem Readings and meanings, contact me at animalteachers @ gmail.com

Happy Valentines Day Helping Manatees and Dugongs

Happy Valentines Day! Attached please find a Valentine Card from Conch, our Florida Mermaid Ambassador.

Conch sends his "heartfelt" thanks to everyone who donated during America's Giving Challenge. The videos "Swimming with Mermaids" and "Mermaid Kisses" generated 56 donations totaling $2,350. Although it was not enough to win one of the $50,000 prizes, the funds raised will enable Sirenian International to award at least two additional small grants to projects in developing countries this year...and we might still win one of the $1,000 prizes!

If you missed the America's Giving Challenge deadline, Conch has a special offer for you:
"Make a donation in any amount to Sirenian International by February 14th, you may adopt him, or any of our other 4 Mermaid Ambassadors, at no additional cost!"

Each of our Mermaid Ambassadors represents one of only four manatee & dugong species left in the world today. When you adopt Conch, Maya, Yara, Elandra, or Bahari, you support our educational outreach programs, capacity building programs, and research & community conservation projects around the world.

As a special Valentine thank you, any donation made online or postmarked by February 14th, 2008, automatically includes the adoption of a Mermaid Ambassador. You will receive an Adoption Certificate, a glossy 4"x6" photograph, and a FACT SHEET about the species your Ambassador represents. During the next year, your ambassador will bring you true stories about the manatee and dugong populations our Ambassadors represent via A Mermaid's Voice, our new members only newsletter.

Yes! You may have the adoption placed in the name of a loved one as a Valentine's Day gift. How? Simply visit our Mermaid Ambassadors online at http://www.sirenian.org/ambassadors.html and learn more about Maya, Yara, Elandra, Bahari, and Conch.

Next, click on the Network for Good Donate Now button and enter your Ambassador's name under "Designation" during the online process. Network for Good now accepts donations from within the US via credit card AND donations from outside the US via PayPal using your credit card. If you would like to have your adoption automatically renew each year, select "annually" in the reoccurring donation box under "Donation Preferences".

Alternatively, send your donation by check to the address below and write your choice of Ambassador on the Memo line. Be sure to include your postal address, email address and/or phone number. We will follow-up by email (or phone) to ensure the adoption is completed and mailed per your instructions no later than February 28th, 2008.

As always, thanks for your interest in our mission at Sirenian International and have a LOVELY Valentine's Day!

Help the Manatees!

From Sirenian International:

As promised, I've linked a new manatee video to our
America's Giving Challenge Campaign Badge at
http://www.sirenian .org.

For 5 more days, your donation of only $10 will help
us win $50,000.

If you haven't contributed, I hope this 8-minute video
short, "Swimming with the Mermaids", will inspire you
to make a tax-deductable donation to Sirenian
International before January 31st.

If you've already contributed, thanks again and enjoy
your "swim"!

Winning the America's Giving Challenge contest would
enable us to catalyze our grassroots organization and
make a more significant impact on manatee and dugong
conservation around the world. These are just a few
of the programs your generous gift will make possible:

Mermaids: Ambassadors from Sea to Sea, our 2008
Educational Outreach Program in the USA
The Sirenian Network, our professional database,
discussion list, bibliography, and library program
designed to increase the capacity of Participating
Members to achieve our shared conservation goals
The SI Small Grants Program, designed to catalyze
conservation oriented research, capacity building, and
educational outreach projects in developing nations
where alternative sources of funding are difficult to
secure.

If you have contributed, thanks again! Your continued
support help make it possible for us to expand and
enrich the services we provide. If you haven't done
so already, please pass the link to our Campaign Badge
on through your social network -- with your help we
can win one of the $50,000 prizes!

Cheers,

Caryn
caryn@sirenian. org
============ ========= ===
Have you accepted America's Giving Challenge, yet?
Donate just $10 online http://www.sirenian .org and
help Sirenian International win $50,000!

The mission of Sirenian International is to promote
the long-term conservation of manatee and dugong
populations and our shared aquatic habitats around the
world through research, education, and inter-cultural
collaboration.

Human Interaction and Marine Mammals (part 2)

People, who think they are helping marine animals, maybe harming them. Colin, a California sea lion was fed bread by people. Unfortunately, Colin had to be euthanized, after being rescued by the Marine Mammal Center from these people. Also, a habor seal was fed whipping cream and clams. Seals and other marine mammals do not have digestive systems for human food. A veterinarian is needed to provide them with appropriate food.

On the other hand, humans have sued a cruise ship line for killing a pregnant humpack whale in Clacier Bay National Park in Alaska, and won! Passengers aboard the ship reported that the ship struck something. The ship's naturalist report it their colleagues. The veterniarian who performed the autopsy on the whale testified in court. The cruise line had to pay $750,000 in charges because the captain did not divert the ship's course as mandated by the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Human Interaction and Marine Mammals (part 1)

This is from Release - The Newsletter of the Marine Mammal Center.

My comment: As a rule, you do not interfer when seeing a stranded marine mammal. We are not trained marine biologists and may do more harm than good.

From the newsletter - Marine mammals are wild animal and can transfer disease to humans and domestic pets. If you come accross marine mammals that seem injured or ill, you shold always call the local marine rescue group - their number is 415-289-7325 (24 hr. hotline in CA.)

The 1972 U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits people from harming or disturbing marine mammals. That includes 'rescue' by non-licensed people such as jet skiers or beachcombers.