You've seen a few posts on training we have done with some smaller lobsters (here and here), but did you also know we are training a 24 pound lobster? That's right - this lobster is the size of 3 newborn babies! I initially started off just learning how to feed him, but have since introduced a target and he is doing great. Lobsters are really cool animals. Did you know that like people, they can develop handedness? All lobsters start out with their two claws the same size, but as they get older, they will start to use one claw more than the other. This claw will develop a lot of muscle, get really big, and become what we know as the "crusher" claw. The muscle of the crusher claw doesn't tire easily, so when the lobster needs to break open a shell (to get the food inside), the lobster can apply a lot of pressure over a long period of time. The other, smaller claw becomes the "pincher" claw. This claw can be moved quickly and is designed to cut through softer things, like fish.

Our visitors often ask if we name our animals. The answer is yes and no. With over 600 individual animals in the Giant Ocean Tank, it would be impossible to name them all, but we do name our sharks, rays, and sea turtles. Here are the names of some of our more prominent animals in the GOT.

Blondie is back! It's been a while since our last post, so here is a new behavior to get your lumpy fix. I thought it would be cool to train her to sit comfortably in my hand. You can see how I kept my hand steady and let her come to me. After a few nibbles on yummy shrimp, I lightly move my fingers up and touch her belly. You can see at one point I run out of food and as I reach over to get more, she sits on my finger! After a few trials of light tapping and her hovering over my fingers, I start to lift my hand. This behavior took a few weeks to complete, but here is a minute version of what we did. Be sure to check back in with Blondie and me; next behavior...blowing bubbles!

The harbor seals had a very special visitor the other day, Harlem Globetrotter Buckets Blakes. Buckets had a fun scrimmage with Amelia and Chacoda. Check out the video!

You're about to enter a unique exhibit featuring many different species of fish, plants, invertebrates and birds all living together. Peer through the mesh and you will see, and hear, six species of shorebirds. A common tern, two sanderlings, a dunlin, a virginia rail, two semipalmated plovers and two threatened piping plovers can be seen foraging for food amongst the rocks, marsh grass and driftwood and sometimes even in the saltwater pool itself! Press play and watch as our sanderlings catch crickets!

Here is some footage of the Orion's procedure that Dr. Innis reported on earlier. Orion is our Kemp's ridley turtle that is still recovering from pneumonia.

The training method that I use most often is called Shaping. By shaping a behavior, you are basically breaking it down into steps called approximations and you reinforce each step that the animal reaches. This allows you to build up a behavior and "shape" it as you go. Think of climbing a flight of stairs ... If you want to get to the eighth step, you have to walk up steps one through seven first. Shaping can be broken down even further into categories. The two shaping categories that I have used are successive approximations and selective reinforcement.

Watching the seals gracefully turn, roll and glide as they navigate the Harbor Seal Exhibit is peaceful and relaxing. As they leisurely cruise upside down, some people may be surprised at just how fast the seals can swim. The powerful propulsion for harbor seals comes from their hind flippers. To swim fast, they spread those flippers to act like paddles and move them quickly from side to side. During a sprint, harbor seals can reach 20 mph. Seals use this speed to evade predators, chase fish, or intimidate a rival while establishing territory. In the following video Amelia creates a large wake as she demonstrates the power of her hind flippers.

In the past few weeks some of the trainers have introduced you to and updated you on the different types of animals we've had the opportunity to work with during the fur seals' absence (lumpfish, lobsters and frogs). Rochelle and I have been working with two young female anacondas, Marion and Wilson, who were born here at the Aquarium last January. (Video of their birth)

Love is in the air, or water if you will. Our two porcupinefish, Spike and Fugu, first met in the G.O.T. two years ago, when Spike was brought up from one of our Bahamas collecting expeditions. At first, they didn't seem to really notice each other, but once Spike got a little older, and matured a bit, they became infatuated, and now are seldom seen apart.