Halloween Fun From the Depths of the Sea

 Coffinfish!  Goblin Shark!  Vampire Squid!  All spooky fun e-cards you can send to your family and friends for FREE, compliments of the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

 Here's the link:  http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/ecards/

Now don't let those viper fish get ya! Happy Halloween!

A Talking Beluga Whale

"Beluga wants a squid."

Whales don't talk--or do they?  Do they imitate human speech like parrots?

"Get out!" was what an ocean diver thought he heard a captive Beluga whale tell him.  The diver was in the tank that held this talkative whale.

Curious scientists started to record the sounds this male Beluga made.  Listen to this video and tell us what you think the whale is talking about. 

We think it sounds like the Muppets' Swedish Chef.

Beluga whales live in the Artic Ocean.  They like to swim around icebergs.  They are  social and they sing so much that Beluga whales are also called "canaries of the sea."  But talk? 

We know they won't ask for crackers, like a parrot.  But if they could, they would ask for octopus, squid, crabs, shrimp, clams, mussels, snails, sandworms,  salmon, capelin, cod, herring, smelt, flounder, sole, sculpin, lamprey, and lingcod.

A Beluga whale can nod and turn its head, unlike other whales. 

5 Ways Kids Can Help Save the Seas

1. Be sure all plastic toys, bottles (and their tiny lids), and bags go home with you.  Fish and birds might eat that plastic if it goes into the sea.

2. Sea stars (starfish) are beautiful to look at in tide pools.   Leave them there, even if you really, really want to keep it for its beauty.  It will die.  Oh, and it will stink too.

3. If a sign reads “Dogs Must Be On Leash”  please do.  There may be tiny birds or other sea life that would be harmed by a dog splashing thru the waves or romping across the sand.

4. Even a tiny candy wrapper tossed on the beach will wind up in the ocean. Fish easily mistake shiny wrappers for food.   Wrappers can poison fish.

5. Stay on marked paths.  Stay off of beach areas when signs ask you to do so.  Someone is trying to save a delicate plant or stop unnatural erosion. 

Sea Stars: Boys & Girls Who Cleaned Beaches

Girls and boys around the world are real Sea Stars.

Here's a few stories we found:

The Girl Scouts of Troop 499 wanted to clean up one of their favorite beaches. They found bottle caps, cigarette butts, straws, lollipop sticks, and even a dirty sock!  The girls had a great time doing a good deed!

 Brownie Troop 61243 from St. Paschal Baylon Church in Thousand Oaks spent the afternoon picking up trash at Leo Carrillo State Beach.. in an effort to keep the ocean safe and clean. Pictured are, top row, from left, Jessica Miller, Ava Miele, Emily McCormick, Ella Busch and Julia Tushla. Bottow row: Sophia Pantess, Olivia Elias, Rachel Wetzel and Ashley Edington.

Community service projects are a big part of scouting and recently Cub Scout Packs #741, #744 and #749 took part in a beach clean-up at Corona del Mar State Beach, also known as Big Corona. 

This event was a means for all the boys to get back together after taking the summer off and show the community how even a small group of individuals can make a difference.