Sea World San Diego, CA
31 Oct 1998
Forecast
Sea World San Diego, CA31 Oct 1998 |
Forecast
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Killer Whales - ShamuOrcas are called "Killer Whales" because they are the top predators of the sea. They travel in packs, called "pods," from just a few to as many as 50 members. They eat sharks, seals, dolphins, other whales, and some kinds of fish. We heard that there have never been any actual reports of an orca killing a human. Male orcas can be up to 30 feet long, and females are at least 1/3 less. When they dive they can stay under the water for up to 30 minutes. Try holding your breath that long! Sea World has 20 killer whales and the most successful breeding program in the world We wished that there were orcas and dolphins in Utah so we could visit them often, but we know they couldn't survive in a place that gets so cold in the winter. And where would they get all the fresh sea water they need? We'll just have to be patient until we can go back to San Diego. Shamu, Baby Shamu and the other whales are amazing animals. It's fun to see how humans have learned to communicate and associate with them. (Click Here for Real Audio sounds of Killer Whales from the Vancouver Aquarium, B.C.) |
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Bird ShowSea World doesn't take any of their birds from the wild. They are all hatched in captive breeding programs. We saw many exotic birds and native birds of prey in this fun show. Here are some facts about a few of them. A Ferruginous Hawk, the largest member of the hawk family, swooped down from a box attached to a helium blimp 350 feet in the air. These beautiful birds nest in Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Oklahoma and Canada. Their nests can be made of roots, sticks, sagebrush, cow dung, or even old cattle bones. They prefer trees, but will nest in bushes or on the ground, on a ledge, riverbank, or hillside. Ferruginous hawks lay more eggs when their food supply is good, and fewer when rodents populations are low. They eat mostly praire dogs and ground squirrels, and sometimes locusts, crickets or birds. Peregrine Falcons are the fastest birds in the world. One was clocked diving at 217 miles per hour! They feed mostly on other birds which they catch mid-air. "Peregrine" means traveling or wandering. These birds nest on all continents except Antarctica. -Math wiz bird: by Harrison At the bird show there was a parrot who could do math--sort of. A woman said "What is 1 + 3?", and the parrot answered "4". Then she asked "What is 7 - 3?", and the parrot answered "4". She asked 12 ÷ 3, and he answered 4 again. It seemed like he actually knew the answer , but really he had just been trained to say "4" after she said "3". It was funny. |
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Sea Lion Show - by AmandaWe saw a funny show with sea lions and an otter. The otter was like a maid--always getting things for people. I thought the sea lions were the funniest because they sort of "talked". Their swimming, jumping, diving and other tricks were amazing.The trainers have taught them to do many cool things, like turning their heads when their trainer turns her head quickly to look at them. The river otter, O.P.,was so cute! He carried a can of soda, rolling it around in his hands while he walked. He also waved when the trainer said they had a microwave. Get it? He's "micro" and he waved. This is a picture of Seymour standing on his hind flippers. He really tall. |
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Manatee Rescue"We watched them eat tons of lettuce. I think they eat lettuce all day, because they are very big and lettuce doesn't fill you up a lot. Manatees are cute. I think it's their noses that make them look cute. I wanted to take them home, but instead I bought 2 beanie manatees." --Amanda "Manatees are endangered for the following reasons: cold weather, debris entanglement, watercraft collision, coastal development, habitat loss." --Harrison Sea World has rescued, rehabilitated and returned many injured manatees, and continues to care for those that are unable to fend for themselves in the wild. There were 5 males at the "Manatee Rescue" exhibit that had been brought from Florida after being injured, mostly by motorboats. We loved watching these calm, harmless, slow-moving creatures, and could have stayed for hours (at least Susan could have).
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Wahoo Two! - by HarrisonSea World has a great playground called Shamu's Happy Harbor. It has tons of climbing obstacles, slides, water play, and even a big ship to climb on and shoot water from. The ship was called Wahoo Two. Unfortunately, the cannons didn't shoot far enough to hit my mom! We played there for a couple of hours. |
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Resources |
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Tale of the travels of a toy boat across the ocean. Along the way it encounters many of the ocean's splendid creatures. |
From whales and sharks to the minute world of the Great Barrier Reef, this collection of five CD-ROMs is unmatched in depth and content. |
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These are limited editions and sure to become collectors items*, so get yours now!
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Across
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