Halibut Herald December 12

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ALIBUT HERALD December 12, 2008

Bits and Bites Baby Pygmy Hippo at the Marwell Park Zoo

Rare baby pygmy hippo takes first steps at Marwell Zoological Park. Born three weeks ago as part of a conservation breeding programme to help save the species from extinction, keepers are inviting people to select a name for the baby hippo from a shortlist of four: Loko, Kadina, Zimmi and Lola, to vote visit Marwell’s website: www.marwell.org.uk Pygmy hippopotamus are related to their larger cousin the common hippo but are, as the name suggests, much smaller. Marwell’s baby pygmy hippo now weighs around 10 kilos (22 pounds) and has already formed a strong bond with her mum Wendy, spending many hours swimming together in their pool. READ ON: http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2008/12/baby-pygmy-hippo-at-the-marwell-park-zoo.html

Love Hurts for not-so-shy Reef Sharks VISITORS to the appropriately name Blue Reef Aquarium got an eyeful when they saw a pair of saucy sharks in a romantic romp. They were snapped in the unlikely setting of a tank at the attraction in Tynemouth, North Tyneside, and experts said the picture is a rarity. For the fearsome fish are usually shy when it comes to mating and have seldom been photographed. These blacktip reef sharks certainly weren’t shy to show their passion in Blue Reef’s giant ocean display in front of a very surprised audience. “When I arrived I found a crowd of people and our male and female blacktips literally embracing each other.The male had hold of the female’s pectoral fin with his teeth and they were just lying there at the bottom of the display. I managed to get a couple of photos and they clearly show the male on the left holding on to the female’s fin. We’ve done some investigating and phoned round other aquariums and no one has ever seen this happen, it’s so exciting.” READ ON: http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/news/north-east-news/2008/12/07/love-hurts-for-not-so-shy-reef-sharks79310-22421615/

Holiday Special 5 Things to Look for in Eco-Friendly Christmas Gifts There are lots of horrible gifts on the market. Most of them are functionless, lack thought or sense and waste the earth's valuable resources. It can be a nightmare of consumerism. However, you want to buy gifts for your loved ones. That's a fun and important part of the holidays. Here are several things to look for in an eco-friendly gift: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Sustainability Function Charity: Thoughtfulness Practicality READ ON: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/work-connect/eco-friendly-christmas-gifts.html

AND If you must give gift and it’s not going to be a toy Narwhal (see last week’s HH), it better be one of these practical (for some of us!) gadgets…

What better way to communicate in the human-voice-stopping three dimensional environment of the ocean? The Underwater Text Messenger from UTC is a combination text messenger, dive computer (goes down to 500 meters), SOS signal, homing beacon, compass, dive log (stores 100 dives), data logger and much more! $990. READ ON: http://blogs.discovery.com/deep_sea_news/2008/12/25days-of-de-7.html

Were you a good little boy or girl this year? Ring in the holidays with yuletide logs... courtesy of the reindeer at the Miller Park Zoo. By combining two Christmas classics, reindeer and ornaments, and adding a twist - fecal matter - the zoo's marketing department may of stepped in retail gold! In a nutshell, or a nugget if you will, keepers collected reindeer poop balls, rolled them in glitter, and allowed them to dry. The final product was then packaged in little boxes and sold with a certificate of authenticity, a move straight out of the Danbury Mint's playbook. Explains Susie Ohley, Marketing Director of the Miller Park Zoo, "Each one is unique. They are each a work of art." Hmmm.... I agree with half of that statement. Shoppers are preportedly surprised at the size of the "gems," which are about as big as marbles."Reindeer are so big," said zoo maintenance worker Sheldon Williams. But the droppings are "just a big pile of small." That's a legit awesome quote by Sheldon. Yes... those purplish things are what you think they are.

10 Holiday Decorations You Can Make from Recyclables READ ON: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/homemade-recycled-holiday-decorations.html

More News Links

No Comment. Just a cute encounter seconds before an accident! SOURCE: http://mfrost.typepad.com/.shared/im age.html?/photos/uncategorized/200 8/12/02/pleased_to_meet.jpg

Alien-like Squid With "Elbows" Filmed at Drilling Site

SEE VIDEO & READ ON: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/11/081124-giant-squid-magnapinna.html

An Older Article With A Cool Photo: Snowflakes Are Alive

READ ON: http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/offbeatnews/snowflakes-are-alive/872

Polar Tourism Boom - Risk to People, Nature? READ ON: http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/0 5/polar-tourism-boom-risk-to-people-nature/

Man-Made Noise in World's Seas Threatens Wildlife ROME—Man-made noise in the world's seas and oceans is becoming an increasing threat to whales, dolphins and turtles who use sound to communicate, forage for food and find mates, wildlife experts said on Wednesday. Rumbling ship engines, seismic surveys by oil and gas companies, and intrusive military sonars are triggering an "acoustic fog and cacophony of sounds" underwater, scaring marine animals and affecting their behaviour. "There is now evidence linking loud underwater noises with some major strandings of marine mammals, especially deep diving beaked whales," Mark Simmonds, Science Director of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, told a news conference in Rome. READ ON: http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/science-technology/noise-seas-wildlife-8044.html

Archival Photo

Narwhal Expedition, 1971.

Events

FOR MORE INFO: http://www.eatlocal.org/holidaymarket.html

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Two films featured in last week’s herald are playing for a limited time at the VanCity Theatre, check them out!

http://www.viff.org/tixSYS/vifc/filmguide/event.php?EventNumber=1529

http://www.viff.org/tixSYS/vifc/filmguide/event.php?EventNumber=1540

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For Sale

FOR SALE: 2005 Toyota Matrix. 5 spd manual, air conditioning, keyless entry, rear seats and passenger seat fold down flat, new brakes, brand new tires, 100K, in excellent condition. $11,000. Contact Jeremy Levin [email protected]

Is your friend is as playful as a sea otter? Does your brother roar like a Steller's sea lion? Can your sister be as graceful as a sea turtle? Are you as energetic as a Pacific white- sided dolphin?

Well... This is your chance to compare them in closer quarters! Get them (or yourself!) an Animal Encounter gift certificate!! For a limited-time only, the Aquarium is offering a discount on Animal Encounter gift certificates for staff, volunteers and members. Encounters are truly amazing experiences that take participants behind-the-scenes to feed a sea otter, visit a Steller's sea lion, get up close and personal with a sea turtle or touch and get splashy with a Pacific white- sided dolphin! They are all fun and unique gifts for friends and family and are a great way to show off where you work! th

December 8 to the 21st, staff, volunteers and members will receive an additional 10% off the regular staff discount, for a total of 30% off Dolphin, Sea Lion, Sea Turtle and Sea Otter Encounters. Animal Encounters are affordable!

Child prices apply to kids from 8 to 12. Children must be accompanied by a paying adult. *Animal Encounter prices do not include Aquarium admission. One adult may bring up to 5 children. Purchase your gift certificates on-site at the Admissions desk or from Bookings. For more information on all of our Animal Encounters, visit www.vanaqua.org.