National Aquarium in Baltimore National Aquarium, Baltimore Updates and Events

Very sad news - Calypso passed away last night From the aquarium's facebook:

"We are deeply saddened to share that Calypso, our beloved green sea turtle, passed away unexpectedly Sunday night.

Calypso came to the National Aquarium in 2002, after stranding in the Long Island Sound with an infected left flipper that was later amputated. Because of this life-saving procedure, Calypso was deemed non-releasable. For nearly 20 years, Calypso thrived at the Aquarium, growing from six pounds at stranding to nearly 500 pounds.

Calypso was in good health throughout her life and displayed no clear signs of illness or distress in the days leading up to her death. At this time, her cause of death remains unknown. A full necropsy will be performed to help us gain further insights into what may have caused her sudden passing.

Calypso will be profoundly missed by Aquarium staff, volunteers, and visitors alike. For years, Calypso has been an Aquarium icon who encapsulated the wonder of the ocean for the millions who had the opportunity to see her—and did the same for the staff who saw her daily. She has always inspired love, affection and deep respect.

We thank you for your compassion and well wishes as we mourn her passing."

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The National Aquarium’s dolphins will be moving to a sanctuary.

 

They're all gonna die and the aquarium will be blamed for it. Great.

 

Do you mean from stress from being transported?

 

No, the aquarium's dolphins have lived in water area of water for decades at this point, I wouldn't be surprised if they died from the shock of the new water or diseases/parasites/infections that came with it.

 

Oh ok. That makes sense.

 

Did they finally pick a date, or even a location? They've been saying this for a few years now.

 

They posted on their Instagram that they are preparing them for resiliency training, so I'm sure within a few months.

 

This is something they've been working on for at least a year, too. They keep making "updates" like this without ever having specifics.

 

A site has not been selected yet. They won't be leaving Pier 4 anytime soon. Pre- pandemic timeline put the move at end of 2021. With current events, that timeline has most certainly been pushed back. The National Dolphins Sanctuary will house not only Baltimore's dolphins, but others as well from institutions phasing out cetacean programs over the course of the decade.

 

It is a politically in-correct disaster waiting to happen. Sanctuaries should accommodate dolphins beached and in need of some rescue. Marine facilities with dolphinaria after decades of husbandry and maintaining the regular dolphin and small whale taxa are quite able what a sanctuary cannot provide for longterm. I am sorry but I really find this whole exercise obsolete, beyond the pale and an excuse into "pseudo" science.

Who will now advocate for marine issues visibly in the built up human global world where connections to nature are lacking (actually this whole sanctuary thing does delve into that too) and no amount of soft Animal Planet or hard evidence based wildlife documentary is ever going to sway people and most of all the indifferent to start conserving marine life and / or whales and dolphins of the open ocean pelagic and coastal seas.

 

Any further National Aquarium dolphin sanctuary discussion can be addressed here: Ending the Dolphin Exhibit? [National Aquarium in Baltimore]

 

A baby Merten's Water Monitor has hatched after a year and a half incubation period.

 

Nice breeding result. A first for the zoo aquarium?

 

I believe so.

 

Two Sandstone Snake-necked Turtles have hatched in Australia: Wild Extremes. They are believed to be the only of their species to hatch in captivity.

I actually didn’t know they even kept this species. They aren’t signed.

 

Instagram mention even 7 babies Chelodina burrungandjii having hatched at the National Aquarium .

 

Oops, must've read that wrong.

 

Found also this article about the breeding :

Rare Australian Turtles Hatch at National Aquarium | Chesapeake Bay Magazine

 

Probably only representatives of sandstone long-neck turtles outside Australia apparently.
Is this species bred more often in Australia or is it a rarity too there?