Saving Little Cayman from the lionfish

Give Blood During Shark Week- Help Save a Life!

Did you know? 

• Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood.
• More than 44,000 blood donations are needed every day.
• Just one pint of blood can save up to three lives! 

Did you know? 

YOU can help! Giving blood is a safe, simple process, and SEA LIFE is happy to be hosting a blood drive during shark week here at the aquarium.

The blood drive takes place on Friday, August 9th from 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., and is one place you can give blood during shark week without losing a limb!

So how can you donate blood? 

First, you need to register. Registering for the SEA LIFE Aquarium Mall of America Blood Drive is quite easy-- just make an appointment by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS, or go online at www.redcrossblood.org using the sponsor code 0177757.

Next, you will give your medical history, and are given a mini-physical, checking your temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and hemoglobin to make sure it is safe for you to give blood.

Finally, you will get to donate! Once you are finished with the donation, you will be offered refreshments, and as an added incentive, any donor will receive a free admission to SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium.

Have a question about donating blood? 

If you are unsure about being eligible to donate blood, or have any questions about donating, feel free to call the confidential American Red Cross Donor Health Line at 1-866-236-3276.

So... what are you waiting for?

If you began donating blood at age 17 and donated every 56 days until you reached 76, you would have donated 48 gallons of blood, potentially helping save more than 1,000 lives!


For more information about donating blood, visit www.redcrossblood.org

WE NEED YOUR HELP! Act Right Now to Save North Atlantic Right Whales

Did you know...

There are fewer than 500 North Atlantic right whales remaining-- this means they are close to extinction.

Did you know...

YOU can help! More than 70% of Right whale deaths are caused by humans, so that means there are many ways we can help out.

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation, or WDC, are working with SEA LIFE to help campaign to have legislation in place to protect these creatures. The campaign will launch on World Ocean's Day (June 8th), and will go until October. When you come visit SEA LIFE beginning June 8th, there will be post cards available in the aquarium to sign the petition-- a simple signature can help save the lives of these beautiful creatures!



What are Right whales?

Found on the WDC website, Right whales usually swim along the east coast of the United States and Canada. They spend much of their time near bays, peninsulas, and in shallow coastal waters. Right whales, also known as Eubalaena glacialis, got their name by being considered the "right" whales to hunt because they are slow moving and coastal. They have a smooth back and no dorsal fin, and when they exhale, they create a V-shaped blow.  

     Photo from http://actrightnow.whales.org/


So what are the top three threats for these North Atlantic giants?

According to the WDC website, the top threats include:

1) Vessel Strikes
2) Fishing Gear Entanglements
3) Habitat Degradation

These can all be prevented, and by signing the petition, we will be one step closer to saving the Right whales!

For more information on Right whales, or to donate to WDC, please visit http://actrightnow.whales.org/

Shark Parade to celebrate the 4th of July!

Have you ever imagined seeing a shark parade? Probably not... but at SEA LIFE Minnesota, that is exactly what happened! On the morning of Tuesday, July 2nd, a gang of sea creatures were released into the 500,000 gallon Atlantis tank, including brown, blacktip, and wobbegong sharks along with southern stingrays and a group of cobia. The SEA LIFE Minnesota staff worked hard making sure everything ran smoothly so the new critters would have a comfortable and safe transition into their new home.

  photo of the SEA LIFE team prepping for the release 

Among the group of sea creatures released in the tank is the brown shark, also known as the sandbar shark. According to cheseapeakebay.net, the sandbar shark is one of the largest coastal sharks, and can grow to about 7 feet long. 

Another shark we added to our SEA LIFE family is the blacktip shark, which is found in warm coastal waters around the world- so it often encounters people. Found on National Geographic's website, blacktip sharks can weigh anything from 66-220 pounds!

                                                                           

                                                                           

Some other cool critters we released into the tank are the southern stingrays. From oceana.org, southern stingrays are feared because they have long tails that are equipped with one or more venomous spines. Even though they can't see their prey because their eyes are on top of their head, they can still sense them by using smell and electro-receptors.    

                                                                                                            

As part of the democratic theme this week, SEA LIFE Minnesota is inviting its Facebook fans to submit names for the two southern stingrays from now until July 8th. YOU could be the one to name these new guys as they adjust to their new home here at the aquarium.

Check out our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/SEALIFEMN.

LIONFISH: Delightful to Look at, Dangerous to Touch!

When thinking of a dangerous sea creature, what do you think of? Maybe a Great White Shark with sharp teeth, or a jellyfish with its stinger. But did you know that the lionfish is considered to be one of the most venomous fish in the sea?! The spikes that you can see on lionfish are called pectoral rays, and they are all extremely venomous.

Since lionfish are an invasive species, they multiply very quickly, and have huge appetites! Lucky for them, they are the predators, and are never prey--not even sharks want to eat these guys!

Kare 11 News caught up with a group of local high school students from Stillwater, MN who are spending their summer saving Little Cayman Island from these unwanted invaders. The instructor and organizer, Randy Christman, told the students they needed to stand on their heads under water in order to successfully catch the Lionfish. 
Check out the full story!

Lionfish usually hide during the daytime and remain motionless, and are awake during the night to feed. They catch their prey by trapping it into a corner, but they don't bother chewing their food--they swallow it whole! Their favorite foods on the menu? Small fish, shrimps, and crabs. Lionfish can live to be 16 years old when living in the wild.

So what happens if you get stung by one of these beautiful, but dangerous, creatures? Stay calm, but treat it right away. The best way to treat the sting is to heat the affected area. Although lionfish are fun to look at, it's probably best to observe them safely through the aquarium tank!