World Ocean’s Day is coming up on June 8 and, to commemorate this day, the Vancouver Festival of Ocean Films will be featuring its third annual film festival and competition presenting three shows of world-class, ocean-centred documentaries on June 8 and 9, 2012 at the VIFF Vancity Theatre.

Vancouver Aquarium is proud to help raise awareness of our connection to oceans and waterways. The 10 films screened at the festival will touch upon important issues ranging from seafood sustainability to the state of today’s aquatic environment to the future of polar bears.

Below are titles of just a few of the films that will be featured:

• Ice Bears of the Beaufort and The Polar Explorer follow the journeys of an Arctic polar bear and an environmentalist in Antarctica (respectively) in the fragile polar ecosystems of the world
• Fish Meat examines sustainability in fish farming and production
• This is Your Ocean: Sharks takes a closer look at the global plight of sharks and introduces viewers to a massive 14-foot tiger shark named Emma

Meet Emma, a 14-foot tiger shark featured in "This is Your Ocean: Sharks"

Tickets are available online and at the door. View the film schedule for dates and times. Ticket sales after expenses will benefit the Georgia Strait Alliance to support its mission to protect and restore the marine environment and promote the sustainability of Georgia Strait, its adjoining waters and communities.

Penguins are a much-awaited addition to the Vancouver Aquarium family. The new Penguin Point exhibit will not only enhance the visitors’ experience, but also offer more learning opportunities within our many educational programs.

Contrary to popular belief, not all penguins live in the snow and ice of the Antarctic. The new home of these African penguins, Penguin Point, is inspired by Boulders Beach in Cape Town, South Africa, their natural environment. Visitors are invited to explore this new exhibit to learn more about African penguins and how they compare to the 17 other species of penguins. With this new exhibit comes a live penguin cam launching tomorrow, which will be available 24 hours a day.

Since these penguins are new to the Aquarium, we need your help naming them after B.C. cities, towns or neighbourhoods. Until June 17, you’re invited to enter suggestions along with pictures, videos or written submissions that highlight your favorite B.C. place. The Vancouver Aquarium will select winners who will receive a one-year family membership, and have the chance to take three friends on a VIP penguin experience. Details are available here.

Through our many educational programs, visitors will discover how penguins – birds that have lost the ability to fly – have adapted to life at sea. A unique, daily penguin-themed family program, complete with crafts, songs, stories and games, will be offered by the interpretive delivery team.

African penguins are an endangered species, and their population has declined by 90 per cent since the early 1900s – mostly due to overfishing and climate change. Both factors have affected the breeding success of these penguins. Through the Species Survival Plan program of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Vancouver Aquarium and other accredited zoos and aquariums in North America are helping to save penguins while giving visitors an opportunity to learn about them up-close.

One easy way for everyone to help protect endangered sea bird species such as penguins is to choose to eat sustainable seafood. Healthy fish stocks are critical to the survival of penguins. The Ocean Wise symbol next to a seafood item is the Vancouver Aquarium’s assurance of an ocean-friendly choice.

Snappz: Vancouver Aquarium is an interactive treasure hunt game designed in collaboration with our content experts to deliver a fun and educational experience that features our aquatic animals.

The game is played on the iPhone, iPod (4^th gen) or iPad during your Aquarium visit (an Android version is coming soon). To play the game, you must find up to 25 “Snappz Tags” that have been strategically placed throughout the Aquarium – some are easy to spot and some are hidden.

Once you find a Snappz Tag, use the Snappz app to scan the special code and unlock an interactive challenge. These challenges correspond to the exhibit where the tag is located and are designed to highlight unique aquatic life and special exhibits found in the Vancouver Aquarium.

Finding Snappz Tags and completing challenges allows you to earn the rank of “Seeker” to “Explorer” or “Adventurer” and claim your take home reward in the SubShop, located on the lower level of the Aquarium. Are you up to the challenge?

Following six months of intensive rehabilitation at the Aquarium’s Rescue Centre, Jack was deemed non-releasable by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. He was rescued at a neonatal age and has not developed the necessary skills that would enable him to survive in the wild. So Jack’s been provided a new home at the Vancouver Aquarium where he can continue to receive the care he needs.

The harbour porpoise was discovered stranded on the beach in Horseshoe Bay on September 16, 2011 by members of the public who alerted the Vancouver Aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue Centre. When the rescue team arrived to Horseshoe Bay, the 12-kilogram stranded male harbour porpoise was having difficulty breathing and could no longer swim. His muscles and skin were severely damaged due to the pressure of being stranded.

The harbour porpoise, later named Jack, was weak, malnourished, and dehydrated when found. Once the animal was admitted to the Aquarium’s hospital, the team provided emergency treatment and immediately placed him under 24-hour care and monitoring.

Jack’s lengthy rehabilitation necessitated more than two months of around-the-clock care provided by the Rescue Centre, and was supported by more than 60 devoted volunteers. The group of volunteers, along with staff, spent numerous nights with Jack, and provided more than 2,000 volunteer hours.

To ensure he received the necessary nutrients to heal and gain weight, Jack was fed a unique fish-based formula every two hours for the first eight consecutive weeks. At the beginning of his rehabilitation, Jack needed the support of a flotation device, as he was too weak to swim on his own. After a few weeks, he was encouraged to exercise freely in order to heal damaged muscles. The Rescue Centre team created a unique physiotherapy plan to help him regain motion and strength.

Thanks to the tremendous effort by staff and volunteers, Jack was able to regain strength and is now healthy and thriving. We are happy to provide him a home at the Vancouver Aquarium and also a new companion, Daisy. Daisy was rescued by the Aquarium’s Rescue Centre in 2008 and has been living at the Aquarium since 2009. Jack and Daisy were introduced last month and are both doing extremely well, interacting and playing with each other.

After being deemed non-releasable by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Jack and Daisy are the only harbour porpoises living in an aquarium in North America. They now share a home in the harbour porpoise habitat at the Aquarium where staff and volunteers continue to provide the care and support they need.

If you see a stranded animal, please call the Vancouver Aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue Centre at 604.258.SEAL (7325) for immediate assistance. And please, come and visit Jack and Daisy at the Vancouver Aquarium!

While we’re not quite looking at a bonified investigation, we are using DNA analysis to help solve a mystery.

During a recent dive in Skookumchuck Narrows on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Aquarium biologist Justin Lisaingo spotted what appeared to be tiny gooseneck barnacles. After conferring with our senior biologists, it was agreed that this was a species of gooseneck barnacle – but not one that any of them had ever seen before.

It’s not hard in this day and age to believe that everything under the sun has been discovered. With the new technologies we have today, humans seem to have touched every corner of this Earth. That’s why this discovery in Skookumchuck Narrows’ nutrient-rich waters was especially remarkable – Justin found this mysterious animal in a place frequented by divers, using only his keen eyes and astute observation.

Two gooseneck barnacles with feather-like "feet" extended

Like acorn barnacles, which you would encounter on hard surfaces during a day at the beach, gooseneck barnacles are also attached to rocks and have feather-like “feet” (cirri). They use their cirri to snag plankton (microscopic plants and animals) that float by for food (see video below).

The gooseneck barnacles that Justin found are smaller than the nail of your pinky finger, and could have been easily overlooked by other divers. He says they resemble the many-plated goose-neck barnacle (Scalpellum columbianum) but he’s not certain. The plan now is to send a sample to a barnacle expert who can test its DNA and tell us whether these gooseneck barnacles have already been identified – or whether a new species has just been discovered.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Large circle hook swallowed by endangered monk seal in Hawaii (NOAA)

Vancouver Aquarium veterinarian, Dr. Martin Haulena, received an emergency call on May 9 to fly to Hawaii to help support a local rescue effort.

Rescued Hawaiian monk seal named "Sharkbite" (NOAA)

He participated in two successful procedures to remove accidentally-ingested fishing hooks from endangered monk seals on May 10.

Dr. Haulena gives endangered monk seal anesthesia for surgical procedure (NOAA)

One of the monk seals required surgery to remove the hook, which was lodged deep in the esophagus near the opening to the stomach. Dr. Haulena performed the anesthesia and collaborated with Dr. Robert Braun and veterinarians at the Honolulu Zoo to remove the hook. The seal is in recovery and rehabilitation is expected to take several days to weeks.

Large circle hook that was removed from the monk seal (NOAA)

The Hawaiian monk seal is the most endangered North American pinniped. Some of the known threats to monk seals include habitat loss and injuries caused by human interactions.

The Aquarium is part of an international network of organizations that help to rescue and provide emergency care to animals in distress, especially those threatened with extinction. This rescue effort was a collaboration among several organizations including the Vancouver Aquarium, Honolulu Zoo, Hawaii Department of Land and National Resources and NOAA Fisheries Service Pacific Island Regional Office (Protective Resources Division).

The Aquarium’s own Marine Mammal Rescue Centre, a marine animal hospital, rescues, rehabilitates and releases up to 150 animals each year.

Add your name to the registry via ShorelineCleanup.ca/tsunami.

As debris arrives and accumulates on shores along the Canadian West Coast, registrants will be contacted for activation by local Shoreline Cleanup site coordinators with details outlining cleanup locations, dates and times.

The new registry provides the opportunity to connect concerned citizens with local communities needing support. The devastating tsunami that hit the Japanese coast in March 2011 washed millions of tonnes of debris into the ocean. It is estimated that up to 1.5 million tonnes of debris may reach the North American West Coast, but it is unknown as to when it will arrive, and in what amount.

Ocean debris poses one of the biggest challenges to our oceans and waterways. Although preventing debris resulting from tragic natural disasters isn’t always possible, there are actions that can be taken to help address the issue.

Shoreline litter is a larger issue that goes beyond just one incident. Through direct-action efforts such as the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, individuals, teams and groups can do their part to help keep our waters clean and assist communities who will need this support.

Participating in the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is one way individuals and groups can directly contribute, helping to make our oceans more resilient – now and for generations to come. The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup has recruited and trained volunteers for the past 19 years, and is best known for its fall cleanup campaign, which, this year, will take place from Sept. 15-23, 2012. Registration is also open for the fall cleanup at ShorelineCleanup.ca. Last year 56,000 Canadians participated in clean-ups in 1,600 locations across the country.

Dreamnight at the Vancouver Aquarium was filled with smiles and laughter. Bobs and LoLo joined the party and offered live entertainment. Graham the Magic Guy worked his magic performing unique magic tricks. Children enjoyed watching the beluga, sea lion and dolphin shows, interacting with touch pools filled with intriguing creatures, enjoying a special screening of the 4D movie experience, and being entertained by many mascot friends including Fin, Leo the Lion, and Bob the Brown Bear, and the Aquarium’s Bee Bop.

This year, Dreamnight was dedicated to patients from B.C. Children’s Hospital, Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada, Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, Make-A-Wish Foundation of B.C. & Yukon, Children’s Wish Foundation, Variety – The Children’s Charity, Sunshine Foundation Dreams for Kids, and Children’s Heart Network.

A special thank you to our presenting sponsor, Spence Diamonds, and to our supporting sponsors, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada, Limelight Food of Canada, and Coca-Cola Canada. Photography for the event was provided by Ophelia Photography.

Veterinarians from around the region are convening on Hawaii for an opportunity to help save this critically endangered species, including the Aquarium’s veterinarian, Dr. Haulena.

Dr. Haulena has been part of the Hawaiian monk seal program for many years and is one of the more experienced veterinarians able to administer surgical anesthetics to monk seals. Several years ago he participated in a very long and complicated procedure to remove a large fish hook from a monk seal.

The Hawaiian monk seal is the most endangered North American pinniped. Some of the known threats to monk seals include habitat loss and injuries caused by human interactions.

The Aquarium is part of an international network of organizations that help to rescue and provide emergent care to animals in distress, especially those threatened with extinction. We have developed many techniques to provide emergent and ongoing care for our rescue animals at the Aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue Centre – some of these techniques will be used to help save this monk seal.

Have you been lucky enough to see a whale? Or dolphins on a nearby paddle? If so, your sightings can support research efforts that in turn help these marine animals, and can be shared with our B.C. Cetacean Sightings Network.

Many cetaceans (the group of aquatic animals that include whales, dolphins, or porpoises) can be found year-round in the Strait of Georgia, including killer whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, Dall’s porpoises, and harbour porpoises. Other cetaceans such as humpback whales and grey whales mainly migrate through our coastal waterways in the spring and summer, sometimes lingering into the winter months.

While it’s a thrill to spot these animals in our marine backyard, many cetacean species are still poorly understood and are facing significant challenges. Pollution, ship strikes, underwater noise, declining prey and entanglement in fishing gear are all issues facing cetaceans in B.C. In fact, eleven of these species in B.C. are categorized as Special Concern, Threatened, or Endangered, according to the Species at Risk Act.

This is where you come in. The B.C. Cetacean Sightings Network, a program of the Vancouver Aquarium, in collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, works to collect sightings from a network of volunteer observers (such as yourself!) to better understand and protect these animals. So far over 3,300 people in B.C. have contributed to the project, and you can too.

Observers come from diverse backgrounds - coastal residents, fishermen, professional mariners, recreational boaters, avid naturalists, and everyday citizens, to name a few. These observers act as citizen scientists, reporting where and when they see the animal(s), which in turn helps researchers and government agencies learn more about their occurrence and habitat use.  For example, decades of opportunistic Pacific white-sided dolphin sightings reveal that these dolphins have shifted from offshore areas to coastal waters.

Observers are asked to provide as much information as possible, including:
• Location
• Time
• Species
• Number of animals
• Sighting distance
• Behaviour
• If possible, photos/video to accompany a sighting

To learn more about identifying species and tips on what to look for, visit our Sightings Network website.

To get involved, it’s as easy as filling out a report online, sending an email (sightings@vanaqua.org), or call the Network’s toll-free number (1 866 I SAW ONE/ 1 866 472 9662).