The Aquarium trip
This past Wednesday our class took a trip to the New England Aquarium in Boston. Not only did we have a fun time, but we were also given the opportunity do observe many marine organisms in real life, and learn much more about the ocean. Learning experiences outside of the classroom environment are beneficial and many ways, and I found that my understanding of many marine systems was expanded upon vastly during our academic endevour. We were able to do hands on work in an environment unfamiliar to us. Though book work and classroom activities are helpful there are many organisms that you truly do need to see to grasp the complexity of their nature. Among my favorite exhibits were the Amazon, the Deep Pacific (with the 9 meter long octopus) and the Seal tank. I also enjoyed the educational texts beside each tank. They enable me to have an actual understanding of what I was viewing!
I chose to observe the penguin exhibit in depth... pun intended. This really gave me a new found appreciation for the observing work that scientists do and I was able to come in touch with my inner Darwin. As I looked at the penguin I chose to observe, he eyed me right back. After he received his food from the feeder that was in the exhibit at the time, he swam away very swiftly. It surprised me that the penguins knew when they were sufficiently fed, and left the scene after that. Many other animals in captivity, it seems, do not know when they are to stop eating and more or less put this decision into the hands of their feeder. The speed at which the penguin swam also came as a surprise to me. It was seemingly not very sleek and I thought it would not be capable of hitting such speeds, but alas, he was a zippy one for sure.