Marine Life
Hello, Stuffie Friends- Long Time, No Sea! (That’s a pun because this post is all about the ocean.)
Some of us went to Oregon friends to see our friends. When we got to MSP (our local airport), our eyes immediately found an interesting sight- this welcome sign from some Viking characters. Maybe they followed us back from Ireland as stowaways? They were too big to board the plane to Oregon. That’s too bad, because we had some gorgeous views. If you squint, you can see Mt. Rainier out the window.
Yeti and S’mores were amazing tour guides. They took us on a Whale of a Tour. It started at the local library in Lincoln City. Whales already!
Our next stop was some whale watching in Depoe Bay. They said we were guaranteed to see some whales.
Hah- guess they meant this sculpture. We actually saw some whale spouts out in the ocean but they were too far away to get a good picture. And we got up close and personal with this friend, who had her own spouts. We had to be careful not to get wet.
(Yes, the sign says not to climb. But, you know us!) Next, we headed south to Newport’s Hatfield Marine Science Center. There was a lot to see, including this complete skeleton of a blue whale. This friend was HUGE. It was awesome! We sure are glad we didn’t go swimming in the Pacific Ocean if there are more like them.
Inside the HMSC there was a vertebrate from a whale backbone. We had our picture taken to give you a sense of size… Whoa!
There were many more examples of marine life in the exhibits. Amelia Airheart was interested in this Orca whale display which made us realize how big their teeth are. No wonder they eat so many seals and salmon!
Speaking of chompers…. You thought we had big teeth? Take a look at this walrus.
And here’s another friend with sharp teeth.,,
We decided to take a break from scary skeletons that would eat us if they were still alive. Monte spotted a couple of old friends in a special touch tank. He chatted with them and caught up with the marine news.
Amelia found this really cool topographical map where you could play in the sand and it changed colors. Deep holes were dark blue and high mountains were orange. You could even make it rain on the hills and snow on the mountains. It was super fun to play with.
Flambe was interested in this diving helmet from a long time ago. He’s thinking about starting a career as a welder. He’d be really good at it because of his high temperature.
Penne spent most of our time in the marine center looking for fish. We found some in the aquariums, but he wasn’t allowed to eat them. He was pretty disappointed until he found this fish…
Unfortunately, he went to taste it and it was covered in some really horrible tasting clear preservative. Ferdinand and Jacques were fascinated by the display with the lighthouse. It was challenging to work the machine and make the light come on. We learned a lot about how waves generate power- thanks, ocean!
We had to drag Monte away from the beach, where he was happily playing in the sand. He said it made him feel right at home. Guess we’ll have to head to the lake when we get back to Minnesota!
Scottie learned all about a career at sea and thought about moving to Oregon. Too bad he’s too small for the required gear and life vests.
The next part of our tour involves cheese and ice cream. Can’t wait!