Celebration of Conservation Virtual Research Mission™
Welcome Teachers. Below are the Seamails from the our Celebration of Conservation Science Team Members. Below each SEAMAIL™ are photos, videos, activities, and Explorer mini-posters (bios) that go with or are related to the Seamail topic. You can pick and choose, mix and match the Seamails, photos, activities…etc. how ever you would like to use them with your class.
(NOTE: Celebration of Conservation Curriculum, including activities, fact sheets, photos, and art are for classroom use only and may not be reproduced, copied, sold, used in other works or used to produce or create other works, posted on-line, or used outside of a classroom. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©WhaleTimes, Inc.)
TEAM GRAY WHALE
- Photo: The Beautiful Gray Whale
- Information: Whales
- Information: Baleen Whales
- Poster: Gray Whale Poster 11 x 17 Courtesy of Oregon Coast Aquarium’s Oceanscape Network
- Video: Baleen vs Toothed Whale Courtesy of Oregon Coast Aquarium’s Oceanscape Network
- Activity: Ask the Ocean Experts (Skype prep)
SEAMAIL: Welcome to the Celebration of Conservation from Dr. DAVE WELER
- Photo: Gray Whale Mother and Calf
- Photo: Gray whale mother and calf (b/w)
- Photo: Spyhopping Gray Whale
- Photo: Piedras Blancas Lighthouse
- Photo: Piedras Blancas Lighthouse Aerial View 1
- Photo: Piedras Blancas Lighthouse Aerial View 2
- Mini-Poster: David Weller Ocean Explorer Mini-Poster
- Activity: Make a Virtual Team Member Mini-poster
- Activity: A Celebration of Conservation Journal
- Activity: Team Gray Whale Certificate
- Information: Whales
- Information: Baleen Whales
- Video: Gray Whales (Courtesy Oregon Coast Aquarium’s Oceanscape Network)
- Video: Baleen vs Toothed Whale Courtesy of Oregon Coast Aquarium’s Oceanscape Network
SEAMAIL: Meet Team Gray Whale from Dr. Weller
- Photo: Susan Chivers, Morgan Lynn, and Brittany Hancock-Hanser
- Photo: Gray whale joined by dolphins
- Activity: Whale Tracking Tear Art
SEAMAIL: Meet the Long Distance Traveler from Dr. Weller
- Photo: Bigeyes Platform
- Photo: Piedras Blancas and Big Eyes Platform
- Photo: Whales in San Ignacio Lagoon, Mexico
- Photo: Gray whale blowholes
- Map: Gray Whale Migration Route
- Activity: Gray Whale Count
- HANDOUTS or REFERENCE: Gray Whale Counts
- Activity: Gray Whale Grid (graphing activity)
SEAMAIL: Gray Whale Babies from Dr. Weller
- Photo: Breaching Baby Gray Whale
- Photo: Gray Whale Mother and Calf
- Activity: Drink Up Baby!
- HANDOUT: Drink Up Baby!
- Activity: Growth Chart
- Activity: Chalk it Up To Gray Whales
SEAMAIL: More About Gray Whale Calves
- Photo: Gray whale mother and calf (b/w)
- Activity: Drink Up Baby!
- HANDOUT: Drink Up Baby!
- Activity: Growth Chart
SEAMAIL: Gray Whale Diet from Dr. Weller
- Photo: Gray whale feeding in the mud
- Photo: Amphipod
- Photo: Baleen Plate
- Photo: Baleen Plates Outside
- Photo: Baleen Plates Inside
- Photo: Breaching gray whale baleen visible
- Photo: Mud plumes
- Photo: Humpback Whales Feeding
- Information: Baleen Whales
SEAMAIL: Identifying Gray Whales from Dr. Weller
- Photo: Side View of Gray Whale
- Photo: Pirate
- Photo: Aerial view of gray whales
- Activity: ID that Whale
SEAMAIL: Test your Skills 1: Identify the Gray Whales
- Photo: Gray Whale 1
- Photo: Gray Whale 2
- Photo: Gray Whale 3
SEAMAIL: Test your Skills 2: Gray Whale Identities
- Photo: Doorknob
- Photo: Eagle Eye
- Photo: Shamrock
- Photo: Shamrock Up Close
SEAMAIL: Flex the Famous Gray Whale from Dr. Weller
- Photo: Flex Swimming off the Coast of Russia
- Photo: Tagged Gray Whale
- Activity: Gray Whale Grid (graphing activity)
- Activity: Gray Whale Fortune Teller
- HANDOUT: Gray Whale Fortune Teller
SEAMAIL: Gray Whales and Climate Change from Dr. Weller
- Photo: Breaching gray whale
- Activity: Chalk it Up To Gray Whales
SEAMAIL: Good Bye from DAVE WELLER
- Photo: One last wave good bye
- Activity: Team Gray Whale Certificate
TEAM ELEPHANT SEAL
For additional photos , see list of at the end of Elephant Seal Section
SEAMAIL: Hello From Año Nuevo from Patrick Robinson
- Photo: Año Nuevo Point
- Photo: Male elephant seal on beach at Año Nuevo
- Photo: Female and pup on beach at Año Nuevo
- Photo: Male seal on beach at Año Nuevo
- Photo: Male elephant seals battling on beach
- Video: Aerial view of Año Nuevo (NOTE: Link takes you to YouTube)
- Mini-Poster: Patrick Robinson Ocean Explorer Mini-Poster
- Mini-Poster: Daniel Costa Ocean Explorer Mini-Poster
- Activity: Celebration of Conservation Journal
- Activity: Ask the Ocean Experts (Skype prep)
- Activity: Make a Virtual Team Member Mini-poster
- Activity: TEAM ELEPHANT SEAL Certificate
SEAMAIL: Elephant Seal 6967 from Patrick Robinson
- Photo: Elephant Seal 6967’s tag
- Handout: Elephant Seal 6967
- Video: Live feed from Año Nuevo (There are no lights, so no night time viewing)
- Activity: Elephant Seal Tagging and Sighting
- Coloring Sheet: Diving Elephant Seal
- Coloring Sheet: Mother and pup
- Coloring Sheet: Male Elephant Seal on the Beach
SEAMAIL: Elephant Seal 6967 Follow up from Patrick Robinson
- Photo: Elephant Seal 6967
- Activity: Science Team Report-Team Elephant SealActivity Photos: Elephant Seal Rookeries
- Activity: Elephant Seal Count
- Activity Photos: Elephant Seal Rookeries
SEAMAIL: A Volunteer’s First Day from Patrick Robinson and Tamara Russell
- Field Notes: Tamara Russell
- Photo: Seal pup with plastic debris
- Activity: Seals on the Beach
SEAMAIL: Attaching a Satellite Tracking Device on an Elephant Seal from Patrick Robinson
- Photo: Attaching a Satellite Tracking Device
- Photo: Gluing on the Satellite Tracking Device
- Coloring Sheet: Diving Elephant Seal
- Activity: Seal Spud Stamp Art
SEAMAIL: How to get an elephant seal pup’s underwater view from Patrick Robinson
- Photo: Why its hard to find one seal in a sea of elephant seals
- Photo: Transporting an elephant seal
- Photo: An Elephant Seal Pup’s View
- Photo: Attaching a Satellite Tracking Device
- Photo: Gluing on the Satellite Tracking Device
- Video: An Elephant Seal’s View of the Ocean (Link takes you to YouTube) Video footage from this seal’s migration back to Año Nuevo. Video about 20 minutes long. If you go to time-stamp 2:45 you will see a very interesting interaction with a harbor seal!
- Activity: Seal Spud Stamp Art
OTHER: Additional photos to use as needed
- Photo: Elephant seals sleeping in a ‘dog pile’
- Photo: Another Elephant Seal dog pile
- Photo: Male vocalizing
- Photo: Sleeping Elephant Seal with cool reflection
- Photo: Male Elephant Seals battling on the beach
- Photo: Elephant seal side view on beach
- Photo: Elephant seals at Piedras Blancas (where our Gray Whale Science Team is located)
- Photo: More Piedras Blancas Elephant Seals
- Video: Talking with Elephant Seals: Cool video about research about male elephant seal communicate studied at Año Nuevo. (Link takes you to the Año Nuevo Research Site)
Activities (all in one place):
- Activity: Make a Virtual Team Member Mini-poster
- Activity: Celebration of Conservation Journal
- Activity: Ask the Ocean Experts (Skype prep)
- Activity: TEAM ELEPHANT SEAL Certificate
- Activity: Seals on the Beach
- Activity: Elephant Seal Tagging and Sighting
- Activity: Science Team Report-Team Elephant Seal
- Activity Photos: Elephant Seal Rookeries
- Activity: Elephant Seal Count
- Activity Photos: Elephant Seal Rookeries
- Activity: Seal Spud Stamp Art
- Coloring Sheet: Diving Elephant Seal
- Coloring Sheet: Mother and pup
- Coloring Sheet: Male Elephant Seal on the Beach
TEAM VAQUITA
Fact sheets and activities:
- Fact Sheets:
- Save the Vaquita Fact Sheet booklet
- Vaquita Fact Sheet
- Vaquita At-a-glance Fact Sheet
- Totoaba Fact Sheet
- Totoaba At-a-glance Fact Sheet
- Shrimp of Gulf of Mexico At-a-glance Fact Sheet
- Squid What’s in a Vaquita’s Lunchbox?
- Fish: What’s in a Vaquita’s Lunchbox?
- What’s in a Vaquita’s Lunchbox?
- What is Sustainable?
- Victim of By Catch (courtesy of Oregon Coast Aquarium)
- Whales
- Echolocation
- Map: Vaquita Distribution (pdf)
- Maps: Gulf of California (pdf)
- Activity: A Celebration of Conservation Journal
- Activity: 30 Days to a Sustainable You
- Activity: Vaquita Windsock
- Activity: CAN YOU FIND ME? Mini book
- HANDOUT: CAN YOU FIND ME Mini book (English)
- HANDOUT: ¿PUEDES ENCONTRARME? Mini book (Spanish)
- Activity: Vaquita Food web
- Activity: Gulf of CA Mural
- Activity: Vaquita Puppet
- Activity: TEAM VAQUITA Certificate
- Activity: Make a Virtual Team Member Mini-poster
- Photos: Vaquita (pdf)
- Photos: Researchers aboard RV Ocean Starr
- Video: Baleen vs Toothed Whale Courtesy of Oregon Coast Aquarium’s Oceanscape Network
SEAMAIL: Vaquita: Shy and in Trouble
- Information: Whales
- Map: Vaquita Distribution (pdf)
- Maps: Gulf of California (pdf)
- Photos: Vaquita (pdf)
- Photos: Researchers aboard RV Ocean Starr
- Activity: Conservation Makeover Vaquita and Totoaba
- Activity: Vaquita puppet
- Activity: 30 Days to a Sustainable You
- Fact Sheet: What is Sustainable?
- Fact Sheet: Victim of By Catch (courtesy of Oregon Coast Aquarium)
SEAMAIL: Watching and Looking for Vaquita
- Information: Whales
- Map: Vaquita Distribution (pdf)
- Maps: Gulf of California (pdf)
- Photos: Big Eyes and Researchers aboard RV Ocean Starr
- Photos: Launching Acoustic Monitoring Equipment
- Photos: Vaquita (pdf)
- VIDEO: Videos of vaquita filmed through “Big eyes” and a fun video of scientists using Big Eyes filmed with a GoPro camera (stop action) from Vaquita Expedition 2015 are available here. (Link to SWFSC/NOAA Webpage)
- AUDIO: Listen to vaquita sounds recorded on a CPOD on June 26, 2008 (courtesy of Nick Tregenza). The clicks occur in clusters at a rate of 20 or more per second. The individual clicks are slowed down to be audible to the human ear, but the timing between clicks is approximately correct. (Link to SWFSC/NOAA Webpage)
- Activity: Gulf of CA Mural
Update June 2017: Gearing Up For Live Capture and Breeding to Save and Rebuild the Population