This is the first of a series of photo posts from California. Keith Ellenbogen, a photographer and frequent contributor to the Global Explorers Blog, is sharing pictures from an expedition he completed with Conservation International (CI) and the Ocean Health Index to create an awareness about environmental threats and solutions that impact the relationship between people and the sea.  


A adorable sea otter appearing to waive hello while resting in the kelp in Monterey Bay

For this part of the assignment we chose to create a story that focused on sea otters, and how people both positively and negatively impacted the world around them.



Sea otter using a rock to break open a clam

In the early 1900’s, the sea otter -- one of the cutest and most loveable marine animals -- were hunted to near extinction for their fur. As sea otter populations diminished, sea urchin populations boomed. This boom in sea urchin populations (an animal that eats kelp) caused the kelp forest to decline to a point of real concern.  

 
A kelp hold fast that was ripped off the ground from the ocean surge.


The kelp are the equivalent to the trees within the tropical rain forests. Instead of trees, the kelp is actually a giant algae that uses a root-like structure called a holdfast to remain stationary on the bottom of the ocean. During storms holdfasts get ripped from the sea floor. I happened to see one of these holdfasts entangled within other kelp but drifting within the sea.


The color and texture of leaves of the kelp at the oceans surface.

The kelp are important as a natural barrier to our coastline and act as a natural barrier against the waves, in addition to being a home to lots of marine animals. As I descended to about 50 feet, I was fortunate to swim through giant kelp forests that swayed in the water as waves pushed me forward and backward like a giant pendulum.


A fish swims amid rocking kelp beds

I am happy to report that due to governments and conservation organizations working together, populations of sea otters are stable. While perhaps not yet a perfect success story, it's a success in that otters are on the rebound, not extinct, and that people worked together to help save this iconic species.


A pair of sea otters resting after mating

To learn more about the first part of Keith's trip to the Turtle Islands click here, and continue on to see pictures from Raja Ampat in Indonesia here. Head over to Conservation International's blog for more pictures and perspectives from Keith.

To learn more about a remarkable part of the California coastline known as the Elkhorn Slough, click here.

The Aquarium is sponsoring an expedition to explore seamounts, or underwater volcanos, in Costa Rica, along with several leading underwater exploration and research groups. Over the next couple weeks, look for stories and pictures about this expedition from Aquarium explorers. Learn about previous expeditions to study seamounts in the Sea of Cortez and Raja Ampat, Indonesia.

Today's post comes from Dr. Larry Madin, New England Aquarium Overseer and Executive Vice President and Director of Research at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

While our sub and ROV are focusing attention on the biology of the seamount, others are looking at what lives in the waters above it. Here, 400 miles from shore, we are in open ocean waters, and the water column is home to many different kinds of jelly-like planktonic animals. Groups of divers venture into the upper waters, held by safety lines to keep them from drifting off, and look for the jellyfish and similar animals that float or swim in the clear warm waters.


In the first few days here the prevailing current was from the southwest and brought oceanic species that we would also see in the middle of the Pacific--comb jellies, Pelagia jellyfish, and salps.




After a few days the current shifted, coming instead from the east and coastal waters of Central America. Now there was murky water with few animals but bits of floating plastic and other trash. After another couple of days it shifted again, restoring the community of floating and swimming plankton. Diving in this infinite blue environment is a reminder that we are seeing what 99% of the ocean is like--clear water that is home to diverse, unusual and rarely seen animals that are some of the most abundant creatures on Earth. We get a brief glimpse into the heart of our ocean planet.

Do you like sea jellies? Read this post about blue water diving with Dr. Madin in the Phoenix Islands during a 2009 expedition. Don't miss these salp sightings in the Red Sea from a 2011 expedition and be sure to browse the Aquarium's Exhibit Galleries Blog posts about jellies to learn more about these fascinating animals.
 
For more pictures and stories from this expedition to Costa Rica, follow Greg Stone on Conservation International's blog as he prepares for this expedition and finally sets foot in Costa Rica.

The Aquarium is sponsoring an expedition to explore seamounts, or underwater volcanos, in Costa Rica, along with several leading underwater exploration and research groups. Over the next couple weeks, look for stories and pictures about this expedition from Aquarium explorers. Learn about previous expeditions to study seamounts in the Sea of Cortez and Raja Ampat, Indonesia.

Today's post comes from Alan Dynner, New England Aquarium Overseer (and former Chairman of Board of Overseers and Trustee). 


Fish swimming near Cocos Island in a marine protected area off the coast of Costa Rica. (© CI/ Photo by Sterling Zumbrunn via Conservation International Blog)

Come with me on my second dive in the three-person submarine, Deep See, at the Las Gemelas seamount 340 miles off the coast of Costa Rica in the deep Pacific Ocean. Brian Skerry and I don blue jump suits and black socks, then move to the aft deck of the M/V Argo, where the Deep See rests. The highly trained sub team has checked out every system on the sub and it’s ready to launch. They attach the sling to the huge A-frame crane and Deep See is moved off the deck and into the open U‐shaped well in the stern. The front of the sub is shaped like a big clam shell made of 3.3 inch acrylic, attached to a yellow body holding the engine, the air tanks and lots of other complex machinery.

Our pilot, Shmulik Blum, a former Israeli Navy Seal, climbs aboard and, after he checks the sub again, Brian and I crawl into the two seats in front of the pilot’s station. Brian has his big Nikon, while I hold his extra camera and my own point-and‐shoot Panasonic. The sub was supposed to have an external still camera mounted outside on the bow, but a camera dome failure that flooded the camera has put it out of action. Shmulik reviews once again the safety systems. If anything disables the pilot, one of us is to take his headset to enable communication topside. Then we can release a valve behind my seat that will cause the sub to automatically surface. If there is an electrical failure or fire that causes smoke in the cabin, we have a case by our seat with an oxygen re-breather that can last for three hours, and swim goggles to protect our eyes. While these risks are extremely remote, it is comforting to know that the team has considered all possibilities. We are also comforted in the knowledge that Deep See has made over 1,530 dives without incident.
 
Deep See prepares to descend

The dome is lowered, and we slowly back away from the Argo. A 25-foot boat, Top See, accompanies the sub. Manned by another sub pilot, Top See constantly will track and communicate with Shmulik during our dive. On board, there is an array of sophisticated instruments monitoring things like depth to bottom, depth of the sub, oxygen content, CO2 levels, and bunch of other things that I don’t understand. The on-board computers track our exact location at all times. Every system has a back-up, plus there are mechanical instruments in case of electrical or computer failure. A swimmer from Top See removes the front fenders and the canvas dome cover, and we start our descent.

What a strange feeling to watch the sea cover us, while we sit in comfort breathing air at surface pressure. On the way to the bottom, 700 feet below, we see very little. The light fades, but with our powerful LED floodlights we soon see the volcanic rock bottom. Brian’s mission on this dive is to capture the fantastic jutting peaks and deep crevices that illustrate the tops of these seamounts. As we approach a large canyon, I’m again impressed with the density of small red and orange Bassletts, gorgeous delicate white corals, yellow sponges, brittle sea stars, and crabs that populate the rock face and ledges. Again, we see many big groupers, but also a lot of old fishing lines that remind us that the fish we observe are but small percentage of the number that were here before the seamounts were over-fished.


Brian Skerry, camera in hand, sizes up the deep sea surroundings for pictures

First we visit an area where previous dives have seen the rare, deep-water Prickley shark. We search the area, but there are no sharks around. Then we survey the bottom for interesting rock formations characteristic of the seamount. Brian instructs Shmulik to position the sub near a particularly dramatic rock peak, then spends over 45 minutes working the shot, trying different lighting effects and positioning, while I serve as a foreground model looking out of the sub at the surrounding seascape. When Brian finishes that shoot, we move out and see the ROV approaching just above us—a potentially dangerous situation. If the ROV were to hit the acrylic dome, it might shatter and we would all leave this world in a hurry. Shmulik calls topside to warn off the ROV and we scoot out of danger.


A picture of Alan Dynner in the deep, dark depths during 2008's seamount expedition to the Sea of Cortez.


We are now three hours into the dive and are cleared to surface, as our CO2 level is rising. But as we move far from the ROV to avoid entanglement with its tether, we see a huge Prickly shark, then another with a pup, then a third and a fourth. We’ve unexpectedly hit pay dirt! We approach the largest of these slow-moving giants, and move with it in unison, as it swims within two feet of the sub. Brian is clicking away, taking so many shots that his camera sounds like a machine gun. I’ve been satisfied taking my amateur shots and HD video with my camera to preserve these priceless memories. Too soon, the sharks leave us and we hear the alarm whistle telling us that our CO2 level has exceeded 0.500, or a half percent. There is no real danger unless the level reaches 1 percent, but it’s clearly time to surface. Shumlik increases the oxygen flow into the cabin, and we happily rise through the water column, accompanied by an excited school of squid, shooting jets of ink at us.



A view of the Argo's stern and port side

When we reach the surface, Top See moves over, puts the dome cover on to keep us from heating up too much, and tows us to the Argo. We cruise into the stern well, and the crew raises the dome. We’re back after another thrilling trip to another world.

For more pictures and stories from this expedition to Costa Rica, follow Greg Stone on Conservation International's blog as he prepares for this expedition and finally sets foot in Costa Rica.

This is the third of a series of pictures from the Indonesia. Keith Ellenbogen, a photographer and frequent contributor to the Global Explorers Blog, is sharing pictures from the expedition with Conservation International (CI) and the Ocean Health Index to create an awareness about environmental threats and solutions that impact the relationship between people and the sea.  

This is one of those places that was on my life list of animals to see. Within Indonesia, there are approximately 80 lakes with jellies. This particular lake to my knowledge has not been photographed before. It was a serendipitous moment when we realized one of these jelly lakes was not far away.



It was a challenging hike and even more difficult with my camera equipment.  To get to this remote inland lake we had to walk up and down a very steep and slippery hill —  but worth all the effort.



Upon arrival I was in a euphoric state.  I grabbed my Sea and Sea underwater housing, put on my snorkel and mask and slowly swam to the center of the lake trying not to disturb any of the jellies while I photographed them.



These are non-stinging jellies and as they bumped into me it felt more like a soft kiss with a just a drop of an almost undetectable numbing feeling.
 
  
Before leaving I decided to take a self-portrait to show how densely populated the lake is with these jellyfish.  These jellies are attracted to the sun and each day they pulsate their way to the surface.  These unique habitats are in part what makes Raja Ampat so special.

To learn more about the first part of his trip to the Turtle Islands, click here. Head over to Conservation International's blog for more pictures and perspectives from Keith. 

Aquarium explorers traveled to Raja Ampat in 2011. Dive further into this beautiful part of the marine world through the expedition's blog posts.

The Aquarium is sponsoring an expedition to explore seamounts, or underwater volcanos, in Costa Rica, along with several leading underwater exploration and research groups. Over the next couple weeks, look for pictures and stories about this expedition from Aquarium explorers. Learn about previous expeditions to study seamounts in the Sea of Cortez and Raja Ampat, Indonesia.

Today's post comes from Alan Dynner, New England Aquarium Overseer (and former Chairman of Board of Overseers and Trustee). 

Dr. Larry Madin and I arrived in Costa Rica, a lovely, progressive, stable Central American paradise, on a sunny, mild February 27. At our hotel in San Jose, we met Mike Velings, a Dutch businessman and conservationist, and the next morning, after a beautiful 1 1/2 hour drive to Puntareanas on the Pacific coast, boarded the M/V Argo and left on the noon tide for Cocos Island, 300 miles to the southwest.


Costa Rica's Cocos Island, Photo: Flip Nicklin/Minden Pictures via Conservation International's Blog

On board are Brian Skerry, National Geographic underwater photojournalist and Explorer in Residence and Overseer at the New England Aquarium; Larry Madin, Executive Vice President and Director of Research at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and an Overseer at the Aquarium; Dr. Peter Auster, research professor of marine science at the University of Connecticut; Dr. Jorge Cortes, professor of marine science at the Center for Marine Science and Limology at the University of Costa Rica; Luis Lamar, Brian Skerry’s assistant; Kevin Joy and Lance Horn, pilots and technologists for the remotely operated vehicle (ROV); and Mike Velings. Dr. Greg Stone, Senior Vice President, Marine Conservation, and Chief Ocean Scientist at Conservation International, and Senior Vice President for Exploration and Conservation and an Overseer at the Aquarium, will join us in a few days. I’m on board as a lifetime diver and conservationist, and former Chairman of the Board of Overseers and Trustee, currently an Overseer, at the Aquarium.


Alan Dynner, lifetime diver and conservationist, and former Chairman of the Board of Overseers and Trustee, currently an Overseer, at the Aquarium

Our primary mission on the expedition is for Brian to photograph the Las Gemelas seamounts, 40 miles further southwest from Cocos Island, and for Greg to gather information, for an upcoming article on seamounts they will author for National Geographic magazine. Brian, Greg, and I have participated in two prior expeditions, to the Sea of Cortez, Mexico, in 2008 and to Raja Ampat, West Papua, New Guinea, Indonesia, last year, to collect material for the article. In addition, Larry Madin, one of the world’s foremost experts on pelagic invertebrates (like jellyfish) will collect and study specimens on site. Jorge Cortes, an expert on coral reefs and marine animals of Cocos Island and the surrounding areas, and Peter Auster, known for his work on seamounts (underwater mountains, usually of volcanic origin), will gather data and provide information.

 
M/V Argo

The Argo, a 135-foot ocean exploration vessel with an experienced crew led by owner Avi Klapfer, a legend in marine operations, is perfect for the trip because she has on board a three-person submarine operated by a special crew that can take us down to the 525-foot deep peaks of the seamounts and beyond. In addition, we have an ROV on board for unmanned exploration of the seamounts.

We arrive at Las Gemelas after 40 hours of smooth sailing on unusually calm seas and prepare for the first dive in the submarine, which has been specially rigged with cameras. Brian and I descend in the sub with pilot Shmulik Blum, to the seamount floor. At a depth of 140 feet a hammerhead shark approaches cautiously, then disappears in the gloom with a flick of its tail. The light grows dim as we reach the seamount summit. Our floodlights show a floor of gently sloping basalt rock, punctuated by tall rock ridges and peaks. The rocks are covered with deep water corals, brittle sea stars, sea urchins, and large schools of red basslets. Around the base of the ridges and peaks swim huge groupers, hunting for prey. I’m blown away by the amount of sea life, which is much more dense and various than life on the sea mount in the Sea of Cortez that has suffered from overfishing and other man-made stresses. The only disappointment is that all over the bottom and on many rocks are old fishing lines and ropes, a real threat to our submarine; the biggest danger for a sub is getting snagged by fishing tackle. Then a huge mobula, a type of ray, appears in front of our dome. I almost fall out of my seat in surprise, but luckily grab my point and shoot digital camera and take an HD video of the visit. Shmulik maneuvers the sub under Brian’s direction as he takes images of the world of the seamounts. I’m thrilled and too soon we depart for the surface.

For more pictures and stories from this expedition to Costa Rica, follow Greg Stone on Conservation International's blog as he prepares for this expedition and finally sets foot in Costa Rica.

This is the second of a series of posts from the Indonesia. Keith Ellenbogen, a photographer and frequent contributor to the Global Explorers Blog, is sharing pictures from an expedition with Conservation International (CI) and the Ocean Health Index to create an awareness about environmental threats and solutions that impact the relationship between people and the sea. 

Mangroves and coral reefs are intricately connected. The mangroves provide shelter to many juvenile fish and are an important zone between coral reef habitats and land. I was not only interested in photographing the natural beauty but also working to create images that visualize the connection between mangroves and coral reef ecosystems.


 Soft coral and algae underneath the roots of mangroves

As part of this expedition we spent many hours in shallow water mangroves searching to explore habitats where corals grow on the roots of mangroves. The focus of these images were to visually show ‘compressed’ habitats that can lead to discussions on the interconnections between mangroves and coral reef ecosystems.

 
 Soft coral (Xenia sp.) growing on the root of a mangrove tree
  
One question I sometimes asked is why should we care? It's not an easy answer but an excellent example is the photo below.

Along the mangroves — extreme exposure at low tide. Heliopora sp. (blue coral) have been listed on IUCN Red List for threatened species.

At first it looks just like all the other corals and mangrove images. But this image is shows how life adapts to varied conditions. At low tide the blue coral is exposed to the sun. How does this coral prevent drying out or getting sunburned especially given we are right on the equator? There is research currently underway that is looking to better understand how the coral blocks the sun and how that can be useful for people.

 Upsidedown jelly in seagrass

This is an example of a possible practical connection between people and coral reefs. Unfortunately, this coral species due to loss of mangrove habitat has just been listed on the IUCN Red list for threatened species. There is so much we just don’t know and so much to learn. Who knows what we will discover, what secrets we will find and what our imagination can create?

To learn more about the first part of his trip to the Turtle Islands, click here. Head over to Conservation International's blog for more pictures and perspectives from Keith. 

Aquarium explorers traveled to Raja Ampat in 2011. Dive further into this beautiful part of the marine world through the expedition's blog posts.

This is the first of a series of pictures from the Indonesia. Keith Ellenbogen, a photographer and frequent contributor to the Global Explorers Blog, is sharing pictures from the expedition with Conservation International (CI) and the Ocean Health Index to create an awareness about environmental threats and solutions that impact the relationship between people and the sea. 

For the second part of the Ocean Health Index assignment I travelled to Raja Ampat, Indonesia, one of the worlds most beautiful places with extraordinary diversity of marine life. Traveling by boat within this remote part of the world, I was immediately captivated by the topography and geological structures such as that of the “bee hive” shaped Karst Islands. 


An over under view of a small islands called "Bee Hive" Karst Islands with healthy abundance of hard corals
 
The region is biodiverse and teaming with life. From a photographic point of view the colors, patterns and textures are inspiring. One of my favorite times to dive is when the morning light descends beneath the surface and the activity within the reef begins to awake. One of the schooling fish I enjoyed photographing was fusilers. They are both beautiful as well as an important part of what makes Raja Ampat so biodiverse.

School of fusilers swimming over soft coral with the suns rays descending into the sea 

These schooling fish feed on the abundance of plankton and nutrient rich waters caused by the convergence of the Pacific and Indian Ocean in this region. These fish are also important within the lifecycle of the reef as big fish eat little fish.


Epaulette shark (Hemiscyillum freycineti), that "walks"


A bouquet of tunicates, a tunicate covering a tunicate

But what makes Raja Ampat so special is that the diversity of life in this region is almost unimaginable. I was particularly captivated by the Epaulette shark that "walks" over the coral reef at night as well colorful tunicates that amazingly were growing on other tunicates. (Learn about the epaulette sharks in the Aquarium's touch tank here!)


Damselfish (Chromis athena) - First live picture of this species


On a personal note one of the most extraordinary parts of this trip was working with Mark Erdman, CI Senior Marine Scientist. On this expedition, we discovered new species of corals and fish as well as captured images of fish that are rarely or never been photographed before.  There is much we don’t know about the sea and so much to learn and be inspired by.




A close-up image of the coral polyps within a Gorgonian sea fan

To learn more about the first part of his trip to the Turtle Islands, click here. Head over to Conservation International's blog for more pictures and perspectives from Keith. 

Aquarium explorers traveled to Raja Ampat in 2011. Dive further into this beautiful part of the marine world through the expedition's blog posts.

This is the third of a series of pictures from the Turtle Islands in the Philippines and Malaysia. Keith Ellenbogen, a photographer and frequent contributor to the Global Explorers Blog, is sharing pictures from the expedition with Conservation International and the Ocean Health Index to create an awareness about environmental threats and solutions that impact the relationship between people and the sea.
 
A moment to pause and look, there is so much beauty in the ocean.


Coral reef scene with a pink anemone (Amphiprion perideraion) fish in a giant anemone with a school of small fish in the background 


At night a pair of pufferfish swimming over the seagrass in shallow water. 


Hermit crab that found a bottle cap to use as its home


Buoy that marks the boundary of a marine protected area in Baguan Island, Philippines

Additional photos and stories from this expedition can be found on the Conservation International Blog.

Keith

See the previous posts from the Turtle Islands here and here. Stay tuned for more pictures from Keith's expedition to Indonesia and California! 

The Aquarium is sponsoring an expedition to explore seamounts, or underwater volcanos, in Costa Rica, along with several leading underwater exploration and research groups. Over the next couple weeks, look for pictures and stories about this expedition from Aquarium explorers. Learn about previous expeditions to study seamounts in the Sea of Cortez and Raja Ampat, Indonesia.

Today's post comes from Alan Roy Dynner, New England Aquarium Overseer (and former Chairman of Board of Overseers and Trustee). 

This is the third and final expedition to explore and photograph seamounts (underwater volcanos, usually dormant). There are an estimated 100,000 seamounts in the oceans. They attract large congregations of marine life, fed by the nutrient-rich deep water that upwells around the seamounts. Dr. Greg Stone, Senior Vice President for Exploration and Conservation and Overseer (and Senior Vice President, Chief Scientist for Oceans, Conservation International) and Brian Skerry, Overseer and Explorer in Residence (and National Geographic underwater photographer), are preparing an article for National Geographic based upon material gathered from the three expeditions (the first two were in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico, and Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia). 


Alan Dynner

The expedition team will use a three-person submarine to explore and photograph the Las Gemelas seamounts off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.  In the words of Brian Skerry, his intention is to provide images of the:

wildlife living around the Las Gemelas seamounts. The story we are producing for National Geographic magazine will show readers the unique ecosystems that seamounts represent in Earth's oceans; that they have tremendous biodiversity and as some of the last remaining "hot spots" in the sea, must be conserved. My plans are to photograph deeper water animals (primarily fish and corals) using the Deep See submersible and the remotely operated vehicle owned by the University of Connecticut. Additionally, I hope to photograph zooplankton in the shallower depths that migrate up from deep water each night in search of food.

Our expedition ship, the MV Argo

The team will also use the ROV to explore the seamounts. Dr. Larry Madin, Aquarium Overseer (and Executive Vice President and Director of Research of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), will lead a team to scuba dive day and night at modest depths in very deep waters, in his words:

to photograph and collect gelatinous zooplankton, organisms such as jellyfish, siphonophores, comb jellies and salps.

These specimens will be preserved for later study and analysis.

This expedition is sponsored by the New England Aquarium, Conservation International, National Geographic, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, University of Connecticut and the National Science Foundation. The New England Aquarium participants are Dr. Gregory Stone, Brian Skerry, Alan Roy Dynner and Dr. Larry Madin.

This is the second of a series of pictures from the Turtle Islands in the Philippines and Malaysia. Keith Ellenbogen, a photographer and frequent contributor to the Global Explorers Blog, is sharing pictures from the expedition with Conservation International and the Ocean Health Index to create an awareness about environmental threats and solutions that impact the relationship between people and the sea.

Throughout my assignment in the Turtle Islands, I also visited local communities. As I set foot on the island, to visit these communities, they are all welcoming and eager to share their story. I photographed and interviewed many of the people and the fisherman.


Fishermen cast a net to catch fish

From a distance, island life can sometimes be portrayed as idyllic. But these island communities are experiencing many pressures, such as limited food and genuine poverty. In an interview, one of the fisherman talked about when he was a kid he would catch 10 kilograms of fishes each day, compared to today when he is only able to catch two to five kilograms per day.


A fisherman using a hand line catches a mantis shrimp.


A typical fishing boat used in the Philippines.

In addition he has to travel much further for this meager catch. During an interview, this fisherman both hoped and asked for more conservation, recognizing that their traditional close fishing grounds no longer exist. 


Parrotfish that are being dried in the sun.

More sea turtle photos and videos will be posted to Conservation International’s Blog.


Keith


See Keith's previous Explorers Blog post from the Turtle Islands here.

This is the first of a series of pictures from the Turtle Islands in the Philippines and Malaysia. Keith Ellenbogen, a photographer and frequent contributor to the Global Explorers Blog, is sharing pictures from the expedition with Conservation International and the Ocean Health Index to create an awareness about environmental threats and solutions that impact the relationship between people and the sea.

The Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area consists of a group of nine islands: three in Malaysia and six in the Philippines. They are appropriately called "The Turtle Islands" and represent a transboundary conservation agreement focused on protecting the endangered green sea turtle. These nine islands make up the largest green sea turtle sanctuary in Southeast Asia. 


In the Philippines sea turtles nest and hatch naturally. This picture captures the moment when Green Sea Turtle hatchlings emerge from the sand.

One of the most memorable moments I experienced on the islands was I encountered mating green sea turtles. From the boat in the horizon we spotted two sea turtles that broke the surface taking a breath of air. I grabbed my tank, jumped into the blue and swam or I should say sprinted underwater.


Mating endangered green sea turtles

Alone in the ocean with these mating sea turtles I was able to dive, photograph and videograph them for about twenty minutes.  They could have easily swam away but for one reason or another they seemed to enjoy my presence and there was a non-verbal connection established by eye contact and body language.  Maybe they also liked the sound of the bubbles as I inhaled and exhaled faster then normal to keep up with their slow cruising pace.


Green Sea Turtle lays eggs on a sandy beach in the Turtle Islands, Philippines. Typically the sea turtles lay about 75-100 eggs.

The green sea turtle is an iconic species. It is a majestic animal one that represents more than just the sea turtle but has become a symbol and often viewed as representative of healthy ocean.  These islands are a special place where governments, conservation groups and communities have come together to protect this animal. This year the park rangers in The Turtle Islands have recorded record numbers of hatchlings.


In Malaysia sea turtles eggs are collected and placed in a hatchery.  Once they emerge the park ranger counts the baby green sea turtles and releases in the sea.

More sea turtle photos and videos are posted to Conservation International’s Blog.

Keith

Keith Ellenbogen, marine photographer and videographer, has just returned from two and a half months of exploring the oceans on an assignment with Conservation International and the Ocean Health Index. Here on the Aquarium's Global Explorers Blog, Keith will be posting images from that expedition to showcase the spectacular beauty of the underwater world, and the information marine animals provide about their environment.

Here are three sample images of what's coming up.

 




From his expedition in the Turtle Islands, Philippines/Malaysia, Raja Ampat, Indonesia, and Monterey, California, Keith will share new images and stories that create an awareness about environmental threats and solutions that impact the relationship between people and the sea.

Look for his upcoming posts here, and additional images and stories on the Conservation International blog. In the meantime, you can check out more of his photography and reports from these previous expeditions: Alaska in 2011, Fiji in 2011, Fiji in 2010 and Fiji in 2009.

February is a pretty drab month in the northern latitudes. Gray skies, cold winds and the chance of snow are the usual forecast with a possibility of seeing the sun...sometimes. It's hard to remember, when I'm dressed up in multiple layers, that it's warm, even hot, right now in Cape Town where summer is in full swing!

Good day for the beach!

It's also hard to remember that my journey to South Africa started a year ago! It was last February that the idea to travel to the land of the African penguin popped into my head, resulting in my application for the 2011 Cunningham Award. Applications, budgets and interviews later, I was given the chance to make that idea a reality along with a colleague. Many more months of planning, setting up my volunteer time with SANCCOB, searching for flights and travel logistics finally landed me on South African soil. A month and half of hard work rehabilitating penguins and it was back to Boston.


Things worth fighting for!



Two great organizations working together to save African penguins




It's been a crazy ride... and it's finally over. One year later I've experience my chance of a lifetime. There are lots of people to thank, including the New England Aquarium for supporting the professional growth and dreams of their staff through the Cunningham Award, my co-workers for helping cover my duties during my absence, the crew at Elements Lodge in Table View and the amazing South Africans I got to meet. But the ones that I'd like to thank the most? SANCCOB!


Lots of great volunteers ready to work!

To the staff and volunteers of SANCCOB, thank you from the bottom of my heart! You work hours on end, working to ensure that these animals have a fighting chance for a healthy future. The conditions are tough at times, both physically and emotionally, but you perserve all for the hope that an individual penguin can be returned to their ocean home. I appreciate the opportunity to join you in these efforts and hope that you continue your mission for many more years to come. And maybe, at some time in the future, I'll be able to join you again in your role to help the African penguin. Cheers!



Thank you!

No-thank you!

Learn more about the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds, or SANCCOB and their Penguin Chick Bolstering Project.

Follow the adventures of Jo's co-worker, Paul! Aquarium penguin biologist Paul Leonard was also in South Africa to study and care for African penguins in the Southern Hemisphere. Read about his experience on the Penguin Blog.