Due to popular demand, Secrets of the Swamp to remain open through April!

The National Aquarium in Washington, DC announced today that due to popular demand, they will be extending the stay of their albino alligator, Oleander, and the Secrets of the Swamp exhibit until April 29, 2012.

Oleander is an extremely rare albino alligator that was hatched in Louisiana and is a permanent resident of the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoological Park in Florida. Fewer than 100 of these extraordinary species exist worldwide due to the many environmental challenges that they face. Albinism is a genetic lack of melanin pigment in eyes and skin, resulting in the alligator’s unusual translucent scales and pinkish eyes. Albino alligators are very sensitive to sunlight, and because of their inability to blend in with their surroundings, they create unwanted attention to themselves from predators. This leaves albino alligators with an extremely low survival rate in the wild.

Oleander came to the National Aquarium in Washington, DC, in October and was originally scheduled to depart this month but because of her tremendous popularity, the National Aquarium decided to extend her stay until the end of April.

“It seems that the public just cannot get enough of Oleander,” said Bob Ramin, Chief Development Officer of the National Aquarium and Executive Director of the National Aquarium in Washington, DC. “This additional time gives those who didn’t have the opportunity before to come in and meet her.”

Shortly after Oleander’s arrival, the public got to take part in naming her through a contest facilitated over their social media channels. Over 550 people participated in the naming contest. An oleander is a flowering shrub, native to Louisiana and the southern region of the US. In addition to sharing the same home state, this plant and alligator have very similar qualities: they are both unique and beautiful, yet they can both be dangerous.

The exhibit is free with the cost of admission to the aquarium. Public alligator feedings occur every Friday at 2:00pm. National Aquarium husbandry staff provides visitors with an educational lesson on the lives and habits of alligators and an up-close demonstration of how alligators are target trained to respond to colors in connection with their feedings.

Visitors can also see Oleander during Reptile and Amphibian Day on February 25th! This event will celebrate the many reptiles and amphibians at the aquarium, with activities, presentations and interactions. All activities are included with general admission to the National Aquarium in Washington, DC.
Click here to learn more about Reptile and Amphibian Day!

On Friday, August 12, the National Aquarium was joined by Oceana for the release of three endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles into the Chesapeake Bay at Point Lookout State Park in Scotland, Maryland. The turtles came to the National Aquarium this winter from the New England Aquarium, after they were found stranded along Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

On Sunday, June 26, a group of rehabilitated Kemp’s ridley sea turtles were released into the Chesapeake Bay at Point Lookout State Park in Scotland, Maryland. The public gathered on the beach to join in the festivities.

The turtles came to the National Aquarium in December from the New England Aquarium, after they were found stranded along Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Kemp’s ridley turtles are the most endangered and the smallest of all the sea turtle species, which makes them particularly vulnerable to severe changes in water temperature. They all suffered from cold stunning – the sea turtle equivalent of hypothermia.

After 6 months of rehabilitation by The National Aquarium’s Marine Animal Rescue Program (MARP), the turtles, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph, Frosty, and Buddy(the elf), were nursed back to health and ready to be released back to the ocean. They all enjoyed a diet of capelin, shrimp, squid, and mussels at the National Aquarium and nearly doubled in body weight.

The turtles were outfitted with a satellite transmitter that allows us to track the location and speed of the turtles following the release. These tags help researchers learn more about sea turtle migration and travel patterns. The public is invited to follow the turtles’ progress by viewing a satellite map of their travels.

Since Kemp’s ridley sea turtles commonly utilize the Chesapeake Bay during the warm summer months to feed on an assortment of jellies and invertebrates, Aquarium officials felt this was the best time and location to release the turtles and to prepare for the possibility of new patients. The turtles are expected to stay in the Mid-Atlantic region or head north for the summer.

Oceana joined the Aquarium to help educate people on their save the sea turtles campaign, which is dedicated to the protection and restoration of sea turtle populations in the world’s oceans. The campaign works to reduce sea turtle bycatch in fisheries, protect sea turtle habitat and develop legislation to protect sea turtles. The National Aquarium and Oceana have similar goals; to protect and conserve sea turtle populations for future generations.

Many of MARP’s patients are sick or injured due to human-related problems like boat strikes, gear entanglement or plastic ingestion. Weather, malnourishment, exhaustion and pollution also contribute to strandings.

Rescuing and studying stranded animals provides vital information about the status of the ocean and coastal environments, as well as the biology and health of the animals that live in those environments.

The public is invited to help with the National Aquarium’s marine animal rehabilitation efforts. Txt ACT to 20222 to make a $5 donation. Msg & data rates apply or visit aqua.org.

These turtles were the 89th, 90th, 91st, 92nd, and 93rd animals released by the National Aquarium’s
MARP program. Formed in 1991 and staffed almost entirely by volunteers, the Marine Animal
Rescue program has responded to hundreds of strandings, including seals, dolphins and endangered
sea turtles, and to sightings of manatees, dolphins and other marine mammals.

Spring is here, and that means thoughts of warm weather, the beach, and vacations are in the air! But for the Aquarium’s Marine Animal Rescue Program (MARP), spring is the season for seals. This spring, the National Aquarium has responded to many reports of seal sightings in the region. MARP staff and volunteers are specially trained to assess, monitor, and sometimes collect the animals if they are in need of rehabilitation. Thanks to the dedication of MARP staff and volunteers, two grey seals were admitted for rehabilitation in March.

Stewie
On March 14, a young grey seal pup was picked up in Ocean City, Maryland and transfered to Baltimore for rehabilitation. After being spotted on the beach in northern Ocean City for over 24-hours, responders quickly evaluated his overall body condition and behavior. The animal appeared dehydrated, lethargic, and seemed to be coughing frequently. It quickly became apparent that the seal, later named Stewie, is still quite young. At the time, staff were unsure if he was even old enough to be eating and hunting for food on his own.

Once admitted for rehab and stabilized, staff tried various techniques to encourage his natural food hunting instincts. Those instincts quickly kicked in - Stewie is now eating 7 pounds of fish per day and has gained 12 pounds since being admitted.

In April, Aquarium staff, along with the help of local cardiologist Dr. Steven Rosenthal at Chesapeake Veterinary Cardiology Associates, completed an echocardiogram on Stewie to rule out any possible heart conditions. Stewie continues to heal very well and spends time swimming in his rehab pool.

Guinness
On March 17, the MARP team received a call from stranding officials in North Carolina about another grey seal that was in need of rehabilitation. Their staff had been monitoring the juvenile grey seal for several days, and noted that the animal was emaciated, dehydrated, and had grown increasingly lethargic over two days.

The seal was initially transported to the Virginia Aquarium’s rehabilitation facility for triage and some much-needed fluids. On March 18, the MARP team, in conjunction with the Virginia Aquarium Stranding Program and the MERR Institute in Delaware, transported the animal to Baltimore.

Appropriately named Guinness, as he stranded on St. Patrick’s Day, the seal was immediately provided triage and supportive care. Upon examination by the veterinary staff, it was determined that Guinness was suffering from pneumonia, a moderate jaw fracture, and an upper respiratory infection.

In April, after much consideration and research, Aquarium vets decided that minor surgery to stabilize the seal’s lower jaw was necessary for the fracture to heal properly. The procedure was successful, and Guinness now has a wire holding the left and right sides of his lower jaw together. It will be removed in six to eight weeks, once the jaw has had time to set.

Guinness recovered very well from the procedure, and continues to have a healthy appetite! He has gained 32 pounds since he first entered the rehab program, and enjoys eating ice.

The seals will be in rehabilitation at the Aquarium for the next few months. MARP hopes to be able to release them back into their ocean habitats this summer.

In addition to these two seals, MARP is still caring for eight of the 11 sea turtles that came to the National Aquarium in December from the New England Aquarium. Caring for these animals is very costly. The public can contribute to their care and feeding through online donations or by texting the word ACT to 20222.

For more photos or story needs, please contact Jen Bloomer at 410-576-3860.

Earlier this week, the National Aquarium welcomed Major League Soccer to Baltimore during a special event in the Marine Mammal Amphitheater. The event was a preview to the 2011 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, which is being held at the Baltimore Convention Center January 13 and 14.