Aquarium of the Podcific

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Madeline and Erin sit down with Aquarists Jackie Simpson and Emily Smith to explore one of the most fascinating and underappreciated parts of animal care at the Aquarium of the Pacific: target training. You might picture sea lions doing flips or birds following a hand signal, but target training reaches far deeper into the aquarium than most guests ever realize. F...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Amanda Torres joins Madeline and Erin to pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to care for one of the Aquarium's most specialized and climate-controlled exhibits, the Diving Birds habitat, introduces us to the full cast of clownish characters, and answers the question everyone has been asking: are they penguins? (Spoiler alert, no!) In this episode:...

Send us Fan Mail If you see oiled wildlife, call the OWCN 24-hour hotline: 1-877-UCD-OWCN (1-877-823-6926) Frankie Lill coordinates wildlife oil spill response for the entire state of California. She also used to work with us, and is making this podcast cooler by the second. In this episode, she breaks down how the Oiled Wildlife Care Network mobilizes within hours of a spill, what it really takes...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Madeline and Erin sit down with Jeff Flocken, President and CEO of the Aquarium of the Pacific, for his first podcast appearance since joining the institution. Jeff shares the winding path that brought him here, from studying giraffes in Africa, to law school, to nearly two decades of global wildlife policy work, and what it felt like to trade policy campaigns for...

Send us Fan Mail Get ready to feel some eelings. In this episode of Aquarium of the Podcific, Aquarist Heidi takes listeners on a deep dive into the wonderfully weird world of eels, from “true” eels and their tube-sock vibes to the grandpa-faced wolf eels that only  look  like the real deal. Episode resources: ⁠⁠⁠Transcript⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠@podcific⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram! Email us at podcific@lbaop.org ⁠⁠⁠...

Send us Fan Mail Happy Halloween! In this episode from October 2024, Aquarium staff tell spooky stories of situations that can and can't be explained.   ⁠Episode Transcript Stay connected:  If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you are subscribed to Aquarium of the Podcific wherever you are listening, and leave us a five-star review! It goes a long way in helping new listeners find the show....

Send us Fan Mail From milkweed munching caterpillars to stunning orange-winged travelers, learn why monarch butterflies are important and how you can help support these iconic pollinators in your own backyard. Animal Care Specialist Heather Cameron and Conservation Volunteer Coordinator Dawn Nygren- Burkert are here to teach us all about butterfly royalty. Episode resources: ⁠⁠Transcript⁠⁠ Follow...

Send us Fan Mail Brooke Hernandez joins us today to discuss Our Living Coastline, the Aquarium's newest touch exhibit! Get the inside scoop on how this immersive, accessible habitat came to life and why it’s a must-see. Acronym Key: OLC: Our Living Coastline GPO: Giant Pacific octopus AOP: Aquarium of the Pacific AZA: Association of Zoos and Aquariums Episode resources: ⁠Transcript⁠ Follow ⁠@...

Send us Fan Mail We know we've been gone for so long, but it's for a good reason! Catch up on all of the amazing conservation the Aquarium has done this year with Johanna Hultberg, Conservation Manager of Fish & Invertebrates. Episode resources: Transcript Follow @podcific on Instagram! Email us at podcific@lbaop.org Tidewater gobies news story Learn more about the Aquarium's co...

Send us Fan Mail Today's episode features Robin Riggs, a charter volunteer and photographer at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Robin, who has been volunteering since before the Aquarium opened, captures stunning images of our animals. She discusses her transition from film to digital photography, the challenges of photographing animals in various exhibits, and the importance of animal welfare. ...

Send us Fan Mail Documentary Filmmaker Chris Stanford joins us to discuss his film, "Love and Life Beyond the Glass". The film showcases the relationship between staff and sea lions and plays daily in the Aquarium's Honda Pacific Visions Theater.   “This film shows what we do here at the Aquarium… Our staff and animals are the heart and soul of this place,” said Dr. Peter Kareiva, A...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Lance Adams, Director of Veterinary Services at the Aquarium of the Pacific, discusses his 20+ year tenure and the diverse responsibilities of his role, including preventative care, quarantine, and managing over 12,000 animals. Episode resources: Follow @podcific on Instagram! Transcript Hyperbaric chamber video Veterinary Assistant Internship Veterinary Externship - Preceptor...

Send us Fan Mail The Aquarium’s CELP (Community, Equity, Learning, Persistence) Scholar Program seeks to broaden participation in marine sciences, help more students find their own community in STEM, and support students’ persistence in the field. This episode features Alie LeBeau, our Director of STEM Pathway Initiatives, and Leslie Nguyen, an Animal Care Specialist. Both Alie and Leslie are inte...

Send us Fan Mail Happy Halloween! In this episode, Aquarium staff tell spooky stories of situations that can and can't be explained.   Episode Transcript Stay connected:  If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you are subscribed to Aquarium of the Podcific wherever you are listening, and leave us a five-star review! It goes a long way in helping new listeners find the show. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Em...

Send us Fan Mail Did you know our crabs get burped? Now you do! It's time to burp the crabs and also listen to Aquarist Melissa talk about the Aquarium's spider crabs. Thank you for another fun season of Aquarium of the Podcific! Follow @podcific on Instagram for updates and more. We'll sea you soon! Episode transcript Stay connected:  If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you are...

Send us Fan Mail Aviculturist Ashley is back to update us on the latest shenanigans of the Aquarium's bird residents in a series we like to call "The Young and the Nestless".   This is a "Low Tide" episode! It's more relaxed, shorter, and maybe even a little sillier than normal. Enjoy!   Episode Transcript Stay connected:  If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you ar...

Send us Fan Mail We are often asked how to start a career in animal care, and today we are giving insight into traditional and non-traditional pathways to working in this amazing field. Spoiler alert: it’s a lot of hard but rewarding work. Brett Long, Senior Director of Birds/Amphibians/Mammals, joins us to share advice and stories from his decades-long career in animal care and husbandry.    Epis...

Send us Fan Mail BORK! It's time to learn about sea lions! Mammalogist Erin Bell joins us today to talk to us about these majestic and sometimes (usually) silly animals. To report a live marine mammal in need, call the Marine Mammal Care Center’s toll-free hotline at 1-800-39-WHALE. (1-800-399-4253) TikTok: Who is the loudest sea lion? Seals & Sea Lions Animal Encounters at the Aquarium o...

Send us Fan Mail Enrichment is the word of the week! We are joined by two animal enrichment experts, Alex Lasser-Gold and Alex Bohardt, aka Mammal Alex and Fish Alex. Lasser-Gold (Mammal Alex) is a Mammalogist II and Enrichment Coordinator, and Bohardt (Fish Alex) is our Manager of Aquatic Sustainability. Both have extensive knowledge of enrichment for animals that live above water, below water, a...

Send us Fan Mail Everyone is talking about axolotls, but what exactly are these fascinating animals, and how do we care for them? We are joined by Animal Care Specialist America Sahagun who cares for our axolotl squad at the Aquarium to discuss these "water dogs" We also discuss our newest exhibit, FROGS: Facing a Changing World , which is open now! Episode Transcript Stay connected:  If...

Send us Fan Mail Are they animals? Are they plants? What exactly are corals and why are they important? Aquarist Jay takes us to coral school and discusses his role in coral conservation. Episode Transcript  Relevant links: Coral Reefs: Nature’s Underwater Cities Helping to Restore a Coral Reef in Saipan   Stay connected:  If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you are subscribed to Aquarium of th...

Send us Fan Mail Today's episode is all about the Aquarium's Ambassador Birds! These animals live behind the scenes and come out for presentations like Birds Shorts, which happen daily in our Honda Pacific Visions Theater. We are joined by Aviculturist Heather who teaches us about the different types of birds she cares for, their stories, and helps us interview our first non-human guest....

Send us Fan Mail On today's episode, we are joined by Environmental Services Supervisor Keisha Leonard to learn all about how her and her team keep the Aquarium squeaky clean. Keisha has been a part of our Aquarium for almost 20 years and shares some of her favorite memories along the way. Episode Transcript Stay connected:  If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you are subscribed to Aquariu...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to Aquarium of the Podcific! We are off to a ray-ly good start this season with Aquarist Sarah Nevarez. Sarah talks about her experience caring for the aquarium's rays, their behaviors, feeding, enrichment activities, and personalities.  Episode Transcript Stay connected:  If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you are subscribed to Aquarium of the Podcific where...

Send us Fan Mail We're *almost* back for another season of Aquarium of the Podcific! Our ten-episode season begins rolling out on April 30, 2024. This season covers animals like stingrays, axolotls, birds, and more! Plus, you'll get an in-depth look into Aquarium operations, veterinary care, and conservation programs. Sea you April 30th! Click here for transcript Stay connected:  If you...