Author: eram

Quarantine: The Life of a Captive Orca

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Our Self-Quarantine/ Social Distancing is NOTHING Compared to the Way Captive Orcas Live

Written by Emily Ram, Edited by Victoria Licona

Whale, welcome back Ocean Olympians!  Continuing off of our blog post, Save the Whales, from earlier this week, today we’re drawing your attention to orcas in captivity.  If you think your going stir crazy in the limited space your house offers during self-quarantine, being a captive whale is basically the same thing but 300x worse.  Lets keep plastic out of our oceans, and keep orcas in them.

10 Reasons Why Whales and Dolphins Do NOT Belong in Tanks - One ...

How would you feel if you lived in a small space, forced to entertain? There are so many things wrong with whale captivity.  At the end of 2019, it was recorded that there are “59 orcas in captivity at sea parks and aquariums throughout the world.”  Of the 59 orcas living captive lives, a third are captive in the U.S.  Seaworld enslaves all but one of the U.S.’s third of the world’s captive whales.  The one whale not living at a U.S. Seaworld is Lolita; She lives a sad, isolated, depressing life in a tiny pool at the Miami Seaquarium. Here are some reasons the ocean is the only place orcas should be living in:

  1. Orcas swim about 40 miles daily in the wild and it is not just because they can, but because they need to, to forage for their varied diets and to exercise.
    • HOW ARE CAPTIVE WHALES SUPPOSED TO SWIM 40 MILES+ A DAY IN CAPTIVITY IF THEY ARE LIVING IN TAKES THEY CAN BARELY EVEN OR CAN’T EVEN TURN THEIR BODIES IN?!
  2. Several times a day, every day, orcas dive 100 to 500 feet.
  3. 70% of captive whales have some sort of damage to their teeth and a quarter of the U.S’s captive whales have severe damage to their teeth.
  4. Orcas aren’t dumb; They have the second largest brain of any animal on the planet.
  5.  Orcas have familial structures similar to the ones we humans have.
    • Orcas in the wild live in pods and research has shown that they share a sophisticated, unique culture that is passed down through generations.
  6. Just like humans speak different languages, so do whales.
    • In captivity, whales are brought in from different pods.  Pods do not speak the same languages so these captive whales are forced to live a life without the ability to understand their surrounding peers.

3 Things Orcas at SeaWorld Never Get to Experience - One Green ...

It’s heartbreaking to continue to discuss the issues that captive whales face but IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE AWARE.  We focused on some lighter realities for whales in captivity in the short list above but highly recommend watching the following films to learn more:

    • Blackfish (Netflix or Amazon Prime)

    • Lolita: Slave to Entertainment (Amazon Prime)

    • The Whale (Amazon Prime or iTunes)

 

10+ Things To Do While Self-Quarantining

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10+ Things To Do While Self-Quarantining

Written by Emily Ram, Edited by Victoria Licona

Welcome back Ocean Olympians! We hope y’all are staying safe and healthy during this global health crisis.  While we are aware that our mission is not to raise awareness about COVID-19, we want to make sure that all of our Ocean Olympians are doing their part in preventing the spread of this deadly disease. We really encourage all of you lovely people to do the following:

  • Stay home
  • Practice Social Distancing
  • Get adequate sleep and eat well-balanced meals
  • Wash hands often with water and soap (20 seconds or longer)
  • Dry hands with a clean towel or air dry your hands
  • Cover your mouth with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth with unwashed hands or after touching surfaces
  • Clean and disinfect “High-Touch” surfaces often
  • Call before visiting your doctor
  • Practice good hygiene habits

We completely understand that staying at home and social distancing may sound so unbelievably boring to you, but it is so crucial in slowing down COVID-19’s spread. Here are some fun, ocean-friendly ways that you can spend your free time during quarantine:

1. Start doing yoga

8 Great Beginner Yoga Poses - Namaste

2. Follow along with an online workout video

  • Our team really enjoys: https://www.youtube.com/user/joannasohofficial

3. Cook or bake something new

  • There are so many great recipes out there! Don’t be afraid to try something new!

4. Learn how to sew

  • If you do learn how, then you can start making fabric masks to donate to local hospitals in need during this outbreak.

5. Upcycle your clothes (EX. tie die old shirts, cut old jeans into shorts)

  • There is so much you can do with a piece of fabric! Make something new from your old!

6. Learn how to juggle

  • Start with two tennis balls and see how many you can add in!

7. Learn a TikTok dance (no matter what age you are, this can actually be kinda fun)

  • Renegade’s is a great first dance to learn. Here’s a tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MvjnpK3Jrw

8. Learn a trick (EX. handstands, back-bends, aerials)

Pin by Emma Lassen on life | Yoga handstand, Yoga benefits, Yoga ...

9. Blow bubbles

  • This may sound childish but boy, it can be entertaining for a bit.

10. Hula-hoop

  • Not only can this be fun, but it can also help you to burn calories and get a smaller waist!

11. Jump-rope

  • This can be fun AND help you lose weight!

12. Chalk your sidewalk

  • Another thing that sounds childish, but once you start, HEY, you might have fun!

13. Sketch/Paint something

  • Here’s some inspiration to get you going: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUSToY5Celk

14. If its sunny, lay in the sun

  • Just because you’re distancing from others doesn’t mean you can’t lay out! Hey, you can even take a nap outside instead of in your bed.

15. Ride a bike (or learn how to…)

  • Here is a link in case you don’t know how to ride (no shame if you can’t, one of our team members is just learning now): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqmzwVrkTU4

16. Learn how to sing or dance

  • Because lets face it, who doesn’t want to be an amazing dancer or singer?

17. Do a group Facetime or Zoom call with friends

  • You can still socialize when social distancing…Just it has to be from a distance!

18. Start watching a new series

  • All American, Tiger King, On My Block, Jane the Virgin, and Narcos are some of the many series our team loves!

19. Learn how to code

  • This article can help you get going towards your coding goal: https://lifehacker.com/top-10-ways-to-teach-yourself-to-code-1684250889

20. Have a themed dinner with your family (ex. zoo theme could have everyone come dressed in animal print and you could eat monkey bread for dessert)

 

 

Carbon Dioxide’s Connection to the Ocean

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Written by Emily Ram, Edited by Victoria Licona

Image result for co2 ocean

Have you ever gone to the grocery store for one specific ingredient, but you ended up leaving with three more items than expected. By just adding those three more items to your cart, the price of your groceries increased from what could have been a $4 trip to the store to costing you $21.50.  Everything adds up.

With the planet’s oceans covering over 70% of the planet and providing an ecosystem for an innumerable amount of species, it is important we become more conscious of the actions we are taking.  Similar to how adding a few more things to your grocery cart can drastically change the price you pay at the register, all the actions we make daily have the ability to aid in adding to or preventing further ocean pollution.

One simple way to slow down the ocean’s destruction is by reducing our carbon footprint.

Carbon Dioxides Connection to the Ocean

According to https://archive.epa.gov/, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere whenever people burn fossil fuels.  Not only are we polluting the air when we burn fossil fuels, but we are also adding to the destruction of the ocean.  The oceans absorb as much as a quarter of all man-made carbon emissions annually.

A pie chart of top CO2 producing nations

A pie chart showing the lead contributors to CO2 emissions in 2019

How Ocean Acidification Works

When CO2 in the atmosphere rises, the ocean helps to maintain Earth’s carbon cycle by absorbing it.  Within the ocean, CO2 reacts with seawater to form carbonic acid.  This reaction—known as ocean acidification—causes the ocean’s acidity levels to rise.

Impacts of Ocean Acidification:

Oceans are undergoing acidification faster than they have in the past 300 years and it is estimated that if our current emission practices continue, the oceans could be nearly 150% more acidic than their current states.  Ocean organisms with calcium carbonate in their shells are taking a major hit.  Mollusks, crabs, and corals are some of the ocean’s many creatures that are struggling to grow their shells in the acidic waters.  Such calcium carbonate organisms are also struggling to reproduce, build homes, and survive in the ocean as a result.

Image result for ocean acidification

Visual of how ocean acidification impacts calcifiers

Shell-less organisms are being impacted, as well.  Fish are undergoing both negative mental and physical changes because of acidification.  The shellfish industry, which is the backbone of several coastal communities extending from Louisiana to Maine to Maryland, is being threatened by the rise in 0cean acidification.  The effects of ocean acidification on oyster harvest’s is said to have cost Pacific Northwest’s oyster industry is said to have cost nearly $110 million and 3,200 jobs.

Tips for Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

You may not think your carbon footprint has that much of an effect on the ocean, but every little bit of your footprint as an individual contributes to society’s massive footprint as a whole. Here are some things you can do to reduce it:

  • Take public transportation, walk, or ride a bike or scooter when available
  • Turn off the lights when you leave a room
  • Use natural lighting during the day
  • Dress in more layers during winter opposed to cranking up your heater
  • Unplug gadgets you aren’t using
  • Wash/Shower with cold water

 

The Connection between Life Above and Below the Ocean Surface

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Welcome back Ocean Olympians!

Did you know that 78 million tons of plastic packaging is produced annually and about 32 percent of it is released into the environment after production? This means that about 24,960,000 tons of plastic are being released into nature annually. To put that into perspective, that means about 55,027,380,641 pounds of plastic‒which is equivalent to about 137,568 full grown male hippos‒ can be found polluting our planet. 

Plastic makes up a large amount of ocean debris. The image above shows some common plastics that enter the ocean and the impact they have on marine life.

Plastic makes up a large amount of ocean debris. The image above shows some common plastics that enter the ocean and the impact they have on marine life.

 

Pollutants poisoning the ocean vary vastly but today we would like to bring a focus on plastics and toxic chemicals impacting our oceans.

 

According to planetaid.org, the world’s oceans provide over 97 percent of the world’s water supply, along with over 70 percent of the oxygen we inhale. Man-made pollution is challenging those statistics daily, as human actions are wreaking havoc on organisms beneath the ocean surface. Not only are human actions negatively impacting ocean organisms, but they are concurrently worsening human lives as well.

 

About 20 percent of plastic trash entering the ocean comes from offshore ships and platforms while the rest is blown into the sea, pulled in from beaches by tides, or deliberately dumped into the ocean, according to the Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College.  Because these plastics are non-biodegradable, fish and other organisms consume them.  Not only does the consumption of plastic contaminate sea animals, but just swimming in ocean water‒which is being contaminated by chemicals released from plastics in the ocean‒ is poisoning sea animals too.  The food chain is becoming increasingly contaminated due to the impact of plastic found in the ocean. 

 

Aside from plastic, chemicals like oil, mercury, lead, pesticides, and other heavy metals can all be found within ocean waters; These substances are also contaminating water supplies and corrupting our food chain through the poisoning of marine life. Exposure to such lethal chemicals for an extended period of time will contribute to an increase in poor health conditions‒like hormonal issues, reproductive problems, nervous system, and kidney damage‒within society. 

Chemicals that pollute the ocean have a large impact on much more than just ocean organisms.

Chemicals that pollute the ocean have a large impact on much more than just ocean organisms.

Because every little tiny piece of contamination that enters the ocean adds up to create such a large amount of pollution, it’s important that we start thinking more carefully about even our smallest actions in our everyday life. Some ways to prevent further ocean pollution is to:

  • Use reusable containers over Ziploc bags
  • Bring reusable bags to stores so plastic bags aren’t used 
  • Drink from glass or reusable bottles rather than drinking from single-use plastic water bottles
  • Join a cleanup crew for your area (Look for a Facebook group in your area or reach out to us and we can help you find one)
  • Substitute plastic straws for other alternatives 
  • Reuse and recycle
  • Save glass bottles from items like kombucha or jelly so you can store things in them rather than using Ziploc bags
  • Lobby to your local government
  • Spread the word about the importance of pollution prevention through word-of-mouth or by retweeting our twitter posts/sharing our informational blog posts!

 

Written by Emily Ram, revised and edited by Kailyn Hayes