Something's Fishy

WATER WONDERS: Tuesday afternoon, we headed down to the waterfront to the Seattle Aquarium. We were lucky enough to score some free passes from the Seattle Public Library's museum pass program, saving us a whopping $77.80 in admission fees (yikes). Thank you, SPL!

 The main attraction upon entering is the wall of water. 

We made our way through the petting zoo, er aquarium, back to the tropical creatures, like this lion fish.

 I was a big fan of this black and white and yellow lovely. 

And the sea pens are always a hit. So pretty!

 We ogled sturgeon, sharks and more in the Underwater Dome. This guy (or gal) really wanted us to take its picture the most, it seemed.

The jellyfish were mesmerizing as always. 

In further proof #NASA is everywhere, there was a display at the aquarium explaining how NASA satellites track seals and other ocean life.

 NASA is so much more than 'just' space science!

In the Birds and Shores section of the aquarium, we appreciated the lovely beak on this black oystercatcher.

 The seals and otters always generate smiles. We watched this river otter play with rubber chew toys for several minutes.

If you want to visit the Seattle Aquarium virtually, check out one of their live cams. Links are here: http://www.seattleaquarium.org/live-cams

Outside of the aquarium, there are some signs along the seawall explaining the garbage floating in Puget Sound.

 Pretty sad to see a mylar Happy Birthday balloon among the floating trash. How many years do you think it will take for that to break down? 

Speaking of birthdays, today was Rick's #30. We took treats to his classroom - some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle apples. (A healthy alternative compared to cupcakes, cookies or cake!). They're just upside down Granny Smith apples, some edible candy eyes, all natural fruit roll ups for the ninja masks and a tiny bit of royal icing for the noses and mouths. 

I hope his students (third graders) enjoyed them. 

It's kind of funny still taking treats to school for Rick's class when he's 30, but at least he's the teacher now. :)