Visit Us at the Fairy House Tours - Sept 19-20

Join us this weekend at the Fairy House Tours in downtown Portsmouth! Our portable touch tanks will be displayed on the Gov. Langdon House lawn as part of the Fairy House tours from 12-4 on Saturday and Sunday.

From the Fairy House tours web site:

Come, enjoy a magical “one of a kind” tour! A self-guided walking tour of Fairy Houses displayed in the historic South End neighborhood of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Ticket includes entrance to Strawbery Banke, Wentworth-Gardner and Governor John Langdon houses. Ticket proceeds will again benefit non-profit organizations in the South End.

Families, gardeners, nature lovers and the 'young at heart' will be enchanted by these whimsical fairy habitats, built for the fairies to visit. Come discover the joys and magic of fairy houses inspired by children's literature and other fairy fantasies. Enjoy the tour and then build them yourselves on Peirce Island!

Visit this page for ticket information, photos and more. We hope to see you there!

We're open this weekend!

It's Labor Day weekend, and the weather forecast is calling for sun, sun and more sun - a perfect weekend to visit the touch tank! We'll be open from 10 to 2 Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Crab feeding is Saturday at 1. Come check out our biggest green crab, which molted and grew a new claw!

Our daily hours are over!

Hi everyone! It's been a great season - thanks for visiting again and again. We have finished our daily open hours; our last regular-season day was Aug. 31. We may be open weekends this month, but we haven't yet figured out whether this will be possible. Check back here - I'll keep you posted!

Notes from Hannah

Here's a letter from another of our touch tank interns, Hannah:

"Hey everybody! The touch tank has been a happening place lately! Though our rare-colored lobster is now at our Salisbury location (visit him there!) we have had a ton of fun with our many sea stars and other animals. Many people enjoy holding these wonderfully different colored animals and watching closely as their feet slowly move their bodies across your hand... it is quite an interesting feeling, as if they're tickling you slightly! There are crafts happening daily for the kids, also! A couple days ago, we had ten or more kids make different colored scallops with the paint and paper plates provided, and the staff was able to admire them before they took them home. It's different from day to day at the Portsmouth Blue Ocean touch tank. We love teaching people about the animals they encounter, as well as meeting people from many different parts of the world. There have been new creatures added and many people have been showing up consistently all summer long to see what's new! We look forward to seeing you!!"

A note from a dedicated intern!

Hi tank blog readers,

Here is an entry from intern Lauren, who recently finished her work with Blue Ocean Society:

"This summer season I was a volunteer at the touch tank. I learned many things about the marine life in the tank as well as marine conservation. I was honored to be able to experience such a wonderful organization that gave back to the community. It was amazing to see how many smiles came from children as well as adults. Some people who visited the tank were from out of state and had never seen these marine creatures up close, while others were locals and veterans of the tank...yet both gave great enthusiasm about the critters. The positive attitudes and curiosity made my time at the tank enjoyable and exciting. I also found there were many things I did not know, such as that a scallop has 86 eyes or that a moon snail makes its own shell out of a substance called calcium carbonate. I highly recommend anyone who has not visited our touch tank make the trip and check it out. Whether it is the unusual creatures you may find lurking in the tank or the devoted and lively staff at the tank, you will surely enjoy your visit!"

Salisbury Now Has 3 Orange Lobsters

For anyone in MA or headed that way, you might want to stop at our Sea Life Discovery Center in Salisbury Beach. Rumor has it that the center is now home to 3 orange lobsters! The center is open Tue-Fri, 10-3 and Sat-Sun, 11-4 and is located at 25 Broadway, right next to Surfside 5 and right on Salisbury Beach.

Calling all urchins!

The one thing we are asked most about at the tank is urchins. "Do you have any?" visitors will ask, only to hear, "Not right now - we haven't been able to find any all season!"
It's true - the only urchins I've come across this year have been tiny, and I've left those in the tidepools at the beach, because they tend not to fare well in the tank at such a small size (the crabs get to them quickly and easily).
Urchins are related to sea stars and sand dollars. They have round bodies (tests), long spines and lots of tube feet that stretch out when you hold them in the water. They use their sharp five-toothed mouths, called an Aristotle's lantern, to munch on kelp and scavenged meat. It can be hard to wrap your brain around the fact that they are, in fact, live animals - until you see their spines move and their feet stick out all around.
To find some of these cool specimens, we're reaching out to you! Have you been tidepooling this summer and seen urchins in a specific location? Please comment on this post and point us in the right direction - or if you're feeling especially daring, bring a few via cooler to the touch tank during our open hours. Thank you!

A great weekend

The tall ships have come and gone, and we were lucky enough to be part of the event. Thanks to everyone who checked out the touch tank on the way to the ships, or who made a stop at our mini tank at the event site. It was wonderful to meet you all! And for those of you who didn't get the chance to stop by, there are still three weeks left of August - we're open 10 to 2 every day.
On Saturday, two friendly scuba divers brought us lots of sea stars. Come watch them move around the tank using their tube feet - if you're lucky, you may get to see them extract their stomachs as they eat!

Missing donations...

Closing up the touch tank at 2 p.m. today, I came upon a sad discovery: A $20 bill had been pilfered from the donation bin. What a bummer after such a great day!
We work hard at Blue Ocean Society to make a real difference with our educational programs, and donations at the touch tank make these programs possible - we are a nonprofit organization that relies on the generosity of others to continue our mission. More often than not, people are very giving when they visit us at the tank. But it only takes one person to take away.
While a loss like this directly affects the society, we are not the only ones who suffer. The $20 taken today may have been given by a total of four or five families visiting the tank, all having the chance to learn about the local marine environment and to nurture their sense of curiosity about marine life, coastal ecology and ocean health. After a positive experience with us, they wanted to give to our cause. In an event like this, they suffer as much as we do.
For those of you who gave today or anytime this summer, thank you! Your generosity allows us to promote our mission at the tank - to inspire others to make good choices for the sake of the marine environment. If our pilferer is out there, we would love to accept the money back, no questions asked. We'll see you all at the touch tank!

Orange Lobster Now in Salisbury

Our orange lobster has moved to our Sea Life Discovery Center in Salisbury Beach, MA, where he now has his own tank and can move around freely without rubber bands on his claws!

A hermit crab melee!

Today we saw two giant hermit crabs battling over the same shell! It was a fierce fight, and in the end, the winner bullied the loser out of his own shell. We watched as the smaller one held on for dear life, naked without his protective home and at a loss for what to do. He finally crawled away, took his opponent's old shell, and hid inside. I had never seen anything like it!

Over the weekend, a friend of the tank brought us some cool new creatures, including a giant hermit - one of which we already had. It was evident from the start that two may be a crowd. The new guy was bigger, stronger and more aggressive.

This morning, upon arriving at the tank and taking a look at the animals inside, we found a stray hermit crab claw and a piece of a leg - signs of a fight. When we inspected further, we found the new, larger crab missing the bottom half of his leg, and the resident, smaller crab missing his claw. (He had already lost a claw to a jonah crab earlier in the month, so now he is completely clawless.) It was obvious that they had tussled sometime overnight, and it foreshadowed the events that would occur later that afternoon.

As a visiting family came up to the tank, we all looked in, and that's when we saw the hermits fighting. The smaller crab was completely out of his shell, and he was hanging on to top the of it - something I'd never seen before. Usually, hermit crabs don't exit their shells without a very good reason, so this had to be one. And it was - the larger crab had taken over his shell. The new guy may have found the shell more suitable than his own, or the takeover could have been a power move to show his aggression and dominance in the tank. Either way, the smaller crab was left shellless, until he finally let go and took the shell left empty by his enemy. It was an illustration in just how competitive hermit crabs can be!

Orange lobster!

Today I will be picking up a rare orange lobster recently shipped to Hampton, and it will be in our touch tank! A recent news article about two of the specimens in York gives some information about where they get their crazy color. This one is a third, which came from the same population near Prince Edward Island as the first two. Come check it out!

Great day for a grand opening!

Success! The skies opened up for our grand opening on Saturday, and the turnout could not have been better. Hannah and I had a fantastic time meeting new people, reading new stories and making new crafts. Thanks to everyone who came out to support our organization and make friends with our critters!
Saturday's theme was hermit crabs. We read "House for a Hermit Crab" by Eric Carle and "Platypus" by Chris Riddell, both which explored the lives of these creatures and how we can respect them. Then, our visitors had the chance to make a shell of their own - they colored circular "shells" and pasted them onto hermit crab bodies to give them protection and shelter. Our resident giant hermit in the tank, dubbed "Fred" by a visitor, even gave us a show - twice during the day, he switched shells! We watched as he checked out an empty moon snail shell, then popped out of his own and into the new one backside first. It's a rare treat, and our visitors were just as excited as us to watch it happen.
We also had feeding time for the green, jonah and hermit crabs. Haddock donated by Seaport Fish of Rye keeps the crabs full and happy, so they're less aggressive and less likely to eat other critters in the tank. At 1 p.m., visitors got to watch the crabs chow down, often fighting for a share and sometimes grabbing the food right out of each other's mouths.
During the day, several guests bought tickets for our 50/50 raffle, going on all week long. Tickets are $1 each, $5 for 6 or $10 for 13. The drawing on Friday will determine the winner of one of Blue Ocean Society's membership packages, as well as the winner of half the cash raised in the raffle. Come to the tank this week and buy a ticket to win!
Thanks again to everyone who came out and made Saturday's grand opening such a success. We are now open every day from 10 to 2, so make sure you come see us again and again - we'll have new critters and new crafts every week. See you soon!

Grand opening this Saturday!

The big day has finally come - our grand opening! This Saturday will kick off our full-time season, when we are open every day from 10 to 2. In celebration, we'll have snacks, story time, games, raffles, crafts - and, of course, critters!
There are some really cool animals in the tank right now, including sea scallops, which clap their shells to try and escape predators; a giant moon snail, which creates a slime trail across the bottom of the tank; and an enormous hermit crab, living in a moon snail shell and, once in a while, testing out a new one.
Come see them and more on Saturday! From 10 to 2, we'll be raffling lots of great prizes, such as Blue Ocean Society memberships, Isles of Shoals Steamship Co. cruise tickets, cash and more. The festivities will continue aboard the M/V Thomas Laighton, where we'll bring critters and crafts and hold another raffle.
Here's our schedule of events for Saturday's grand opening:

- Snacks and crafts all day.
- Story time, 10:30 a.m.
- Lunchtime at the tank, 12 noon – bring a picnic and have lunch with the critters.
- Feeding time, 1 p.m. – watch the crabs chow down on haddock donated by Seaport Fish of Rye.
- Historic Isles of Shoals and Portsmouth Harbor Tour, 1:55 p.m. (ticket purchase and $5 parking payment required) – join critters on board the Isles of Shoals Steamship Company’s M/V Thomas Laighton for a tour of the islands, a story time with Blue Ocean Society and a raffle for cash and other prizes.
- Tank raffle, 2 p.m. – tickets will be sold all day; winners will be announced at 2 p.m. and contacted by phone or e-mail.

Dads, bring your kids to celebrate Father's Day - or better yet, kids, bring your dads! The event is free, and it will be a great way to see all that the touch tank and Blue Ocean Society have to offer. Hope to see you there!

Great Stuff in the Tank!

I stopped by the touch tank today with my 3-year old daughter, who never gets tired of it even though she visits all the time! There are lots of critters in there now, including a few different crab species, a sea scallop, a small sea urchin and a variety of algae. We'll be open again next weekend - stop by and check it out!

Success! The tank made it to the dock!

With help from several of our staffers and some brave, dedicated volunteers, we successfully moved the heavy, bulky tank back to the Isles of Shoals Steamship Co. dock, where it will remain for the summer season. The sea stars, crabs and periwinkles all seem happy with their new location, and all of us at Blue Ocean Society are glad the daunting task has been completed!
Jim Mills of ReMax generously donated his moving truck - we have the United Way of the Greater Seacoast to thank for connecting us to him. The Portsmouth Herald also reached out and gave us some great coverage - check out the story and photo here.
Once we had unloaded the tank onto the dock, the staff/volunteer team found an amazing specimen in the river - a jellyfish! Jason scooped it up in a sandy bin, and we shot a photo before returning it to the water. (As cool as it was to see, I don't think the jellyfish would be too happy in our tank - nor would the visitors reaching in!)
I'd like to thank BOS staff and interns Jen Kennedy, Dianna Schulte, Patty Adell, Kris Piper and Jason Spinney and volunteer Andrew Wallace for all their hard work. Now we can open the tank to the public this weekend - come see us on May 23, 24 or 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.!

Katherine

It's almost time...

We're almost ready to open the touch tank for the 2009 season! Soon the tank and all its inhabitants will be moved to the dock at 315 Market Street, and on Saturday, May 23, we'll be open for the first time. Until then, we have lots to do: collect new sand, rocks and creatures to add to the tank, gather materials for games and activities, and create fun educational materials for you to use on your visit. So come and see us on weekends until June 20, when we'll be open every day.
Would you like to volunteer at the tank? Or are you interested in an internship? We're looking for both this summer! Contact us for more information and become an active member of our mission of education, research and conservation. We'd love to have you!
If you came to the tank last year and have suggestions for how to make it better this season, by all means, let us know! This is a great place to give us your feedback - simply comment on this blog post and help us make the tank better.
Thank you, and we can't wait to see you!
Katherine

Whew! A Successful Winter

The touch tank made it through its first winter season in the carriage barn at our office at the Gov. Langdon House in Portsmouth. We had one sketchy weekend of very cold weather and almost thought we'd have to shut the tank down, but everything made it through and we are excited the warmer weather is here again! Interestingly, our sea star population has been thriving and many of the tiny sea stars that were in the tank at the beginning of the season have grown even larger!

I'm happy to report that our Touch Tank Coordinator, Katherine Lanzer, will be returning again this summer. She's been busy this spring making plans for the touch tank and we'll have a lot going on again this summer. We look forward to seeing our "regulars" and making new friends this spring and summer!

We'll be open for spring hours on Memorial Day weekend (May 23-24), 10 a.m.-2 p.m., with our official 2009 grand opening on Saturday, June 20. Any questions, e-mail us or give us a call at 603-431-0260. See you soon!