Category: Video / slideshows


Giant Pacific Octopus – Video

Filed under: Marine Invertebrates e.g. Sea Slugs, Octopus, Video / slideshows — 1 Comment
October 7, 2011
Giant Pacific Octopus subtly changing colour and texture. Video by Erika Grebeldinger.

Remarkable video of a Giant Pacific Octopus juvenile subtly changing texture and colour to better match its surroundings.

When full grown, this species can be over 7 m from arm tip to arm tip and over 73 kg = the biggest species of octopus in the world.

The video was taken by fellow Top Island Econauts Dive Club diver Erika Grebeldinger during one of our dives last month. It is testament to the calibre of her diving and concern for the environment that she was able to “capture” such natural behaviour. It the octopus had been agitated, s/he would have flashed red, postured and/or inked.

Having previously posted this video on Facebook, I love Will Soltau’s observation of how the octopus leaves no footprint and what a different world it would be if we humans were more like octopus in this respect.

Thank you so much for sharing Erika!

Video below added on November 25th, 2011 from You Tube – Octopus walking on land in California at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve.

 

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Two Dive Day

Filed under: Biodiversity (Dive With Me), Video / slideshows — 3 Comments
August 8, 2011

August 7, 2011

It seemed appropriate that, to relay the remarkable diversity of the two dives, I should let images speak louder than words. 

The most exceptional find was a baby grunt sculpin – no bigger than my finger tip.

Come underwater with me, just for 3 minutes to share in the awe.

Two Dive Day

Two Dive Day

This movie requires Adobe Flash for playback.

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Extraordinary Privilege – From on high to down deep.

Filed under: Biodiversity (Dive With Me), Video / slideshows — 4 Comments
July 24, 2011

Humpback whale BCY0768 viewed lunge feeding from 700+ feet above the whale. Telephoto and cropped. Photo: Hildering

Do you have 2.5 minutes?

I’ve compressed the highlights of my marine adventures of  that last 24+ hours into a little slide show. What an extraordinary privilege it has been.

Yesterday, while in a helicopter some 1,000 feet above them, I watched humpback whales lunge feed. 

Today, on the way to our weekly dive, there was a bit of a diversion . . . 3 matrilines (family groups) of fish-eating killer whales needed to pass before we could proceed.

While getting into our dive gear, in the sunshine, a few Pacific white-sided dolphins swam by. 

Then . . . there was the dive with so much more beauty and bounty.

Sometimes, I feel like I might explode with the wonder and privilege of it all. 

Thankfully, I have avenues like this to share and to feel like I might be able to make these adventures count; to enhance understanding and conservation for all this beauty and biodiversity.

Please share in the wonder with me.

Click this link to go from high above the northeast Pacific, into her depths.

(Last video in the gallery at this link). 

Diamondback nudibranch (sea slug) among red soft coral, sponge and brooding anemones. This specimen only about 5 cm long. Photo: Hildering


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Kaouk – The Steller Sea Lion That Flew

Filed under: Kaouk the Steller sea lion, Sea lions, Video / slideshows — 2 Comments
January 27, 2011

Kaouk at the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre. Photo: Hildering

Below, please find a link to a slide show update on Kaouk, the juvenile male Steller sea lion that walked into the Port Alice (BC, Canada) trailer park on December 16th, 2010.


I had the privilege of visiting Kaouk at the Vancouver Aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue Centre on January 20th and was amazed at the improvement in his health.  A decision will soon be made about his return to the wild.


See this link for the 3 minute slide show (available in two sizes for ease of viewing).

See this link for a background story in the North Island Gazette.

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Kelp Greenling Colour and Courtship

Filed under: Fish, Other species, Video / slideshows — 3 Comments
November 7, 2010

While diving this morning, I came across a kelp greenling couple while they were courting (Hexagrammos decagrammus).

In addition to being fascinated by the courtship behaviour, I was struck by the intense colouration, especially of the courting male.

Mature male and female kelp greenlings look very different but I had never fully realized how their gender specific colour intensifies during courtship.

Mature males are blue/brown with blue patches but the colour of the head and eyes appears so much more stunning when the male is courting.

This 1.5 minute slideshow / video at this link shows the colouration and the courtship behaviour. Enjoy! (If having trouble viewing, choose a smaller video size at top of video’s page).


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Popcorn for Thanksgiving

Filed under: Video / slideshows — 5 Comments
October 14, 2010

I spent Canadian Thanksgiving this week as naturalist aboard the 92-foot schooner Maple Leaf in my own marine backyard, the Broughton / Blackfish Archipelago (Northern Vancouver Island, BC, CANADA).

 

Pacific white-sided dolphin.

 

The exceptionally talented ship’s chef served a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Certainly no popcorn there!

But, Nature dished out “pop-corning” Pacific white-sided dolphins.

“Pop-corning” is the jargon given to the behaviour when this highly acrobatic species explodes into the air; popping up again and again.

There were some 500 of them, playing in the wind and waves with Steller sea lions leaping amongst them. It is difficult for me to express just how exhilarating this was; just how awe-inspiring. With mouth agape, I tried to take photos to capture what we witnessed.

 

"Pop-corning".

 

We had already seen so much. In less than 48 hours in a 16 kilometre stretch in this area, we also saw:

  • Repeat sightings of eight lunge feeding humpbacks. This included seeing three of them lunging for the same mass of small schooling fish; one of them (BCY0728, aka “Conger”) tail slapping at Steller sea lions and; sighting an individual that has never been recorded in the area before (BCY0310, aka “Dragonfly”).
  • Large numbers of Steller sea lions with some choosing to inquisitively circle and surface right beside the boat. This was one of the best opportunities I have ever had to photograph Stellers.
  • And . . . some 32 fish-eating “resident” killer whales – A12 + the A36s; A34s, A30s and I15s. They were travelling slowly, vocalizing intently. Some were foraging while calves played and others had Pacific white-sided dolphins leaping around them.

So much to be thankful for. And very worth sharing with you so that together we can work to ensure that this beauty and biodiversity is here for all future generations to give thanks for.

I have put together a 3-minute slideshow at this link, hoping it provides a sense of how amazing it was to have pop-corning dolphins (and so much more) for Thanksgiving.

 

Steller sea lion.

 

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Come Away With Me

Filed under: Biodiversity (Dive With Me), Marine birds, Marine Invertebrates e.g. Sea Slugs, Sea lions, Video / slideshows — 7 Comments
August 15, 2010

Come on. You know you want to, just for 3 minutes.

Come on the dives I did today.

The little slide show I have put together, is a testimony to the grand, jaw-dropping biodiversity of this area (Northern Vancouver Island, B,C., CANADA).

The Minke whale we saw, the fish using a sponge as a hammock, the bald eagle chick that took one of its first flights – all these are animals that I have learned from by knowing a small part of the world’s ocean well enough to be able to recognize individual animals.

Such a privilege and such a joy to share with you.

Come away with me . . . . click here.

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The Case of the Killer Plankton

Filed under: Mystery, Plankton, Video / slideshows — 6 Comments
July 25, 2010

This week’s case is the result of Stacey Hrushowy bringing a unique jelly-like marine creature to my attention.

Forgive the sensationalist blog title but truly, this animal is like the stuff of science fiction.

It’s a 15 cm pulsing, translucent, rainbow-flashing blob that has a fascinating diet!

Mystery creature (15 cm). Photo by Stacey Hrushowy.

I’ve narrated a slideshow with video to share this with you. Please see the link below.

Click here for the The Case of the Killer Plankton! (6 min)

I would not have been able to identify this species without Dave Wrobel and his site jellieszone.com .


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It’s Raining Fish?!

Filed under: Fish, Other species, Video / slideshows — 14 Comments
June 13, 2010

Juvenile yellow-tail rockfish.

Recently, I noticed a lot of splashing in a tideline off Telegraph Cove, BC. I share my observations with you via the little video clip at the link below.

You’ll note that it looks like big rain drops are hitting the water.

I discovered that what was creating the splashing were juvenile yellow-tail rockfish feeding on zooplankton. The zooplankton, including a small species of krill, had been concentrated at the surface by the big tidal exchange. There had been almost a 4 metre exchange between high and low tide (more than 12 feet).

I also discovered a very unique larval fish in the tideline that day but will share that discovery in a future “The Marine Detective”.

Click here for the video of the yellow-tail rockfish feeding in the tideline.

Enjoy!

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Who’s Your Daddy?

Filed under: Fish, Sculpins, Video / slideshows — 6 Comments
May 29, 2010

Scalyhead sculpins are a tiny fish but the males have a giant parenting role.

Scalyhead sculpin super dad (+/-10 cm)

I found what I believe were this species’ eggs while guiding a recent beach study (with Mr. Barfoot’s class from Robert Scott Elementary, Port Hardy, BC).

To share this information, and my photos, I’ve tried something new. At the link below, you’ll find a slideshow that I have narrated to explain how scalyhead sculpins are super dads.

Yes, that’s right, you get to hear my voice this week (oh-so-human stumbled speech and all!). Please realize I am speaking as I would to a +/- 10 year old.

Let me know what you think.  I so value you following along on these marine adventures.

Click here for scalyhead sculpin photos and the narrated slideshow – “Who’s Your Daddy?”

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