waves crash down

it's late so i don't have much time to write before my eyes close. today was another fun day. some pics are up on facebook - i'll put the rest on later.

we explored the aquarium front and back and learned a lot. they just got a great white shark in their outer bay exhibit. they will release it when it gets too big for captivity. right now it's just a baby - less than a year old and only about 4 feet long. we watched them feed the bat rays and turtles that had been removed to avoid shark issues. the turtles are vegetarians - they eat kale and bell peppers! we also saw how the tanks are constructed and lighted to create a sense of endless sea. kind of interesting. we also saw the filter system and the jelly hatchery. they raise all of their own jellies from fertilization to maturity.

after the tour we were given a few hours to just explore on our own. it was really nice - i don't think i've ever seen the entire aquarium at one time. there was a lot about sea otters - those seem to be the most popular to guests. i was even brave enough to touch some of the creatures in the touch pool. i spoke with our tour guide and he's going to set up a shadow day for me to see some of the research going on at the aquarium. hopefully that will all work out. it sounds great.

tonight we talked with a woman about the effects of social network on today's world. it was interesting, although the coversation did not take the direction i had hoped. we talked a lot about journalism and whether it is still useful now. we pretty much decided that we have all become our own journalists through the unlimited amounts of news and social networking website. it's amazing to see things changing so quickly. there is still a need for journalists, they just haven't figured out exactly how to work with today's new technologies.

after dinner and that discussion we walked down to hopkins and hung out on the beach. we had intended to go black light mini golfing, but the course was closed when we got there. (it said it was open till 10, but i guess then felt like turning in early.) the beach was still fun. i enjoyed scrambling over the rocks in the dark and listening to the waves crash. we could also see the outline of the aquarium. it was neat.

well i really need to get some sleep. tomorrow we are doing a bunch of random things including visiting the local new student welcome party and touring an organic winery. should be another interesting day! goonight :)