World Turtle Day

Heads up—or maybe that’s heads out. Today is World Turtle Day, an annual observance established in 2000 to celebrate and protect turtles and tortoises around the world. Shedd’s chelonians (the collective term for turtles) include 33 marine, freshwater and terrestrial species, totaling 88 individuals, from nearly every major bioregion on Earth. Look for them by exhibit.

One brush with comb jellies is not enough: They’re back!

Comb jellies are back on view in the Jellies special exhibit. A new species to the exhibit, Mnemiopsis leidyi, is native to the temperate waters along the coasts of North and South America—our combs were collected off New England—but it has found its way by ship ballast water into the Black, Caspian and Mediterranean Seas. While combs are present in coastal waters throughout the year, says special exhibits collection manager Mark Schick, “good concentrations are sporadic, so availability is, too.”

Jellies through 2013: A sure-fire fascination

The Jellies special exhibit has proved to be so popular that it’s been extended through 2013. Look for a rotation of species, including some surprises, along with our in-house favorites: the elegantly simple moons, frilly sea nettles and those inverted invertebrates, the upside-down jellies.

More than 1.1 million guests have been mesmerized by these diaphanous animals, which rhythmically pulse, gently drift on circulating currents, or even ricochet around their custom-crafted habitats.

Quetzals and Butterflies

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, we’re highlighting two Mexican fishes, one large, one small, and both on view in the Rivers gallery.

The quetzal cichlid, says aquarist Steve Ehrlich, “is a beautiful fish named after a beautiful bird.” Its glittering pink, crimson, gold, vermilion, turquoise and black scales are the equal of the brilliantly hued iridescent plumage of the birds that figure in Mexican and Central American culture and mythology.

A Picture-perfect Visit

Last week, Scott McMurry finally received the long-lost postcard his mother sent from Shedd Aquarium in 1957. On Thursday, the Virginia man was welcomed to Shedd for a whirlwind first-time visit courtesy of the aquarium and its partners, Swissôtel Chicago and United Airlines–the official airline of Shedd Aquarium.

May Fish of the Month: Farmed Arctic Char

Your seafood choices can have a big impact on the health of our oceans and lakes—so make sure they’re positive ones! Every month, Shedd’s Right Bite team highlights a sustainable seafood selection that’s both good for you and good for our planet. The Fish of the Month for May is farmed arctic char, and I have a tasty dish to share—spring salad with maple-miso arctic char.

2012 Earth Week Wrap-up

Shedd Aquarium’s 2012 Earth Week events were a great way to celebrate our blue planet.

On Tuesday, April 17, Shedd partnered with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District to promote an easy water-saving home tool: rain barrels. Students from Gompers Fine Art Option painted colorful scenes on more than a dozen 55-gallon rain barrels. Some of the barrels will be donated by MWRD back to the school.

Lost and Found—A Shedd Postcard’s Odyssey

In 1957, Scott McMurry’s parents visited Shedd during a business trip to Chicago and sent a picture postcard of the aquarium to their teen-aged son back in Decatur, Georgia. His mother wrote, “We’ll probably be home before this gets there!”

Truer words have seldom been written.

A Day in the Life of Shedd’s Sea Otter Pup: Water Play!

“Are you ready for extreme cuteness?” animal care specialist Megan Vens-Policky asks as she invites me into the sea otter nursery for an hour and a half of watching Cayucos eat, train, play and, above all, be cute.

Energy - From Our Home to Yours

Earth Week is nearing its end, but energy savings can continue all year. In partnership with the Illinois Environmental Council, Shedd produced three videos about how we save energy in our aquarium home, and similar steps that you can take in your home. Today, we introduce the final video on energy.