Young Explorers 2020 - Fish Day

Today was the last Young Explorer Day of the summer and it was all about fish. To start we toured the aquarium to see the diversity of fish and other animals that call the Bay of Fundy home. We also explored the beach, made a few crafts, played bingo, did a scavenger hunt around the aquarium, and did a fish dissection. Below are a few photos from the day of exploration.

The seals were very playful and curious during the aquarium tour.

We played the game Create-A-Fish to learn about external fish anatomy.

Exploring the intertidal zone in the fog.

The Young Explorers searched through the seaweed and under rocks in search of animals.

One of the Young Explorers found a crab with eggs.

Do you know how to tell if a crab is male or female? 

Have a look at the tail shape (male - skinny with straight sides, female - wide with curved sides). 

This is a male.

We also found many rock gunnel fish.

Bay of Fundy fish bingo!

Atlantic salmon life cycle craft.

Dissecting a herring. We found the gills, heart, gas bladder, liver, and stomach. 

Aquarium scavenger hunt. Can you find all the animals?

Stayed tuned to our Facebook page for announcements of upcoming programs and events. Our next Young Explorer programs will be planned for March Break 2021. Also, this summer we launched Huntsman Marine Experiences. Explore the local marine environment solo or with your family and friends on these exciting programs. Register online (click Book Now). 

Plus, new this summer is the Experience St. Andrews Pass - three awesome attractions, unlimited entry over three days, one great price! Register online (click Book Now). 

Young Explorers 2020 - Whale Day

Today for Whale Day we brought out some treasures from the back rooms of the lab to show the Young Explorers. We had right whale and fin whale baleen, porpoise and dolphin teeth, vertebrae, and a rib that was larger than most of the Young Explorers! We had fun exploring the beach and found many crabs. Since the aquarium was closed we were able to take a tour and then later in the day had a scavenger hunt. We also played a game and did a few experiments. Below are a few photos from the day of exploration.

We explored the beach at low tide.

There was lots of excitement when a Young Explorer found the first crab!

Getting a closer look at the green crabs.

We learned how to hold the crabs properly and how to tell if they are male or female.

Touring the aquarium, including a stop to see the harbour seals.

Having a look at the striped bass in the tide tank.

Did you know that each humpback whale has a unique pattern under its fluke? 

The Young Explorers played a matching game.

Learning about echolocation using a spoon, a piece of string and a ruler. 

Give it a try at home. What do you hear?

Conducting an experiment to see how whales stay warm.

We learned that some whales have baleen and some have teeth.

The Young Explorers made a craft to show that some whales have baleen that is fine for catching tiny food, like copepods (plankton), and some whales have coarse baleen for catching fish and krill.

Aquarium scavenger hunt!

Hard to believe but the last Young Explorer Day of the season is next Tuesday, August 25. To book Fish Day, please visit our website (click Book Now). 

This summer we launched Huntsman Marine Experiences. Explore the local marine environment solo or with your family and friends on these exciting programs. Register online (click Book Now). 

Also, new this summer is the Experience St. Andrews Pass - three awesome attractions, unlimited entry over three days, one great price! Register online (click Book Now). 

Young Explorers 2020 - Week 3

This week we welcomed the third week of Young Explorers to the aquarium for learning and fun. Check out the photos below to see what we were up to this week.

Learning about external fish anatomy by playing Create-a-Fish.

Each Young Explorer had to give their fish a name, and let us know where it lives and what it eats.

Exploring the intertidal zone at low tide.

The Young Explorers found lots of tiny crabs!

We discussed how to tell if a crab is a female (wide, curved tail) or male (skinny tail with straight sides).

Can you colour the flounder to be camouflaged to the seabed?

Herring dissection! 

We uncovered the heart, gas bladder, liver, stomach, gills, and eyes.

Bay of Fundy Fish Bingo!

A scavenger hunt around the aquarium.

Building a deep-sea lander.

Testing out the prototype.

To our surprise, we found a Jonah crab. This species is not usually found on the beach so we promptly got it back in deeper water. 

Tuesday Conner from Sunbury Shores helped us out. (Conner is part of the SCAMPS program this summer with Sunbury Shores, Kingsbrae Garden, and the Huntsman. Registration is available online.)

One of the Young Explorers found a rock gunnel fish and was excited to show the others.

Another cool beach find was longfin squid eggs.

We brought the squid eggs back to the lab to have a look at them under the microscope. We will keep them in the lab and check on the development.

This video, from a few years ago, is a newly hatched squid.

We talked about bioluminescence in the deep sea...

and made some glow in the dark art!

We also played the lanternfish game. Can you find your match?

Watch out for the splash during the salmon feeding!

We learned about baleen.

Humpback's have unique patterns on the underside of their fluke. Can you match all of the humpback flukes?

The Young Explorers did a heat exchange experiment to learn about whales, blubber, and surface area.

One Young Explorer found a live dogwinkle on the beach!

Humpback whale food chain.

Studying sound vibrations and echolocation in toothed whales.

Watching the lumpfish feeding.

The Young Explorers are doing an invertebrate and vertebrate scavenger hunt around the aquarium.

Echinoderm day! (echinoderm = spiny skinned) 

We explored some of the echinoderms that occur in the bay including, sand dollars, blood stars, common sea stars, brittle stars, spiny sunstars, and urchins.

Everyone thought the brittle star was pretty cool!

Observing sea stars and urchins using a microscope.

Watching the seal feeding.

What shell is your favourite? 

Learning about molluscs by drawing and describing shells.

How many pennies can your aluminum foil boat hold? The highest today was 73!

On the search for animals living in the intertidal zone.

One of the Young Explorers found a crab that had recently moulted. It was very soft!

If you are curious about upcoming Young Explorer days, please visit our website (click Book Now). 

This summer we launched Huntsman Marine Experiences. Explore the local marine environment solo or with your family and friends on these exciting programs. Register online (click Book Now). 

Also, new this summer is the Experience St. Andrews Pass - three awesome attractions, unlimited entry over three days, one great price! Register online (click Book Now).