Mote Marine Laboratory Mote Aquarium News

BeardsleyZooFan

BeardsleyZooFan

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
Mote Aquarium in Sarasota, FL is a small aquarium that has a focus on animals that can be found in Florida waters. Some of the marquee animals there include manatees, sharks, sea turtles, and a dolphin. Mote Marine Laboratory - Mote Marine Laboratory
Mote is starting to have a chain of temporary exhibits. First off was Penguin Island, which opened in November 2011, until the birds went back to sunny California in April 2012. Now, another temporary exhibit called Sea Lions: On the Water's Edge will open on December 1, 2012 and will be open until spring 2013. It will feature California and Patagonian Sea Lions.
Mote Marine Laboratory - Sea Lions Coming to Mote in December
 
Does anyone know if there are any Patagonian Sea Lions in the US, and if so, where? There are plenty of California Sea Lions to get, but I don't know where they'll source the Patagonian's...
Also, can a moderator please move this to the Mote Marine Laboratory forum?
Mote Marine Laboratory Forums
 
From the official Mote Aquarium Facebook page;
BeardsleyZooFan said:
Hugh and Buffett, our resident manatees, will be temporarily off exhibit while we refurbish their 70,000 gallon habitat. They will be off exhibit from Friday, Oct. 19, 2012, for approximately 10 days through Oct. 29, 2012.
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BeardsleyZooFan said:
Does anyone know if there are any Patagonian Sea Lions in the US, and if so, where? There are plenty of California Sea Lions to get, but I don't know where they'll source the Patagonian's...
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I know there are quite a few Patagonians in European zoos and aquariums like Zoo Liberec and Dolphinarium "Nemo". Also, the Bejing Zoo has them and, obviously, some South American zoos/aquariums must have them. I haven't ever been able to find them in the U.S., though, and I don't think we have them.

Although, as you know BZF, Mystic Aquarium is one of only four zoos in North America that has Steller Sea Lions :cool:
 
ThylacineAlive said:
I know there are quite a few Patagonians in European zoos and aquariums like Zoo Liberec and Dolphinarium "Nemo". Also, the Bejing Zoo has them and, obviously, some South American zoos/aquariums must have them. I haven't ever been able to find them in the U.S., though, and I don't think we have them.

Although, as you know BZF, Mystic Aquarium is one of only four zoos in North America that has Steller Sea Lions :cool:
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Thanks ThylacineAlive for the info on the Patagonians.
Mystic has also recently added Northern Fur Seals, so now 2 of the rarest pinnepids in US collections can be seen side-by-side in Mystic.
 
Hugh and Buffett, the male West Indian Manatee brothers, are back on exhibit in their refurbished habitat.
 
BeardsleyZooFan said:
Sea Lions: On the Water's Edge will feature 3 female Patagonian Sea Lions (apparantely they will acquire more sea lions later), and is open now. It will run through April 28, 2013. I might make a return visit to Mote, because honestly, when's the next time I'm going to be able to see a Patagonian Sea Lion?:cool:
Mote Marine Laboratory - Sea Lions Debut Dec. 1 at Mote
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If and/or when you go to either Europe or South America. Quite a few places hold them outside the U.S. in these areas. I believe the Bejing Zoo also holds the species.
 
ThylacineAlive said:
If and/or when you go to either Europe or South America. Quite a few places hold them outside the U.S. in these areas. I believe the Bejing Zoo also holds the species.
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That's what I mean. I'm not going to get any chances to go to Europe, South America, or China anytime soon. That's why I posted that it in the sense that I'm not going to see some for a long time after Mote.
 
BeardsleyZooFan said:
That's what I mean. I'm not going to get any chances to go to Europe, South America, or China anytime soon. That's why I posted that it in the sense that I'm not going to see some for a long time after Mote.
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True unfortunetly I won't get a chance to go down (probably). Maybe this will spark some more of the species coming in perminently to the U.S. (doubt it, though)
 
Do they still have the pantropical spotted dolphin resident (moonshine) in the dolphin lagoon?

The google map image of the place from 2011 shows the lagoon full of algae, looking unused but I can only find evidence of Harley's death in 2011. I presume that moonshine has died too?
 
sealion said:
Do they still have the pantropical spotted dolphin resident (moonshine) in the dolphin lagoon?

The google map image of the place from 2011 shows the lagoon full of algae, looking unused but I can only find evidence of Harley's death in 2011. I presume that moonshine has died too?
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I think Moonshine is still at the aquarium, as he still has a page on their website, and their website is fairly up to date. Mote Marine Laboratory - Mote Marine Laboratory. However, I am not sure but I might make a return visit this year to see the Patagonian Sea Lions, but I will update the dolphin status as well if I make the trip.
 
BeardsleyZooFan said:
I think Moonshine is still at the aquarium, as he still has a page on their website, and their website is fairly up to date. Mote Marine Laboratory - Mote Marine Laboratory. However, I am not sure but I might make a return visit this year to see the Patagonian Sea Lions, but I will update the dolphin status as well if I make the trip.
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Thanks! I thought I had a look at the website but must have missed that oops!

I assumed, from google maps, that the dolphin lagoon (from photos) was the pool attached to the main aquarium building, but is this pool in fact the one at the Ann and Alfred E Goldstein Marine Mammal Centre?

EDIT: After having another look I can see that the marine mammal centre pool is the one i've seen in all the photos, so the other pool must be for something else, like manatees. Mystery solved!
 
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A new Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle is now on exhibit. Here is the official Facebook post from Mote Aquarium;
"A new sea turtle named “Caleb” is now on exhibit publicly in The Aquarium at Mote Marine Laboratory, which is providing the turtle a permanent home because it has impaired swimming abilities and cannot be returned to the wild.

Caleb is the first Kemp’s ridley turtle — considered the most endangered sea turtle species on Earth — to become a permanent resident in Mote’s exhibit Sea Turtles: Ancient Survivors. The exhibit also houses loggerhead and green turtles that could not be released, has a hospital for hatchling sea turtles and features educational displays about Mote’s sea turtle conservation and research, highlighting how the public can help sea turtles survive."
 
BeardsleyZooFan said:
A new Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle is now on exhibit. Here is the official Facebook post from Mote Aquarium;
"A new sea turtle named “Caleb” is now on exhibit publicly in The Aquarium at Mote Marine Laboratory, which is providing the turtle a permanent home because it has impaired swimming abilities and cannot be returned to the wild.

Caleb is the first Kemp’s ridley turtle — considered the most endangered sea turtle species on Earth — to become a permanent resident in Mote’s exhibit Sea Turtles: Ancient Survivors. The exhibit also houses loggerhead and green turtles that could not be released, has a hospital for hatchling sea turtles and features educational displays about Mote’s sea turtle conservation and research, highlighting how the public can help sea turtles survive."
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Does the aquarium breed sea turtles? That said, do any places breed sea turtles?

~Thylo:cool:
 
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