Menoducation; Another Aquarium 'Appening

This is a Nature Friday post, a day early, as it always is on the first week of the month.

Sunday, July 28th, arrived. I drove over to the aquarium carpark before breakfast in order to be sure of a spot. I was certain that it was likely to be busy, unlike previous visits, due to school holidays, proper summer, and the rock pooling event, which I had also booked myself on. It was really intended for families (i.e. kids), but hey, let out the inner child, I say! It was the correct decision because by opening time at eleven, all spaces were taken.

The rock pooling was led by Janice - who also gave the very interesting main tank talk after lunch.

It was she who was with me when I spotted the eel I 'adopted' and named Argyll. I don't have photographs of the rock pooling (except one wonky one - it'll turn up in a views post later) mainly because I had wet hands but also because there were lots of kids. I did manage some film footage, and a couple of bits will turn up on Saturday Sounds, the rest is in the latest tubular video. We had an absolutely smashing day, and the water in the pools was actually warm! Some of the families scored shrimps and starfish - I managed a Shore Crab and a Hermit Crab, as well as a Water Snail and a pretty piece of linoleum! (Unfortunately, the pretty side was facing down for the photo.)

In the aquarium, after lunch and the talk, I studied the 'shoal wall' to see what different folk had elected to sponsor and name their sea animals. There were some inventive ones...

A Cod called "Chips"

A Plaice called "Platter"

A Cuckoo Wrasse called "Wrestler"

A Tub Gurnard called "Gobble"

A Lobster called.... wait for it... "Shrimp"

For a while, I thought I was not going to be able to see Argyll, which was a little sad, as this was to be my last visit to the aquarium before it closed for refurbishment. Janice told me it is quite likely it will not be open again until at least Christmas 2025... (sad face). However, I popped back into the place ten minutes before it closed and had another gander through the glass... there he was! Tucked well down and making photography really difficult, but the glimpse was enough.

I was chatting with Hannah before I left, asking about the renos and how the fish might be affected... mostly not, they hope, and daily life will continue for them, just not being gawked at by all those faces! She had put up on the instythingy a little reel of Argyll having a swim, which was delightful. She said that quite often, when she was feeding the fish by hand, he or the other eel would swim up to her and nuzzle a bit like a dog might, and she really liked that. However, because Argyll in particular, but also the second eel, are showing signs of being more active, it suggests that they are moving into that stage of a Conger's life when they might want to take off to the Azores, where they breed... and die. This is quite likely to take place whilst the aquarium is closed, so that was probably my last sighting of Argyll altogether. Other eels will be brought in, though, so there's no reason there can't be an Argyll II. 

Anyhoo... I'll leave you with a fish I haven't shared with you before.