Nesting Palooza Answer

Did you figure out where I am? Let’s look at the clues. I’m getting closer to the equator. The equator is an imaginary line that forms a circle around the center of the earth. The closer you are to the equator, the warmer the weather.

Equator
User:Cburnett, CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons

The word arribadas was bold. Did you notice? Do you know what arribadas means? If you speak Spanish, you might. Arribadas is a Spanish word meaning arrival. Hundreds or thousands of sea turtles arrive from the sea to beaches in this country to lay their eggs.

What kind of sea turtles?

Their shells are usually less than 2 feet long.
They weigh less than 100 pounds.
They lay eggs during the day or night.

Olive Ridley https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Olive_ridley_sea_turtle_cropped.jpg

Do you know where I am? I’m watching Olive Ridley sea turtles lay eggs in Costa Rica! You can see them lay eggs too!

I’ll swim ya later! Love, Kit

Depths of the Ocean

The ocean is very deep. Really, truly, super-duper deep! Did you know there are three levels of ocean depth?

Let’s go swimming! Photo by Francesco Ungaro on Unsplash

It’s true! The top layer has a lot of sunlight and oxygen. This is where most of the food lives. It’s where most marine animals live. This layer is called the sunlit zone.

In fact, it’s where I live! I like sunlight and I love to snack! What are your three favorite snacks? Sea turtles love crabs, jellyfish, and my favorite – seagrass. Yum! Are they the same as your favorite snacks?

Gulp! https://www.videvo.net/profile/ssatt/

If you go a little deeper, there is less sunlight. The water looks dark and blue. Not as many animals live here. This is the twilight zone.

If you go even deeper, way double-deep down into the sea, that’s called the DARK ZONE. I’ve never been down there but I’ve heard about it. Can I tell you a little secret? I’m kind of scared! Rumor has it there are some weird animals living down there. Some even look like aliens!

I really want to go see for myself but I don’t want to go alone. Will you go with me?! What do you think?

Voting is closed. Click here to see what Kit did!

Kit goes to the Dark Zone

Learn about the Dark Zone.

Wow! Everyone who voted decided to go with me to the Dark Zone. You are all so brave. Your bravery has made me brave too. Let’s dive deep and see who lives down there. Are you ready?

It’s getting a little bit darker. It seems like the water is bluer. Let’s keep going.

Boy, is it dark down here, and cold. I can’t see a thing. Are you all still with me? Did anyone bring a flashlight? It sure would be helpful down here in the Dark Zone. Wait, I see a flashlight. Do you see it?

Football Fish  TerminaVelocity Posted in
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/acnl/images/7/77/FootballFishIRL.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/500?cb=20130730052925

That’ not a flashlight! RUN! I mean SWIM!

Wait, come back. I’m Freddie. I’m a football fish. Who are you?

My name is Kit. I’m a green sea turtle. If you don’t mind me asking, what is on your head?

This pole helps me eat. Bacteria sticks to the end of the pole. It creates light and attracts smaller fish. Once they get close enough…CHOMP!

Yikes!

We all have to eat. Here comes a friend of mine. Don’t mind the way he looks. His bottom teeth are so long they don’t fit in his mouth. He has holes on the top of his mouth. That is where his bottom teeth go when he eats. Even then he can’t close his mouth all the way.

Fangtooth
https://i1.wp.com/scienceheathen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/image24-e1423457375373.jpg

Hi, I’m a fangtooth. Sorry I can’t stay to chat. Unlike Freddie, I don’t have a light on my head that attracts food. I have to go find food. I’m pretty hungry. Nice to meet you. Hope you’ll come visit us again. We don’t get many visitors down here.

Nice to meet you too! We should be getting back to the surface for some air.

Wow! They were very scary looking for such tiny fish. They were only a few inches long. We should name the fangtooth. What do you think his name should be? What is the best name you can think of for the fangtooth?

Let’s get some air and meet back soon!

Kit’s First Adventure

Where am I? I swam over 2000 miles northeast of Hawaii. I’m still in the Northern Pacific Ocean. I’m pretty tired and would like to rest. When I come to the surface, I hear a very loud noise. It sounds a little like barking. Do you hear it?

Click the arrow to hear what Kit hears. Credit: Soundsnap.com

Who am I with? I see many gray animals laying on several docks. There are at least 39 of them.

Some are sleeping. Some are barking. Some are even looking back at me! They are part of a group of animals called pinnipeds. (Pin-ah-peds)

Pinnipeds – marine mammals with flippers. Can you name some pinnipeds?

There are three types of pinnipeds.

Seal Photo by karlheinz_eckhardt Eckhardt on Unsplash

Sea Lion Photo by Sand Crain on Unsplash

Walrus Photo by Jay Ruzesky on Unsplash

What do I see? I also see a red bridge. It’s so big – 1.7 miles long and 90 feet wide. When I swam past it last night, it was lit up. I could see the lights reflecting in the water.

When I look past the animals on the docks, I see a lot of people walking and biking on a pier. There are shops and restaurants and even an aquarium. I wonder if any of my relatives live there! I think I’m going to take a look around. Can you use the clues I’ve given to tell me where I am?

Did you figure it out? Find the answer here.

Kit’s Adventure Location

Did you figure out where I am? Let’s look at the clues we have. If you haven’t seen the clue sheet, go here first.

I traveled northeast from Hawaii for over 2000 miles. Look at the compass below. N is north. E is east. S is south and W is west. Do you see NE between N and E? That means northeast.

Now find Hawaii on the map below. If you draw a line with your finger northeast from Hawaii, where does your finger land?

Did you guess California? Good job! Now, let’s narrow it down. I’m near a large red bridge. Do you see it on the map?

That large bridge is the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California! We’re getting close now. The number 39 was bold so that was also a clue. You listened to the sound of the pinnipeds on the docks. The three types of pinnipeds are seals, sea lions, and walruses. Did you figure it out?

I’m at Pier 39 in San Francisco with the sea lions! Would you like to see them right now?

People from all over the world visit Pier 39 in San Francisco, California to see the sea lions that sun themselves on the docks. The pinnipeds started doing this after an earthquake hit the area. The protected area has plenty of food for them. And who doesn’t love to lay in the warm sunshine!

The mayor of San Francisco decided to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the sea lions arrival. January 16 is now officially Sea Lions Day in San Francisco!

Sea lions live in almost every ocean. They are not found in the North Atlantic Ocean. Scientists don’t know why.

They eat up to 40 pounds of food a day. Maybe they should be called Sea Piggys!

Excuse me do you have any fish? OINK! Photo by Peter Burdon on Unsplash

Unlike seals, sea lions can walk on their flippers. Even though they live in the water, they breathe oxygen and need to come to the surface for air. I’ve had a lot of fun hanging out by Pier 39. I hope you did too. Let’s see where I go next. Are you ready?

Meet Kit

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kit. I’m a green sea turtle. I live in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Hawaii. Aloha!

Kit hangs out in her coral reef neighborhood Credit: Photo by naushad mohamed on Unsplash

There are many types of sea turtles. I look a lot like my cousin, the Hawksbill sea turtle. The easiest way to tell the difference is by our beaks. The Hawksbill has a pointy, sharp beak. My beak is smoother and shorter. Can you see the difference?

Green sea turtle Photo by Kris Mikael Krister on Unsplash

Hawksbill sea turtle Photo by Kris Mikael Krister on Unsplash

Living in the sea is wonderful. There are so many types of fish and animals. It’s very colorful. The place I live is called a coral reef. It’s like an underwater neighborhood.

Many animals live in a coral reef. Most of them are called invertebrates. (In-VER-tu-brits).

Invertebrates– living animals that have no spine. Jellyfish, starfish, sponges, shrimp, and snails are all invertebrates.

Many animals swim around coral reefs. Tiny fish, lobsters, sea turtles, large fish, even sharks!

I decided that the world is a big place. I want to see more of it! Swimming around with all the other animals is fun. But I want to see more than just my neighborhood.

So I made a wish. I closed my eyes really tight and wished to be somewhere else. It worked! When I opened my eyes, I found myself here. But I don’t know where here is. I guess you could say I’m lost.

Will you travel with me and help me figure out where I am? Great! Let’s go!

Click on Follow Kit to hear from Kit when she gets to a new place!