Weekend Wonders: International Whale Shark Day

Credit: Conor Goulding/Mote Marine Laboratory

August 30 is International Whale Shark Day, honoring the world’s largest fish and efforts to protect them. Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) can grow more than 40 feet long, yet feed mainly on plankton, fish eggs, and tiny schooling fish. Their distinctive spots and stripes act like fingerprints, allowing scientists to identify individuals worldwide.

Whale Sharks off Southwest Florida

In June 2018, public reports of whale shark sightings led Mote Marine Laboratory scientists offshore of Longboat Key and New Pass. Within hours, the team located five whale sharks and tagged two with tracking devices. Three more whale sharks were photographed closer to shore, all feeding peacefully at the surface. The tags recorded depth, temperature, and location, providing valuable data about whale shark movements in the Gulf. Spot pattern photos were also shared with The Wildbook for Sharks photo-identification library, a global database that helps identify and track individuals.

Why Whale Sharks Matter

Whale sharks are listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Every sighting, photo, and tag deepens our understanding of these gentle giants and supports global conservation.

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Celebrate Dots with Us on September 1, 2025 at 1:00 pm ET

Want to learn more about shark spots? Dive into Dot Day to learn more.

Inspired by The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds, this interactive program will celebrate the dazzling dots of our whale sharks and the many patterns found in ocean life. Families, homeschoolers, learning pods, libraries, and elementary learners can join us to:

• Discover how sharks, turtles, and other sea creatures use dots, spots, stripes, and camouflage
• Explore the science of marine life with Mote educators
• Create your own ocean-themed masterpiece in a guided art activity

🎨 How will you celebrate #InternationalDotDay?

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Weekend Wonders: diamondback terrapins 🐢

Meet the diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin), a bedotted turtle that thrives in our estuaries.

What makes them unique?

Diamondback terrapins are the only turtle species in North America that live exclusively in brackish water, the places where fresh and saltwater mix. Their muscular legs and webbed toes make them excellent swimmers. Special glands near their eyes help them excrete excess salt, which allows them to adapt to changing salinity.

• Size and appearance:
  • Females: Larger, averaging about 11 inches long, with shorter tails
  • Males: Smaller, reaching about 5.5 inches long
• Weight: Typically 300 to 500 grams (10 to 17 ounces)
• Diet: Mostly carnivores, terrapins feast on snails, crabs, oysters, scallops, mussels, fish, worms, and insects. Occasionally, they will nibble on plants.
• Range and habitat: These turtles bask in salt marshes, mangroves, estuaries, and creeks along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America. When temperatures drop, they bury themselves in mud at the bottom of waterways until spring warmth calls them back to the surface.
• Conservation note: Diamondback terrapins are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, which means their future depends on protecting their coastal habitats.

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Celebrate Dots with Us on September 1, 2025 at 1:00 pm ET

Want to see a terrapin up close? Meet them during our free Dive into Dot Day event.

Inspired by The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds, this interactive program will celebrate the dazzling dots of our diamondback terrapins and the many patterns found in ocean life. Families, homeschoolers, learning pods, libraries, and elementary learners can join us to:

• Discover how fish, turtles, and other sea creatures use spots, stripes, and camouflage
• Explore the science of marine life with Mote educators
• Create your own ocean-themed masterpiece in a guided art activity

🎨 How will you celebrate #InternationalDotDay?

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📬 Keep in Touch

📧 Send questions to marven@mote.org
📰 Subscribe to our newsletter to get virtual learning updates

Zoom in. Focus together. Wonder around.

Weekend Wonders: Roseate Spoonbill 🌸🐦

 

Meet the Roseate Spoonbill 🌸🐦

With brilliant pink plumage and a unique spatula-shaped bill, the roseate spoonbill is one of Florida’s most striking wading birds. Spoonbills feed by touch, slowly sweeping their sensitive bills through the water and snapping them shut the moment they contact prey.

This tactile hunting strategy works especially well in shallow, murky wetlands where small fish and invertebrates are concentrated, often during the dry season when waters recede. Sharing this method with the much larger wood stork, the roseate spoonbill reduces competition with other wading birds that hunt by sight.

Roseate spoonbills are gregarious, often feeding or roosting in groups. Their vibrant pink color comes from pigments in the crustaceans and other prey they eat. Protecting the wetlands where they feed and nest is key to ensuring their survival.

What's in a name?

The genus name Platalea is Latin and means "broad", referring to the distinctive shape of the bill; the specific epithet ajaja means "pink" from the Tupi language as reported by Marcgrave. Source 

 

Platalea vs. Ajaia: Many authorities (AOU, 2002; SACC, 2003; Clements, 2005) have placed this lone species in Platalea in light of Hancock et al. (1992) and Banks et al. (2002). Sibley & Monroe (1996) and Howard & Moore (2003) retain Roseate Spoonbill's monotypic placement in Ajaia. Source

🔗 Learn more about the roseate spoonbill in Mote’s Animal Encyclopedia

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📧 Send questions to marven@mote.org
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Weekend Wonders: Axolotl

Meet the Awesome Axolotl 🌸🦎

With frilly gills and a face that seems to smile, the axolotl is one of the most captivating amphibians you'll ever meet. Unlike most salamanders, axolotls don’t outgrow their juvenile form, a rare trait known as neoteny.

Native to high-altitude lakes near Mexico City, wild axolotls are now critically endangered. At Mote, they help us teach about adaptation, aquatic ecosystems, and the role of science in conservation.

The axolotls at Mote Aquarium live on in our education classroom and can be visited virtually with MARVEN.

💙 You can symbolically adopt axolotls to support their care and conservation education.

🖥 Bring them to your classroom, camp, or homeschool group through a live Wonderful Animal Virtual Encounter—book a WAVE: Axolotl session today.

📬 Keep in Touch

Want to learn about the latest virtual programs from Mote Marine Laboratory?

• 📰 Subscribe to our newsletter to get updates on future sessions
• 📧 Send questions or stories to marven@mote.org

Zoom in. Focus together. Wonder around.

Weekend Wonders: Zebra Sharks

Meet Schnitzel the Zebra Shark 🦓🦈

Schnitzel may be covered in spots, but he gets his name from the striped pattern zebra sharks have as juveniles. These stripes fade into spots as they grow older, which is why they are also called the Indo-Pacific Leopard Shark.

Native to the Indo-Pacific, zebra sharks are endangered due to overfishing and habitat loss. That’s one reason caring for sharks like Schnitzel at Mote is so important—for education, awareness, and species survival.

💙 You can symbolically adopt zebra sharks to support their care.

🖥 And meet them virtually through our Wonderful Animals Virtual Encounter , featuring sharks, rays, and more from the Mote Science Education Aquarium.

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📬 Keep in Touch

Want to learn about the latest virtual programs from Mote Marine Laboratory?

• 📰 Subscribe to our newsletter to get updates on future sessions
• 📧 Send questions or stories to marven@mote.org

Zoom in. Focus together. Wonder around.