So This is the New Year

And I wish I wasn't sick for it.
But sickness is inevitable around this time of year for me.
So I plan on taking a long nap
ordering japanese food
and ringing in the new year
with some peppermint tea
and stock's cake.

I also began to think about resolutions.
They are not usually on my list of things to do-
but maybe this is a year for change.
2008 will be the year where I make a conscious effort
to become more environmentally friendly.

I'm not a disaster but there are some things I'd like to change
such as:

*Stop purchasing plastic water bottles
*switch my cleaning supplies to planet friendly types
*walking the shelter dogs more
*using products that were not animal tested
*making sure I ALWAYS have my chicobag on me

Nothing outrageous. Just a few ways I want to change my habits.
Possibly, if everyone else made a similar list-2008 would be
more pleasant for the entire planet.

I wish all 3 or 4 of my readers a very
Happy and Healthy New Year!
xo

Holiday Wishes from Christmas Island

This holiday season has been a very busy one.
I havent been keeping up with blogging,
and hopefully january will bring a change.

I'll be setting sail to South Jersey
for a few days
But for now, I just want to say.
Merry Christmas!!

Below is the Red Crab from Christmas Island.
-They breathe through gills, so they stay near water
-their homes are burrows
-occasionally they will engage in cannibalism
-During migration there are so many crabs
that they can be seen from the air.

The Bermuda Triangle: Part 1

Somewhere between Bermuda,
Miami, and Puerto Rico
lies an area that has defied the
laws of nature and physics-while
stringing in extraterrestrial life.
This my dear sailors,
is the Bermuda Triangle.
But does it really encompass all
those things?
or is it just a heavily traveled area
that is notorious for bad weather
and accidents?
As with any kind of Sea lore
you have the believers and the non-believers.
The hard part about being a believer
is due in part to the book that was written
by Lawrence David Kusche, titled
"The Bermuda Triangle Mystery: Solved"
In this book he investigates the so-called
"facts" and finds out that some are fiction.
The Wikipedia entry notes that he came to these
conclustions in the book:

* The number of ships and aircraft
reported missing in the area was not
significantly greater, proportionally speaking,
than in any other part of the ocean.

* In an area frequented by tropical storms,
the number of disappearances that did occur were,
for the most part, neither disproportionate, unlikely,
nor mysterious; furthermore, Berlitz and other writers
would often fail to mention such storms.

* The numbers themselves had been exaggerated
by sloppy research. A boat listed as missing
would be reported, but its eventual (if belated)
return to port may not be reported.

* Some disappearances had in fact, never happened.
One plane crash was said to have taken place in 1937
off Daytona Beach, Florida, in front of hundreds of witnesses;
a check of the local papers revealed nothing.

So maybe things aren't as mysterious
as legends lead us to believe.
Despite the reality we still have
fictional articles and made for tv
Luke Perry movies to tell us
the tall tales of the Triangle.









check back soon for part due

I've said it before

and i'll say it again.
I'm a terrible blogger.
But just because I haven't been posting
doesn't mean I have forgotten about
my precious blog.
I had planned to use the Bermuda Triangle
as the next topic. However it is hard to condense
all the lore, facts and ridiculousness into one blurb.
So I am promising right now, that part one of the
Bermuda Triangle post will happen on wednesday.
Why Wednesday? it's my day off.
For now i'll leave you with 2 things,
Something from the sea

and

Something I want as a pet

2 for the price of 1

Last year I posted a holiday gift guide
and had intentions to do the same this year.
But I am really struggling to find good,
environmentally friendly, gifts that aren't silly.
(or insanely expensive)

I've come to the conclusion that maybe this Christmas
should be about giving a gift that benefits
more than just the reciever.

Does someone on your list love dogs or cats?


















make a donation in their name
to the local no-kill shelter.
or better yet- sponsor a dog/cat
for them, so they can go visit it.

Can you do something crafty?
Make your own gifts!
I'm making felt squid
and painted glass ornaments
for the folks on my lists.

Can't do something crafty?
let the artists on etsy do it for you!
give your money directly to the artist
instead of the large corporation!
Last Christmas I comissioned
a painting for the boyfriend
and it felt good knowing that
I was helping Erika out as well.

All of these options,
along with donations to
just about any legit cause,
are the perfect way to give twice.
and thats really what Christmas is about, right?

The New World?

It seems that every day,
I find out disturbing facts
about things that are rapidly
disappearing on the planet.

Today I was wandering around the
Treehugger website
which then led me to the WWF site.
It was here that I learned that
the Coral Sea, near Australia's
Great Barrier Reef, could be threatened.

The WWF has this to say:
"Coral reefs are vanishing at a rate
5 times faster than the world's rainforests,
and the populations of large marine species -
such as sharks and tuna - are estimated
to have declined by up to 90% in many areas."

The best time to take action
is before a problem is created.
The WWF has online petitions
for all types of causes.
I signed it, and I encourage others
to do the same.
Help raise awareness so that this
can be preserved

Don't call it a comeback

But you can if you like.
The 1000th Whale Shark has been spotted.
(Unbeknownst to me, this gentle giant
is on the endagered list.)















A project called ECOCEAN has been created
to keep a close eye on these creatures.
And the project is open to anyone with a camera
and a love for the sea.
ECOCEAN refers to these divers as "Citzen Scientists",
they take their pictures of the whale sharks spots
and submit them to the photo catalog on the site.
Their spot patterns are analyzed and recorded.

The 1000th shark is a 19' male, and was photographed
by Simon Pierce at Tofo Beach, Mozambique


















I really like this site, for a number of reasons.
mainly because it allows anyone to help.
It is definitely worth checking out
and for further reading on the whale shark
go here

Big Fish

Not all tall tales are false.
and this 8ft catfish is proof of that.










Though they aren't as uncommon as you'd think,
National Geographic reports that this guy
was caught in Cambodia, and he has been the only
supersized catfish catch this year.
A disappointment for all.
..or at least to those who catch
multiple huge catfish.

These giants were once common
in the rivers of southeast asia.
But the people who do the speculating,
agree that monster catfish numbers have
declined in the recent years....
much like lots of other creatures.

Say it with squid

My holiday cards are finally up
on my etsy page!
You'll get 6 cards in a pack
and at 10$ i think its a pretty good deal.
click the link to the left to check them out!

Look but don't touch..

that's the advice for this guy.
The Blue Ringed Octopus.






This handsome gent is
native to the waters near Japan and Australia.
A proud resident of the Great Barrier reef as well.
and believe it or not,
he has the ability to kill you.

Those fancy blue rings are a warning,
normally he is a pale yellow color.
But when the rings come out
he may attack.
And while his bite may not hurt
he could be releasing his venom.

A website about the Great Barrier Reef
provides this morbid tidbit.
"The venom contains tetrodotoxin,
which blocks sodium channels and causes motor paralysis
and occasionally respiratory failure.
Though with fixed dilated pupils,
the senses of the patients are often intact.
The victims are aware but unable to respond."

There is no antidote.
Which means that he is best viewed from afar
because he means business.

Other interesting facts about the BRO
are that there are 2 kinds.
The first is about 8inches in length
and less common than the 4" one
who lives in the shallow coral and rock pools.
Their average life span is about 2 years.
And the females lay about 40 eggs,
which they incubate under their arms for 6 months!
No thank you.

I love this guy,
but he is not someone
that I'd like to meet in person.

Flotsam, Jetsam and Ursula.

Ok so maybe those three
can only be found together in the little mermaid.












But the real flotsam and jetsam
are usually associated with eachother.
And replacing Ursula, is lagan.
By definition, flotsam is
"1.)the wreckage of a ship or its
cargo found floating on the surface
of the sea. Usually associated wih Jetsam.
2.) Timber, etc. washed down by a stream.

Jetsam is
"Goods discarded from a ship and washed ashore;
material thrown overboard in order to lighten a vessel
(also called waveson). Usually associated with Flotsam.

Lagan is
Goods or wreckage lying on the bottom of the sea.

Basically all these are special treasures.
That some find by chance and others find
because they are on a mission.
I read a book recently called "Washed Up:
The curious journeys of Flotsam and Jetsam"
by Skye Moody.

It's a humorous and interesting tale
of what the sea can spit out,
hundreds of nike's, rubber ducks,
childrens toys, bottles, hockey gloves,
legos- you get the point.

Another part of the book that I really loved
was where she discusses ambergis

Little Bunny Update.

This is more an update on me than the ocean.
but it does involve squid so i figured it was ok.
I've been working on new holiday cards,
and i'm pretty pleased with them.

I don't even know if anyone besides
carly, carmen and paul read this.
But i'd love some feedback!


























I'll be posting these on etsy either today
or tomorrow : ]

The Flying Dutchman

I decided to write about nautical tales by chance.
I had googled "flotsam" because I wanted to write
about cool things that people had found.
Somehow google pulled up a ghost ships page.
i'm not complaining.
Ghost stories always suck me in,
and if they are about the sea-even better.

The Flying Dutchman seems to be
one of the top tales of the sea.
As with all legends, it has
a number of twists and details.
But the main tale is this:

In 1641 a dutch ship sank
off the Cape of Good Hope.
Captain Van Der Decken had planned to dock briefly in Africa
before returning home to Holland.
A storm rolled in, and the cap'n and crew
tried desperately to escape it.
They thought they may have, until..
CRACK!
the ship crashes onto rocks
and begins to sink into the sea.
The Cap'n, not ready to meet his maker,
screams out " I WILL round this cape!
Even if I have to keep sailing til Doomsday!"

Legend has it, that if you look into a storm
off the Cape of Good Hope, you can see
the glowing Dutchman. However, it is
considered a bad omen to see the ship
and a tragic death will follow.

That is the general legend,
other versions include the plague
infecting the crew, or a horrible crime
occured on board.
Either way, the ship was not allowed to dock.
And all on board were doomed to sail the sea
for eternity.

The most recent sighting I could find was
in 1959. Where a ship almost collided with it.
or so they thought.
With all the sailors that lost their lives at sea
It's hard not to believe that ghosts don't appear.

Greener and Greener

I'm going to bypass my post about sea myths today
because I stumbled upon something on National Geographic.com
that is worth writing about.

Lately it seems that "going green" is a trend
saving the planet is suddenly cool and hip.
Now i'll admit that while i've always cared for the planet
I didn't realize my own personal effect on it.
These days i'm not a crazy greenbean, but I do what i can.
Recycling, using my chicobag, pulling plugs out of appliances
not in use, turn the lights out when i leave a room, etc.
Nothing major.
I always like finding green guides that can provide tips
and National Geographic has one up on their website.
It's even available for purchase. ($3.50)
But I'll take the freebee version...

One of the articles that caught my eye was about
the "dirty dozen" list of chemicals in cosmetics.
It's worth checking out.
Most of us pay a lot of money for these products,
it's nice to know what we need to beware of.


The trouble with going green is that it is being used
to sell "organic" products. You don't need organic clothes,
or a certain brand of appliances, or a toilet that can separate pee.
You just need a desire to make a difference, even if it is a small one.
Gradually change your products if you aren't using healthy ones,
get into a habit of recycling, use natural light during the day.
Going Green can be free. fact.
By helping out in a small way, it can have a big effect
on our planet.

Baby Belugas got the Herp.

Apparently I manage to research all the species
who have std's. It happened with koala's
and now with the beluga.
In my research on this lovely white whale
I found that the herpes virus and papillomaviruses
have been found in Belugas, however
they may not be pathogenic.
So herpes to a whale and herpes to us is
a bit different.
And they definitely don't need to be
"One Less" because hpv doesn't affect them
or their cervixes. Lucky bunnies.

The beluga is a wonderful addition
to the whale family.
And the general public has been enjoying them
since 1861, when Barnum's Museum put one
on display.
These whales can be trained to play games
and perform in shows.
Much like the killer whales or dolphins.
While I have mixed feelings about animal captivity
I can't say i'd pass up the chance to play catch
with some Beluga whales.

I'd like to be, under the sea

with the manatees!!!!!
I was thinking of trips I wanted to take in the near future
and I definitely want to swim with some manatees.

Florida is the place to go for this.
I liked the "Swim with the Manatees" site the best.
Loacted in Homosassa, Florida.
They say that the best season to swim is from November to March,
It costs 50$ per person, and you get all your snorkel gear and an
underwater camera!
Tours leave at 6am and 9am, but they note that
earlier swims are best. I guess Manatees are morning creatures.
I'm definitely not, but I could be if i got to hang out with sea cows all day!
Beforehand they will give a quick snorkeling intro,
and show you a video on "manatee manners".
It also sayd that the manatees may roll over and
let you scratch their bellies! They are like big aquatic dogs! Oh i love it!


Check out the site in the links section!

My heart is breaking.

There are few things in this world that I cannot handle.
Added to that list is the Japan Dolphin Slaughter that is going on.
It upsets me so much, I can't really bring myself to write about it.
So I'm just going to tell you to go here

The Scary Sea: Final Installment

I've saved the best for last.
Long ago I had heard of an Amazonian fish
that swam up the peeholes of unsuspecting men.
If you think that sounds vulgar,
just wait til you hear what these little fishies do.











The Candiru aka: toothpick fish, willy fish or canero
is a parasitic freshwater catfish.
He earned the toothpick nickname
because of his size.

Under normal circumstances
this guy would be attracted to the urea and ammonia
that is expelled from the gills of a bigger fish,
Toothpick swims up into the gills
puffs out his spikes and sucks the hosts blood.









Now.
Imagine one doing that to your penis, vagina, or butt,
Terrible thought.
Though it was a reality for this guy
Enjoy this Youtube Video of an Animal Planet special
on the Candiru!





HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

The Scary Sea: Part Three

Another fish that you generally want to stay clear of
is the moray eel.














A predator with teeth that are made to tear things apart.
mainly fish, but I'm sure that a few unlucky folks
have had some real bad encounters.
Like a fool I googled "Moray Eel Bites"
the first site i clicked on had some gruesome photos.
if you want to wander, check out www.wemjournal.org
they aren't pleasant to look at though.

Generally, like most of our other dangerous buddies,
the Moray Eel is not likely to attack humans without being threatened.
Which is a good thing, because in addition to the crazy set of teeth
they have in the front, they also have a second set of jaws!
Which can be found in their throat.
These are called Pharyngeal Jaws, and they are the only known creature
to be the proud owners of them.
Their purpose is to help them keep hold of struggling prey.
.delightful.

Besides the obvious damage a bite could do,
they can also do a double whammy if you decide to eat it.
The Moray Eel can occasionally cause something called
Ciguatera Fish Poisoning
I'll spare you the symptoms but feel free to wander there as well.

See You Tomorrow Sailors!

the scary sea: part due

I was trying to think of scary sea creatures
and the first 2 that came to mind
were lampreysand piranha's.
While they are really scary
they don't normally pose a threat to humans.
I think piranha's are more inclined
to attack then lampreys
(at least when provoked)
So I kept searching and I came upon the Barracuda.











Now, I don't know about you but
I had always been under the assumption
that the Barracuda was a moderately sized fish
that was maybe 2-3 feet in length.
Think again.
The Barracuda can grow up to 6 ft in length
and weigh up to 100 lbs.
Six feet!!! Does that blow anyone elses mind?!
According to Wikipedia, they rarely attack
unless provoked, and if they do
they will cease after one bite because we are not fish.
Still.
The idea of being ambushed by a
sharp toothed, 6 ft fish at 27 mph
is not alluring.

The Scary Sea: Part 1

Halloween is less than a week away,
so I was thinking that until then I'd post
about some terrifying creatures of the deep!
These fishies will swallow you whole,
or provide a more torturous end to you.
enjoy!


Starting this off is my favorite shark of all time.
(Though I'd never want to see one in person...)
The Megalodon!
This prehistoric shark is considered to have been
the biggest fish in the sea!
Because there is no specimen to study,
only an estimate can be made on its actual size.
Scientists took the size of the Meg's tooth and
compared it to other sharks teeth and their lengths.
So this since this is the tooth...


Scientists estimate that Meg is about 52 feet long and around 48 tons.
52 feet with teeth like those?
I don't even think I'd wade in the ocean.
Lucky for is Meg hasn't been around for 2-20 Million years.
or so we think....
As with everything mysterious there are those who think Meg didn't die out so long ago.
Up until the 70's there had been Meg sightings (or so they claim)
And really who is to say?
There is no way of knowing when this shark officially died out.

In my search for "believers", there was a book mentioned
-naturally I was excited at the possibility of a book about this shark-
but no. it's a novel. Probably similar to Jaws.
so sad. I prefer my sea monsters in non-fiction.
but if it seems like your cupa tea,
then check out "Meg" by Steven Alten



That's it for this installment,
check back tomorrow for more of the Scary Sea!

squids for sale

Today is all about squid and sea creature art.
There is some amazing stuff on etsy right now.
so check these out!!

This is "Blue Squidy"
from the shop of Imogen
I love this pendant, as any squid lover would.
and at 8$ its a steal!




















I am a big fan of Cleo Dee.
She has squids for every occasion,
and if you want you can even customize your own.
CarlyValentine got me one last Christmas!
It was a business squid with a hat and briefcase.
it is currently hanging on my wall.
This is the cookie squid. $16 for handmade cephalopod perfection.

















I am newly obsessed with this little guy
i typed "sea creatures" in the search bar and there he was.
I focus a lot on squid, but i have a very large place in my heart for the manatee.
I collect any kind of manatee items i can, pins, socks, keychains, stuffed animals.
If i wasn't so broke i'd buy him from NeedleNoodles
Sad isn't it. I cannot afford an 11$ manatee.
but enough about me. lets talk about...














Jellyfish!
Bags!
Jellyfish on bags!
This is from the shop of WhitneyArtell
and for 18$ you can have a sweet tote
that no one else will have!
That is the beauty of etsy.
awesome one-of-a-kinds at excellent prices.

.














I'm in the process of creating new things for my own etsy page,
keep an eye out for more onesies, stationary, cards, and some squid

New Creatures!

Jackpot in Southest Asia
or right near it really, in the Celebes Sea.
Which is between Malaysia and the Phillipines.

These creatures are ridiculously fantastic!
especially the squid and jelly.
lets start with the mini cephalopod
since i love them so...


This little guy is 0.2" long, he was viewed by a microscope
which makes him a far cry from humboldts and giant squid.
National Geographic calls him a "young squid"
which makes me wonder....will he grow to gigantic
lengths and still retain the creepy red and black eyes?!
to be honest i don't want to find out.
But I'm a fan of this guy.

Next we have the most exotic jellyfish I've ever seen.

She is a Red Medusa Jellyfish, resident of the Celebes Sea, and completely amazing.
National Geographic wrote:
"The animal's deep red hue is actually common among these jellyfish.
Although it is not visible in the ocean's dark depths,
the color masks any bioluminescence given off by prey
trapped inside the jellies' guts."
Sadly they do not write much about these creatures
but they are new so I will let it slide this time.


I will definitely be making prints of these creatures, so keep an eye out.

festive crustaceans

Every crustacean has his day and for this particular one
it is All Hallows Day.
Ladies and gents, meet the Halloween crab!

This fine creature is a resident of Costa Rica, he and his family and friends live on the land in burrows they create.
However, they must remain close to water because if their lungs do not stay wet, they will cease to exist.

In my hunt for facts about these guys (and there wasn't much) I found that, apparently, people keep them as pets.
Which seems a little unecessary-who really needs rainforest crabs in their home anyway??

Reduce Plastic Waste.

though my posts are anything but regular anymore, I still keep up with the events and inner workings of the ocean.
I recently read a book called "Washed Up", which talks about all the craziness that ends up on the shores from sneakers
to sea glass. It also talks about the horrible effect that plastic waste has on the ocean.
As someone who tries to be a planet saver, I've tried my best to refuse plastic bags.
In a hunt for bags to silkscreen on I stumbled upon a company called
"Chicobags", my friend Sharon and I ordered one each just to test them out.
And i'm addicted. they squish up into a pouch that you can just toss into your bag!
they go anywhere, are ridiculously durable, and are washable.
It's easier then toting a canvas bag around with you "just in case",
best of all, they are 5$.
Everyone i know is getting one for Christmas.
Check out the links section for the official site.
xo

apologies

It has been AGES since i've last posted.
I'm a terrible blogger.
and on a sad note,
I had to give up my volunteer position at the aquarium.
There was just no time.
So i'm hoping I can do it in the fall.

In other news.
squid news!

A giant squid (26ft)
washed ashore down under.
It's tentacles were badly damaged,
so scientists speculate that it may
have been even longer while it was
in good health!!!!

I feel bad this creature of the deep has died.
but I always like to read about them, and with
this new specimen maybe we can learn more

like a virgin.

weather: quite hot

It has been forever and a day since i have posted.
I am a terrible blogger!
Life was overly hectic for awhile
with graduation, moving, and all that stuff.

In sea news, I jesschambers will be volunteering
at the ny aquarium starting july 3.
glamorous? hardly.
I'll be cutting fish and cleaning seal poo for awhile
but it will be worth it to see the seals, walrus and otters
every tuesday. maybe i'll even end up
with a job there someday haha.

I was on nationalgeographic as usual
and there is currently a story up about
a female bonnethead shark who knocked herself up.
ok so that sounds a little ridiculous.
but this lady managed to fertilize her own eggs
and give birth without intercourse.

This is not the first time something like this has occured
but most species this happens to -insects, certain lizards-
is common for them.
For a female shark to have to fertilize her own eggs
means that she is not finding a male to do it.
could this be due to overfishing? (i think so.)

Maybe it is time to give seafood a rest.
Let the ocean get back to its previous state,
and not starve the creatures that live there
just so we can have shrimp cocktail and calamari.

4 ft. clams and new beginnings.

Weather: cool summer evening


it is offical sailors.
I've reached the end of my college voyage!!
i really never thought i'd see this day,
where i'd have a degree, and an awesome apartment.


But enough about me
Lets talk about giant clams.
Perhaps it is because i am so small,
but i have a fascination of large sea creatures.
and the giant clam is a beauty.

















These babies can grow to be 4ft in length.
thats roughly the size of an 8 year old.
and though myths of man eating clams exist.
Scientists claim that this cannot be true,
due to the clams inability to snap its shell shut.
Therefore giving the human enough time to
get the hell out of the clams mouth.

These giants can live 100+years
which is no surprise with those shells.
They are found mostly in the South Pacific
and Indian Ocean.
another interesting tidbit is that
once they choose their place in the reef
they are there forever and ever.

an awesome sight for
finding monster info
is FactMonster.com.
I stumbled upon it while googling
"Man Eating Giant Clam".
So. uh check into that.

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend sailors!

peanut. peanut butter and jellyfish!

weather: crisp and sunny


buona sera sailors!
(good evening in italian)

I've decided to switch from entries to clever titles.
and obviously I'm all about jellyfish today.
as usual there are particular ones I am thinking of.

the box jellyfish and his cousin the Irukandji.


























These Australian natives have managed
to cause some problems down under.
The box jellyfish for instance,
has claimed more lives down there
than snakes, sharks and crocs combined!
how is this possible? you wonder
extreme toxins my friends. extreme.
so ridiculously extreme that
they can stop cardiorespiratory functions in less than 3 minutes.

As for the Irukandji....
I was watching a show about these jellyfish
and both hosts of the show actually got stung by
the Irukandji and ended up in the hospital.
This happened because the sneaky Irujandji
is about the size of an adult thumbnail.
Which understandably makes him extra hard to spot.
He has only been known to have caused 2 deaths
but the "irukandji syndrome"
could have been mistaken for something else
so who is to say.

entry: 5905

weather: sunny and spring-like


A youtube video has been brought to my attention
and I feel the need to share this with the masses.
for it brought a tear to my eye.



There are few things that I love more
than seeing animals do cute things.
and this wins the prize for the year.

I had a love for sea otters already,
but this prompted some extra research.
and i found this on www.seaotter-sealion.org,
about sea otter behavior.

Sea otters are social animals who may float together in
groups of less than 10 to more than 100, called rafts.
Usually these groups are separated by sex, females and pups
spend time in one group and males in another.
Otters usually swim on their backs but have been known
to swim on their stomachs while traveling.
Sea otters will only eat while they are floating,
but may also groom, rest, and nurse their young.
It is also common for sea otters to wrap themselves
in kelp beds when resting or sleeping.

This website provides all the necessary information
to properly get to know these guys.
You can also become a member of the
Alaska Sea Otter and Stellar Sea Lion Commission!
This gets you involved with the conservation of these fantastic creatures-
this group also promotes/supports local alaskan tribes.
a full years membership is 30$
go to http://www.seaotter-sealion.org/join/membership.html
for additonal info and become a friend to the otters and sea lions!

have a good weekend sailors!!

entry: 7777

weather: tut tut...looks like rain.

Warm weather inspires me to brainstorm.
My thoughts led me to applying to volunteer at the aquarium.
I plan to have the application in the mail by friday,
and hope and pray that they will give me a chance.

I also got to thinking about this blog.
I know what interests me
but i don't know what interests my readers
...all 4 of them...
so this is more to get to know you.
yes you.
i have to say that i don't even know who reads this.
but i want to know.
so if i do know you personally
tell me what you'd like to see on captains log.
and if i don't know you personally
tell me about your interests in the sea and anything else you'd like!

I like being involved in things with a purpose
and the beauty of a blog such as this,
is that it allows me to explore my curiosities...
(namely the sea)
and also invited others to share in them and contribute as well.

Much like the fisherman in the Deadliest Catch-
i have thrown out my crab-pod of ideas into the abyss.
now i'll leave, with plans to later return, and see what i have to work with.

entry: 8199

weather: hot enough for short shorts.


It's finally warm out!
and that makes a happy captain and crew.

The topic of todays post is about my new obsession:
Planet Earth.
the discovery channel series.

I have not even been able to watch them all yet,
but what i have seen is ridiculously amazing.
The series took over 5 years to create
and is well worth it, showcasing
rare animals and behaviors.

Another great thing about how it is taped
is that is shows the growth process.
My favorite being the mushrooms in the rainforest.
The co-captain and i decided that we are going to buy the dvd set.
it's $79.95- which isn't all that bad for getting a view of
creatures and places that you will never see.
It is available for purchase at discoverychannel.com

normally i would post images to showcase the glory
that is Planet Earth.
But their pictures are not available for "borrowing"
so i'll leave you all with a picture of my dog
in one of my old bathing suit tops.
we like to dress her up sometimes.....
ladies and gents-big mees.

entry: 0243

weather: glorious and sunny


There is something about New York in the springtime
that makes this little capitain swoon.
The trees and flowers in Central Park begin to bloom
outdoor cafes open up, and I am finally
able to wear shorts without tights underneath!
It's a glorious time to be a New Yorker.

On a sadder note, the minke whale
that had been spotted in brooklyn
has died. Some genius decided to
name him "Sludgie", but we on the SS Chambs
prefer to call him Francis.
Scientists speculate that he was only a baby
that had been separated from his mommy
and did not have the capabilities to survive on his own.
They also believe that he was sick because he appaeared
to be disoriented. Our hearts go out to the wayward whale.
Francis loved lollipops, CCR, and bellyrubs. he will be missed.




Despite the tragedy
I encourage all to get out
and enjoy this much needed sun!

entry: 4129

weather: complicated.

Lately squid have been on my mind...
ok...squid are always on my mind.
But this time i'm thinking of a particular cephalopd
The humboldt squid.
All the things people assume the giant squid to be,
the humboldt actually is.
Though not as large as the giant squid
humboldt's are refered to as "jumbo squid"
and also more commonly known as calamari.
-for all you squid eaters out there-


Though it is described on IMDB as a "gigantic opctopus"
we all know its a gigantic squid.
It is the creature that is featured in Peter Benchley's book
"The Beast", which is kind of hokey,
but who doesn't like movies about man eating squid?
Judging by the descriptions of the creature-
I'm thinking it is a combo of Giant squid and Humboldts.
Obviously, there are some fabrications to the film.

Humboldt's are not actually that large,
the maximum recorded length is 6ft.
Which is about the size of my younger brother.
They travel in schools of up to 1200,
and are able to change colors.

But they did get some things right.
Humboldt's are known to be very aggressive,
divers and fisherman have reportedly been attacked.
most likely because humans were invading their territory.
An attack from these guys however, is not a pleasant one.
Their tentacles are equipped with sharp hooks, and their suckers
also have teeth-like extensions, not to mention their beak!


Though they are seen more often then our friend Giant Squid,
many details about them still remain a mystery.
But i will say that we on the SS Chambs consider
the Humboldt squids our friends.
Because the way I see it,
tis far better to be with them
then against them.

entry: 1007

Weather: chilly

The deck of the SS Chambs has been busy busy busy.
School is rapidly coming to a close
and the weeks are going by so quickly I can barely take it all in.
But there is good news.
You can find me on etsy!
www.littlebunny.etsy.com

Not everything is up yet
but I'm working on it!

entry: 5333

weather: rainy and bleh.

The SS Chambs has hit rough waters.
with the end of school rapidly approaching,
the hunt for an apartment continuing
and the bank account dwindling.
Stress is putting it lightly.
I haven't felt this crazy since before i was medicated.
(last year)
My only comfort is that after all this
i will have a home, a degree, and a first mate.




Plans are in the works for a JessChambers etsy store.
not much is known yet.. but i do know this.
10% of all purchases will go to the BARC shelter in BK.
because i love dogs.
and if i cant own them all, then im going to help them.
Information will be posted here when the time comes.

stay dry and warm sailors. its not pretty out today!

entry: 2034

weather: cool and springy

oh sailors what a week it has been.
i have been such a sick captain.
below deck in queens since wednesday morning.
thank goodness for the co-captain
taking care of me for 3 days
he deserves a trophy.

Lots going on this week
springfest is next friday
sailing to jersey for easter
and the eternal hunt for an apartment continues.

Because I am still fairly loopy
this will be a quick post
but i will say this before my head hits my pillow.
check out the otter video on nationalgeographic.com.
totally worth it.

entry: 2778

weather: very sunny. somewhat warm.

Happy Spring Sailors!

We on the S.S. Chambs could not have been happier to welcome in the first day of spring.
Despite the snow on the ground....
Spring break has ended, my trip to rome is over
now all that is left is graduation
and the horrid task of finding a new home.
I look forward to this summer
with hopes it will be as good as-
if not better than the last!

In the world of squid I have discovered very good news.
National Geographic helped participate in a study to
monitor the eating habits of sperm whales.
and the habits of their food: squids.
forget about their eating habits-
they came to the conclusion that the california ocean area
is just stuffed with squid!
good to know.
i'll never go diving in california.
here we can see them putting a tracking device
on a poor unsuspecting squid.



the quest for knowledge bothers me sometimes...
we wouldnt want to be tagged and prodded.
lets not do it to our animal friends.

Enjoy the rest of the week and the new season sailors!

entry: 1633

weather: very very weird. cold as well..


hello sailors.
and so we find ourselves mid-semester
(well at least i do)
which means a number of things
* i leave for italy in 4 days
*my show is officially over
* i have 2 months left of college.

its so exciting i can barely take it all in!

anyhow.
here are some photos of my show
as seen through the eyes of
miss carly valentine









some of the items will be up for sale
as i am reserving a table at Pratt's Spring Fest
april 6th.
so expect little stuffed animals
tshirts, and the popular jenkins magazine pages
all at reasonable prices.

have a fantastic spring break sailors!
and if you arent going on spring break
then start to plan that trip for the summer!!!

entry: 9442

weather: gloriously sunny and not frigid


the SS Chambs is kicking march off with a bang.
tonight is the senior show extravaganza
which promises cupcakes, dancing, and lots of cocktails.

The antarctic also gives us reasons to be happy.
an ice shift has opened up a whole bunch of new species!
among them is an octopus they are calling pareledone turqueti.


national geographic doesnt provide much info about her
but i'm sure she is fantastic.

speaking of cephalopods......
there has apparently been this
"colossal squid" that has been photographed


i have to say-
i've become so attached to the giant squid
that i dont know that i am prepared for something larger...
from the wording of this article it says the colossal is HEAVIER
than giant. and from the looks of it, it has a larger mantle.
i'm going to need more information on this creature.
my co-captain maintains that i just need to let this go
but the wording of the article just bothers me.
i should become a squid whisperer
and find out the truth for myself....


while i work on that be sure to enjoy the sunshine sailors!