my new friend Daisy

From Schmidt & Weston blog

Taking photos at the aquarium on a Sunday is not easy. It is hard to think with screaming kids push around you... and getting enough light and natural colours in an aquarium is nearly impossible.

I got in for free along with Carrie, because of some promotional deal for museum people. I don't fully understand the deal, but then, I don't have to. I just get to tag along.

Thankfully, we decided not to watch The Cove until after our visit. Had we done that, I might have been far more prone to fits of public anger.

The photo is of Daisy, a rescued harbour porpoise. She can't be released into the wild because she was orphaned too young to figure out the complex pecking order of the ocean. So I suppose she is lucky to have an aquarium to live in.

The strange thing about mammals is that while fish are pretty to look at, including sharks, jelly fish, and Nemo, they don't seem to care about what is happening on the other side of the glass. There is no interaction. Maybe they're annoyed, maybe they don't think on that level (hard to figure on a jelly fish thinking of anything).

From Schmidt & Weston blog

But ocean going mammals do look back. The sea otter does notice kids with food and he did beg for a taste of ice cream.

Daisy spent a lot of time looking back. Mainly at me. I felt extra special. She passed by the tourists next to us, and sat, (as much as a porpoise sits, maybe hover?) in front of me. I thought maybe it was my camera that attracted her, but when I lowered it, she stayed there and stared back. When I moved my head, she moved her head... mimicking my action. And then I mimicked her head bob. This went on for a while. I could sense the jealousy building at the other viewing windows.

I don't want go all new age hippy here, but it was a pretty cool moment. I feel bad that I moved on first, seeing as it looked as though she was trying to say something. Likely I'll find out that she saw me as a potential food source. Or maybe I just look like someone she knows. That seems to happen to me frequently.