July 2010 - Kids have a “whale of a good time” at whale and marine wildlife adventure

MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA (July 2010) – Peggy Stap, Educator and Research Director of Marine Life Studies, led a Whale and Marine Wildlife Adventure as part of the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District’s Summer Program Go H2O Camp. Attending the camp were children from Monterey, Pacific Grove, Seaside and Marina. Each child received a Marine Life Studies Whale and Marine Wildlife Adventure Kit and a certificate.

The class included a photographic journey, fun facts and hands-on activities. Children learned how to recognize and identify marine wildlife, and how the animals eat, sleep and stay warm. The group went to a nearby park to lay out lines of different lengths which represented the size of several marine mammals in Monterey Bay. The blue whale line was the longest – blue whales are the largest mammals at over 100’ long. “Wow! That is huge!” shouted one of the students.

Then the kids actually observed blue whales blowing and feeding on an exciting whale watch on the Princess Monterey. They also saw a female humpback whale with her calf. The calf put on a show and breached several times splashing in the water! On the way back to the Fisherman’s Wharf, humpback whales swam near the boat. Educational and thrilling, it was day to remember!

The Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District will be offering a Marine Life Studies Adventure, Whales and Dolphins of Monterey Bay in the fall of 2010. Peggy Stap will be the instructor for this exciting activity where kids will learn research techniques, photo identification, data collection, and GPS positioning. They will have the opportunity to practice newly learned research techniques on a Princess Monterey whale watch on Monterey Bay.

Peggy Stap is the Founder and Executive Director of Marine Life Studies, a registered non-profit organization with 501C(3) status. She has been volunteering, researching and teaching the public about marine wildlife since 1998.

Contact: Marine Life Studies - 831-901-3833