10/17/97

Underwater Web Cams

Live cameras connected to the Web can be either incredibly fascinating or amazingly dull. What do you think of a Web cam aimed at a blank wall? Or inside a refrigerator, aimed at the door? Bypassing the absurd, I've assembled a virtual aquarium trip, visiting whales, sharks, a kelp forest and a coral bed. All these images are live and some are only visible during daylight hours, so I've noted the time zone of each site.

Fisheye View Cam

The Fisheye View Cam, from Coral Gables, Florida, is used by marine biologists to study coral behaviors. The cam captures a picture of the 125-gallon tank every three seconds. To better understand these unusual slow-moving marine animals, the scientists are creating time-lapse motion studies by viewing the frames at 100 to 1,000 times normal speed. If you have a very fast Net connection or are very patient, you can view these movies in either QuickTime or MPEG format. (E.S.T.)

J.J. Cam

J.J., the only newborn gray whale to be rescued and rehabilitated, was found off the coast of Los Angeles on January 11. She traveled by truck to Sea World, San Diego. Upon arrival, J.J. was 13 feet 10 inches long and weighed 1670 pounds. Since then, she has been gaining 2.2 pounds an hour and growing half an inch a day. As of September 1, J.J. was 25 feet 9 inches long and weighed 11,651 pounds. Read about her recovery and care, and if you are lucky, you'll see J.J. swim by the camera. Since we've "met" J.J. several times at Sea World, my kids love being able to watch her from home. (P.S.T.)

Keiko Cam

Keiko is the killer whale that rose to fame as the star of the Free Willy movies. In January, 1996, Keiko was moved by United Parcel Post to the Oregon Coast Aquarium from his tank in Mexico City. Keiko's health had started to deteriorate because in Mexico his pool was too small and the water too warm. Since his arrival in his new tank, Keiko has gained 2000 pounds. It is hoped that one day Keiko will be released to the wild. (P.S.T.)

Kelp Cam

This live image from the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Kelp Forest exhibit is updated every three minutes. The sunlight streaming in the open roof helps the kelp grow, and changes the look of the tank throughout the day. Natural currents are simulated by pumps pushing more than four thousand gallons of seawater a minute through jets. In addition, a special wave machine creates the natural-looking sway of the kelp. Like the wild kelp forests, the kelp grows in spring, and dies back in winter. (P.S.T.)

Shark Cam

There are thirty two sharks in the Terrors of the Deep aquarium at Sea World, Florida, ranging in size up to nine feet long. After you download the Microsoft NetShow video player, these thirty two sharks will be swimming on your monitor. The streaming video downloads as you watch it, so gone are the unbearably long download times of older video technologies. Learn more about sharks by following the link to Sharks and their Relatives. (E.S.T.)

The following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!

Amazing Fish Cam

Please send questions or comments to feldman@surfnetkids.com.