The Ark In Space

Sea Lebrities: The Sea Lions of Pier 39

Monday, 25 August 2025

We often read about people taking over the natural habitat of other species but it is rare to come across a case where the animals come back and reclaim their territory from us. Yet this is exactly what has happened in San Francisco. Local Californian Sea Lions have always been present in the city’s bay but had been pushed out to Seal Rocks, a small formation at the north end of the Ocean Beach. Pier 39’s K-Dock was developed and opened in 1978. Little did we know that the sea lions also had their eyes on this particular piece of seaside real estate.

Image Credit Flicrk User WallyG

Image Credit Flickr User WallyG

They bided their time but their opportunity to move in (or back, if you argue that their presence along the Californian coastline predates human occupation by tens of thousands of years) came just over a decade later in 1989. It was then that it was decided that the docks needed refurbishment. In order to facilitate this all the boats had to be removed from Pier 39. This left large open spaces inside the Bay. A small number of sea lions saw their opportunity. They metaphorically weighed anchor from the stony slopes of Seal Rocks and began to arrive at Pier 39.

Charlotte’s Web was Never Like This…

Friday, 15 August 2025

Sometimes, nature isn’t pretty – but it is still fascinating. Some spider species have a way of ensuring that the next generation gets a good start in life. In this particular case, narrated by the ever mellifluous Sir David Attenborough, the mother spider dies shortly after her eggs hatch. Rather than let her go to waste, her spiderlings take advantage of the situation. Drawn towards their mother, whose dying movements mimic the struggle of an insect caught in the web, they proceed to gobble her up without so much as a by your leave. The video below shows the full, gruesome truth, so if you are a little squeamish then perhaps avert your eyes. Ah, too late…

Filmed to become part of the new BBC natural history series Parenthood, this video shows the extraordinary lengths that animal parents will go through in order to secure a future for their offspring. As the title of this post points out, we didn’t see this happen to Charlotte (due to happenstance, perhaps, but still it puts Joy, Aranea and Nellie in a new light…).

What do You Have to do to Get a Drink Around Here?

Monday, 4 August 2025

Image Credit Flickr User spettacolopuro

Water! From a purely biological point of view water has a number of properties that are paramount for the proliferation of life on this – or any other – planet. Its life giving and sustaining properties is what sets it apart from all other substances.

Image Credit Flickr User wildxplorer

From the largest mammal to the tiniest insect we all have to drink. If we don’t we die. Here, we focus on the little guys, the ones which you can hardly imagine need much water. Indeed, sometimes they can be in danger of being carried away in their enthusiasm to sate their thirst. Thanks to some wonderfully macrophotography we get to see this most vital of functions being carried out – with some gusto – by a host of insects.

Weaver Ants Show Their Teamwork Skills

Saturday, 2 August 2025

Image Credit Flickr User Kasi Metcalfe

When you are building a new home sometimes you need some help. A little teamwork goes a long way and these green tree ants (or weaver ants) from Australia could teach us a thing or two about that. Their own task may, to begin with, seem almost impossible but with some supreme acrobatic skills anything, it seems, is possible.

Image Credit Wikimedia

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