On October 19th, researchers at the Center for Whale Research have spotted a very young calf swimming alongside J35, also known as Tahlequah, one of the endangered Southern Resident killer whales in the Pacific Northwest. This beautiful little boy has been designated J65. This birth has my heart excited and scared at the same time. J35 is the whale who carried her dead calf for 17 days in 2018 and again experienced the heartbreaking loss of another calf in 2024. It was devastating to watch this beautiful mother mourn her babies. Unfortunately, orca calves have a very high mortality rate, with only about half surviving their first year. And because the Southern Residents are already struggling with a shortage of Chinook salmon, their primary food source, these precious babies face additional challenges from the moment they're born. The wonderful news is that researchers have observed J65 swimming well, socializing, and nursing from his mother, with no visible signs of health problems. I know babies are such wonderful news, but this little one needs all the prayers and positive thoughts we can send his way. His first year of life is incredibly fragile, and every surviving calf is so important to the future of this endangered population. So please join me in welcoming J65 to our ocean family and congratulating J35 on the arrival of her beautiful baby boy. ❤️ Our hearts will be with this mother and her little one every step of the way. If you'd like to send a little extra love to the whales, you can support the Center for Whale Research and their important work with a donation here. 🐋❤️

The decorator crab is one cool dude to have around, not only for decorating your pad but also for those nights on the town when you need to dress to impress. This little fashionista uses different items from the ocean, like seaweed, kelp, sponges, and even anemones to add a little spicy sting to the outfit. But these fashion choices aren't just about looking fabulous. Decorator crabs use their outfits to camouflage themselves and stay safe from predators. Some even choose decorations that taste terrible to hungry fish, while those stinging anemones provide a little extra security. Talk about fashion with a purpose. And how do they keep everything from falling off you ask? They have tiny hooked hairs on their shells and legs that work like Velcro. They use their claws to carefully select and attach each piece, creating their own one-of-a-kind outfits. Who doesn't want natural no fuss hair like that. Yes please! Now, you know how frustrating it can be to find the perfect outfit, only to outgrow it? Well, decorator crabs have that problem, too. When they molt and grow a new shell, some will actually take decorations off their old shell and reuse them. Way to promote sustainable fashion, DC! Between the harvest mouse's basket weaving skills, bowerbird's bachelor pad and the decorator crab's underwater wardrobe, our decorating competition has introduced us to some pretty talented designers! Here's a really cute video of a decorator crab showing off those decorating skills

The votes are in, and the Harvest Mouse has been hired to decorate our pads! So sit back in your comfy chair because this little artist has a big story to tell. There are several kinds of mice known as harvest mice around the world, but we’re heading to Scotland to meet the Eurasian harvest mouse (Micromys minutus). These tiny architects weigh about as much as a quarter and can weave beautiful round nests using nothing but grass, their teeth and little paws. Their breeding nests are about the size of a tennis ball, while their sleeping nests are even smaller. The female splits blades of grass lengthwise with her teeth, then carefully weaves them together while they’re still attached to the growing plants. The result is a tightly woven nursery suspended among tall grasses, with a soft lining to keep her babies comfortable. They’re also the only British mammal with a prehensile tail, which acts like an extra hand, wrapping around grass stems to help them grip and balance while climbing. Although Eurasian harvest mice aren’t globally endangered, their conservation status in Great Britain is Near Threatened, with populations in Wales classified as Vulnerable and Scotland as Critical. Habitat loss, changing agricultural practices and disappearing grasslands are among their biggest challenges. Because they’re so difficult to observe, researchers often rely on abandoned nests to determine where they live. The Mammal Society’s 2026–2027 National Harvest Mouse Survey began October 1. Volunteers search for abandoned nests during autumn and winter, helping researchers learn where these tiny animals live without disturbing mothers raising their babies. In April 2026, a volunteer discovered a harvest mouse nest on Scotland’s Isle of Mull, the first recorded evidence of these little animals on any Scottish island. Whether they’ve been quietly living there for years or recently found their way to the island is still a mystery. Either way, to me, it’s another reminder of how resourceful and determined animals are to survive. As humans continue destroying their habitats, animals are often forced to adapt and find new places to call home. Maybe these little architects are rearranging the furniture and looking for new real estate to build their luxury homes.

This number is very special to my heart, and I just had to share this little moment. We now have 77 beautiful souls in our community. I know the animals are celebrating right along with us! Thank you for being here and loving the animals with me! ❤️ 🐾🦋

We finally have another update on Snow, and it is good news! Snow continues to heal and is in good spirits. She is eating, resting, stretching and flapping her wings normally, and enjoying her time outside. She is getting closer to moving into a larger enclosure and gradually working her way back to the big flight enclosure. Her team plans to take more X-rays to check how her wrist fracture is healing. Once she gets the all-clear, Snow can get back to flight conditioning with the other eagles and continue preparing for release. After everything this girl has been through, Snow is on her way! 🦅❤️ Keep healing, Snow. The wild is waiting for you.