R U N N E R S  F O R  W A L R U S E S

More than 1,500 walrus admirers ran and walked on behalf of their flippered friends during the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Run for the Wild at the New York Aquarium last Saturday.

Ladders, sneakers, and three photographers, including me, arrived before dawn to capture every step of the event.

Walruses are an example of a species forced to cope with the impacts of a changing climate and increased industrialization of the Arctic. Proceeds from the run will help WCS save walruses and further its mission of saving wildlife and wild places around the globe.

Congratulations to the finishers, especially those that showed the most creativity for the cause.

Photo credit: Julie Larsen Maher © WCS

Source: Wildlife Conservation Society

 

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I N  T I M E  F O R  T A Z O

Sea Otter Awareness Week seems a good time to get out Tazo, the northern sea otter’s, baby pictures. Tazo was orphaned from his mother during a storm at a very young age and found his new home at the New York Aquarium (NYA) via the Alaska Sea Life Center in 2010. Tazo was nursed back to health by surrogate keeper moms at NYA.

Part of my job is to photograph the births and lives of our wildlife. I took this photo of Tazo when he was a curious pup just a few months old. I hope that bringing out this adorable image from the archives will help the otter cause—one that has been clouded by climate change.

The New York Times made time for Tazo this week, too.

Photo credit: Julie Larsen Maher © WCS

Sources: New York Aquarium, New York Times

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S E E  O U R  S E A  O T T E R S

September 23 – 29 is Sea Otter Awareness Week. A century ago, sea otters were all but gone due to overhunting. Now, they continue to be threatened in the wild as they are faced with environmental issues in their ecosystem.

Jacob, a southern sea otter, lives at the New York Aquarium (NYA.) He and his neighbor, northern sea otter, Tazo, can be photographed year round at the Sea Cliffs exhibit.

Stop by the NYA September 22-23 and 29-30 to learn more about saving sea otters.

 Photo credit: Julie Larsen Maher © WCS

Sources: New York Aquarium and Monterey Bay Aquarium.

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S E P T E M B E R  1 0,  2 0 1 2

Do you like to run? How about for walruses?

Register for a morning run at our Run for the Wild on October 6, 2012 at the New York Aquarium. Bring your camera to take photos after you cross the finish line of Nuka and Kulu at home in Sea Cliffs, along with sea otters and other marine mammals. Photo ops are close up, like jellies and fish, or at a distance like Nuka’s neighbors, the black-footed penguins, so bring both a macro and a telephoto lens.

Photo credit: Julie Larsen Maher © WCS

 

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Photos speak as our visual voice for the Wildlife Conservation Society headquartered at the Bronx Zoo. I’m Julie Larsen Maher, the sixth WCS staff photographer in our 117-year history. My job is to take pictures of the births and lives of our animal collection, our events, and our conservation work around the world.

 My day-to-day assignments could be at any of our five parks including the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, New York Aquarium, Prospect Park Zoo, and Queens Zoo.

I pay regular visits to Nuka, the Pacific walrus at the aquarium, and in this photo, she had just blown me a very fishy kiss. At just under a ton, visitors can see Nuka, our bathing beauty, at the Sea Cliffs exhibit. Best photo op – during their daily feeding times.

Photo credit: Megan Maher

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