Aquarium of the Podcific

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You Can Train a Fish?! May 20, 2026

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In this episode, Madeline and Erin sit down with Aquarists Jackie Simpson and Emily Smith to explore one of the most fascinating and underappreciated parts of animal care at the Aquarium of the Pacific: target training. You might picture sea lions doing flips or birds following a hand signal, but target training reaches far deeper into the aquarium than most guests ever realize. From zebra sharks to tiny puffers, every animal at the Aquarium engages with its environment in ways shaped by the people who care for them.

In this episode:

What target training actually is and why it matters for animal health and welfare
How fish and invertebrates are trained differently from marine mammals and birds
The story of Nandor the zebra shark, who figured out target training all on his own
How Fern the zebra shark swims herself into the husbandry pool on cue
The octopus who learned to sit on the edge of the basket instead of climbing in
Freddie the Queensland grouper and how his target moved from the surface to a diver's chest
What it looks like to target train archerfish using their own natural behavior
Why sharks are actually pretty timid animals and what would really happen if you fell in the tank
How Jackie and Emily found their way to the Aquarium of the Pacific and what they'd tell aspiring aquarists

Get involved:

Support the Aquarium of the Pacific, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, at pacific.to/donate. Your membership and donations make care like this possible every single day.

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Email us at podcific@lbaop.org! Follow the Aquarium of the Pacific across social media (@aquariumpacific) for fun animal videos, conservation updates, and more. Follow the podcast's own Instagram (@podcific) for episode updates and behind-the-scenes content.

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Polite, Pigeon-Toed, and Perfect: A Deep Dive into our Puffins May 05, 2026

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In this episode, Amanda Torres joins Madeline and Erin to pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to care for one of the Aquarium's most specialized and climate-controlled exhibits, the Diving Birds habitat, introduces us to the full cast of clownish characters, and answers the question everyone has been asking: are they penguins? (Spoiler alert, no!)

In this episode:

Amanda's path at the Aquarium from education intern to mammologist and diving bird caretaker
What alcids are, what makes them remarkable, and how the Aquarium's flock is structured across tufted puffins, horned puffins, and pigeon guillemots
The engineering behind the exhibit: Alaska-based daylight simulation, reverse air pressure, and water temperatures cold enough to require an 8mm wetsuit
How behavioral training has transformed the way staff monitor and care for individual birds, including weekly weigh-ins and voluntary medication delivery
The Alcid Rodeo: the annual drain-down, full flock physicals, and what 14 to 16 hours of coordinated bird wrangling actually looks like
Individual puffin personalities, including Elmer (enthusiastic, 27-plus years old, does not slow down), Brownie (polite), Pumpkin (excited but discerning), and the Nia and Monty situation
Relationship dynamics across the flock, including Heff, Daisy, and the pigeon guillemot drama
Puffin conservation status and the threats of climate change, ocean plastic, and introduced predators

Episode resources:

Episode transcript
Learn more about alcids in our Online Learning Center

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45 Organizations, One Mission: The Oiled Wildlife Care Network Apr 18, 2026

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If you see oiled wildlife, call the OWCN 24-hour hotline: 1-877-UCD-OWCN (1-877-823-6926)

Frankie Lill coordinates wildlife oil spill response for the entire state of California. She also used to work with us, and is making this podcast cooler by the second. In this episode, she breaks down how the Oiled Wildlife Care Network mobilizes within hours of a spill, what it really takes to rehabilitate an oiled bird, why blue dish soap is still the MVP after decades of research, and reminisces on her past work (of being a social media SUPERSTAR) at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

In this episode:

Frankie's aviculturist background at the Aquarium of the Pacific and her role as Wildlife Planning Specialist on the OWCN team
How OWCN was created in response to catastrophic spills in the late 1980s and early 1990s
The four R's of OWCN's work: readiness, response, reaching out, and research
What happens when a spill is activated, from the planning meeting to boots on the ground within two hours
The full care journey of an oiled bird: field capture, stabilization, intake and processing, pre-wash care, washing, conditioning, waterproofing, and release
Why inland oil spills are more common than most people realize
How the network prepares responders for every species

Get involved:

Learn about OWCN and find member organizations
If you see oiled wildlife, call the OWCN 24-hour hotline: 1-877-UCD-OWCN (1-877-823-6926)

Episode resources:

Episode photo cover courtesy of OWCN/UC Davis

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Goodbye Porkchop, Hello Jeff! Apr 03, 2026

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In this episode, Madeline and Erin sit down with Jeff Flocken, President and CEO of the Aquarium of the Pacific, for his first podcast appearance since joining the institution. Jeff shares the winding path that brought him here, from studying giraffes in Africa, to law school, to nearly two decades of global wildlife policy work, and what it felt like to trade policy campaigns for waders in the San Gabriel River.

We also hear the full story of Porkchop, the Aquarium's three-flippered green sea turtle, from her rescue and rehabilitation to her release back into the river she calls home.

In this episode:

Jeff's path from field research and law school to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Humane Society International, and the Aquarium of the Pacific
The campaign to list African lions as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act
The Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders program (EWCL), what it is, how it works, and why Jeff co-founded it 20 years ago
Erin's connection to the program as a member of the 11th class
Jeff's first impressions of the Aquarium and the conservation work already underway
Porkchop's rescue from the San Gabriel River, her year of rehabilitation at the Aquarium, and her release
What it felt like for Jeff, a career policy advocate, to release an animal into the wild for the first time
The Aquarium's current conservation programs: white abalone, sunflower sea stars, sea otter surrogacy, coral restoration, bull kelp, zebra sharks, monarch butterflies, mountain yellow-legged frogs, and more
Jeff's conservation dream: sea otters reclaiming their historic range from Alaska to Mexico
The animated short film Save Ralph, and how it helped pass cosmetic animal testing bans in four countries within a year
Jeff's wildlife hero: Dr. Jane Goodall
Chewbacca, Jeff's golden retriever, a rescue from a dog meat farm in South Korea

Get involved:

Southern California Sea Turtle Monitoring Program: first Saturday of each month, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Los Cerritos Wetlands monthly cleanup
Donate to the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center
NOAA's Sea Turtle Stranding Hotline: 562-506-4315
Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (aka EWCL)
Watch "Save Ralph", Humane Society International’s global campaign to ban animal testing for cosmetics

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Why Are Eels Long? Dec 02, 2025

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Get ready to feel some eelings. In this episode of Aquarium of the Podcific, Aquarist Heidi takes listeners on a deep dive into the wonderfully weird world of eels, from “true” eels and their tube-sock vibes to the grandpa-faced wolf eels that only look like the real deal.

Episode resources:

⁠⁠⁠Transcript⁠⁠⁠
Follow ⁠⁠⁠@podcific⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram!
Email us at podcific@lbaop.org
⁠⁠⁠⁠Brooke’s Rockfish Survey Trip + Vlog
Dragon Eel

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Rewind: Ghost Stories Oct 31, 2025

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Happy Halloween! In this episode from October 2024, Aquarium staff tell spooky stories of situations that can and can't be explained.

⁠Episode Transcript

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Monarch Butterflies Oct 15, 2025

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From milkweed munching caterpillars to stunning orange-winged travelers, learn why monarch butterflies are important and how you can help support these iconic pollinators in your own backyard. Animal Care Specialist Heather Cameron and Conservation Volunteer Coordinator Dawn Nygren- Burkert are here to teach us all about butterfly royalty.

Episode resources:

⁠⁠Transcript⁠⁠
Follow ⁠⁠@podcific⁠⁠ on Instagram!
Email us at podcific@lbaop.org
⁠Learn more about the North American Monarch Monitoring Project

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New Exhibit: Our Living Coastline Oct 01, 2025

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Brooke Hernandez joins us today to discuss Our Living Coastline, the Aquarium's newest touch exhibit! Get the inside scoop on how this immersive, accessible habitat came to life and why it’s a must-see.

Acronym Key:

OLC: Our Living Coastline
GPO: Giant Pacific octopus
AOP: Aquarium of the Pacific
AZA: Association of Zoos and Aquariums

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Conservation Catch Up Sep 09, 2025

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We know we've been gone for so long, but it's for a good reason! Catch up on all of the amazing conservation the Aquarium has done this year with Johanna Hultberg, Conservation Manager of Fish & Invertebrates.

Episode resources:

Transcript
Follow @podcific on Instagram!
Email us at podcific@lbaop.org
Tidewater gobies news story
Learn more about the Aquarium's conservation efforts on our website

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Photography at the Aquarium Jan 14, 2025

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Today's episode features Robin Riggs, a charter volunteer and photographer at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Robin, who has been volunteering since before the Aquarium opened, captures stunning images of our animals. She discusses her transition from film to digital photography, the challenges of photographing animals in various exhibits, and the importance of animal welfare.

Episode resources:

Follow @podcific on Instagram!
Transcript
25th Anniversary Staff Photo Contest Winners
Photographers Night (join us every October!)

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