These fun, age appropriate programs feature some of the most widely studied animals that you would find in or around water. Each program highlights life science concepts by introducing young kids to habitats, body parts, migration, adaptation, ecosystems and the life cycle. Educational and focused these programs provide beautiful imagery and age appropriate narration.

Salmon
If ever there was an interesting underwater creature it is the salmon.  Do you wonder how they are able to return to the very place they were born to lay their eggs, traveling thousands of miles, through challenging waters to the exact place?  Only one of about every 3,000 actually make it successfully all the way back. By the time they arrive to the place they were born, they are exhausted, damaged and wounded from the challenges of the trip. But don't be sad, because soon their offspring will return just as they did and just as their ancestors did before them. It's the salmon's cycle of life.

Octopuses
An octopus is what's called an invertebrate.  It has no backbone.  These large underwater creatures can grow to 9 feet long and weigh over 60 pounds.  Their rather strange ball like part that looks like a head is actually the body and they have gills for breathing.  Their 8 legs are longer than their body and can move freely when underwater.  As unusual as the octopus might look, they are generally considered highly intelligent, even being able to understand their own reflection. Their small but plentiful eggs resemble grains of rice. An Octopus is a fascinating underwater creature.

Globefish & Puffers
You might call them the magician's of the sea, because when they are in danger, they swell up like a big ball and raise their spines, totally surprising their enemies.  All they have to do is take a big gulp of water and poof!  The globefish and puffer are very interesting in other ways too.  For one thing they are poisonous, and like the salmon, they live in the sea but swim back upriver to lay their eggs. Once the young hatch, they will follow the river on out to the sea, beginning the cycle all over again.

Starfish
As the name rightly indicates, starfish are the stars of the sea.  They are bright and colorful.  There are about 1,800 different species of starfish in the world.  But as interesting as they might be to look at, starfish are not well liked, especially by fishermen.  Each starfish eats about 15 shellfish every day reducing the overall available supply to be caught in the nets of the fishermen.  But starfish have been living in the oceans for 300 million years and have learned to survive and they very likely will continue to do so.

Freshwater Fish
As their name implies, many freshwater fish are found in the fresh, pure waters that flow between the mountains.  And even though you might not be able to always see them they are there beneath the surface.  Some examples of freshwater fish include the chub, perch, and an interesting species called the doty barbel.  Of course we shouldn't overlook the trout as they are one of the most demanding and only live in the cleanest of waters.  For us humans, however, the rivers and streams are places to visit but be ever mindful that this is home for freshwater fish so be extra careful not to damage their environment.

Snails & Slugs
I'm not sure what's slower, the snail or the turtle but where ever you find water, along the tops of rocks, you'll probably find snails.  You'll see them slowly crawling along carrying their house right along with them.   One of the main differences between a snail and a slug is the snail keeps its shell and the slug has a coat of brown mucus to help it travel about.  Interestingly, when snails mate both partners lay eggs.  It's a good way of ensuring the future of the species.

Minnows
Minnows thrive best where the water is clean, usually in the upper most parts of streams.  Minnows are members of the carp family and they enjoy hanging out under the shade of large willow trees.  As the name indicates they're not very big, on average about 4 inches long.   As small as they are they really like to stuff themselves with little plants and organisms.  If you're looking in a clear stream some bright sunny day you might see the sunlight hitting their skin which gives off a shimmering shiny reflection from these underwater creatures.