summer bounty July 08 007, originally uploaded by aliceatwintersong.

The Oddwater exhibit in the Oregon Coast Aquarium combines marine biology and colorfully blown art glass inside the displays and life-size murals of some of the ocean’s larger oddities. The theme throughout is that “it’s okay to look different and some of these critters do.” These pieces remind me of a couple of Dale Chihuly exhibits I’ve attended, except on a smaller scale, and sometimes it’s hard to distinguish the art, or glass, from the fish.

(Oops! That one should have been turned around. Sorry.)

Of course some exhibits even without the art are still beautiful and interesting; is that art or turquoise fish? This is the underwater walk through tunnel.

Then there was this guy who wanted to get up close and personal. I think he liked my eyes.

And what’s an aquarium without one of these?

Or these? This little guy is Hunter, a little sea orphan. After being rehabilitated at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, he was released and monitored using a radio tracking implant. After being recaptured five times in 2 1/2 years of begging for food at local piers and jumping in kayaks, he was deemed non-releasable because of his inability to feed himself.

And how about this little fellow, who’s just taken a refreshing dip and is just enjoying the warm sunshine?

This is only a fraction of things you can see there at Oregon’s Aquarium in Newport, and we pretty much managed to see it all thanks to our special friend Mickie. We enjoyed it very much and I think it’s pretty obvious why.