Love Letters

Since the prime of my youth I have admired the steady sway of your curves. I miss you so intensely, spending late nights dreaming of the gleam of your precise motion. I yearn to hold you in my arms, but alas, i know it can never be.

We humans learn a lot from you so we look forward to visiting you in your San Francisco home and hope to see your relatives in their natural habitats someday. Having you here in the Bay Area reminds us to care about where you come from.

I have been coming to the "Aquarium," since I was a very little kid. My favorite exhibit was the alligators. It was very different 60+ years ago. We were all so ignorant of how animals think, and feel, and are deserving of the same love and respect we should be extending to our fellow human beings. I am a 65 year-old, second generation native San Franciscan. Ive visited the Academy of Sciences for six decades. Last week I was visiting with a friend, and I wanted to be sure and visit Claude's pool Melissa was there to feed the turtles. She exemplifies the very, very best of an educator. I learned more from her than I ever have during any visit before! She was so kind, so proficient, and so interesting. Soemetimes, when you are a bit older, people tend to disregard your importance. Melissa deserves recognition for making us feel as important as Claude and the tortoises! I cannot thank her enough. Hope this Love Letter is delivered to Melissa as a small token of our appreciation.

So proud of the work you are doing!

My granddaughter, Laurel, who is 6 and lives across the street from the Academy, loves the penguins

We love watching you swim, and dive, and love how patiently you wait in line to eat yummy fish!

Thank you for looking after the lovely critters at the Academy. You folks heroes!