Ping delays

So I've gotten a lot of grief via tweet that I'm not pinging as often as YOU would like. 

While I really enjoy chatting with you #sillyhumans, sometimes I just can't get to the surface. I'm trying to travel the distance of Houston to Boston using only my fins and tail.

Let's see how many of you can do that on your feet in as many days - while constantly checking in on Facebook or Four Square.  I mean I know you do it in your cars - but if you were on your feet you'd be tired and hungry. 

I love that you are all following me, but maybe the most important message I can impart - besides that you humans are #notmyflavor - is patience. 

On a different note, had a great mini reunion with Genie, Mary Lee and Lydia.  

Now I'm heading home to my splashing grounds while my buddy Chris and the team are chillin' during #ExpeditionBrazil. I really do wish them the very best and hope they have safe travels. 

See you in an hour, or a day, or a week, or whenever I decide to rise to the surface again.

Happy Birthday, America

OK, so I'm a creature of the ocean. Really I have no allegiance to a "country" per se. However, I have this really strong connection to the United States.

It's shores are beautiful and bountiful (yes, even New Jersey).

While other countries allow for sharks to be dragged on board their ships to be stripped of their fins and dumped back into the ocean to die, the U.S. is actually making moves to protect sharks - like the decision this week to protect hammerheads. (See the story: http://on.flatoday.com/1lDwjw1 - thanks to @OCEARCH for tweeting the link)

All sharks should be protected - but especially hammerheads. As I've explained on Twitter, we don't call them hammerheads because of the shape of their heads. We call them hammerheads because, quite frankly, they are as dumb as a bag of hammers.

But I'm getting away from my point...

My point is that while you're all celebrating your independence, I, too, am celebrating a country that seems to be getting a better understanding of its role in protecting the oceans. Maybe you #SillyHumans aren't so silly after all.

And to show you my appreciation, here's a little number written by my namesake, Katharine Bates. Truly beautiful "From Sea to Shining Sea"

I know most of you probably appreciate the Ray Charles version better... but I figured if there's a #SillyHuman who is almost as much of a diva as I am, why not show her some love. :)



Happy Birthday America!