Seara (sea rabbit), Dr. Takeshi Yamada and mermaid at the Coney island Polar Bear Club's New Years Day Plunge at Coney Island Beach in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York on January 1, 2012. 20120101 036

Sea Rabbit: Part 10 (2011-2012) posted a photo:

The Sea Rabbit (Monafluffchus americanus) is a close relative of the sea lion, which was once a prolific species seen in Coney Island. “Coney Island” literally means “wild rabbit island” in Dutch (originally Conyne Eylandt, or Konijneneiland in modern Dutch spelling) and it was named after this wild rabbit of the sea in the 17th century. The sea rabbit was also referred to as mermaid rabbit, merrabbit, rabbit fish or seal rabbit in the natural history books. The current conservation status (risk of extinction) of the sea rabbit is “Extinct in the Wild” on the International Society for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources’ Threatened Species List. Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Takeshi Yamada and the team of marine biologists at the Sea Rabbit Repopulation Center of the Coney Island University in Brooklyn, New York, they are now making a slow comeback.


Takeshi Yamada (山田武司) is an artist with over 600 fine art exhibitions with his paintings and sculptures exhibited internationally in Spain, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Japan, Columbia, and the United States. Yamada and his artworks have also been featured in over 400 online video websites to date. Yamada is also one of the most influential and active educators in New York City with over 60 awards, recognitions and nominations including two “Keys to the City” awarded to him by city mayors. Yamada is also featured in “Who’s Who in America”, “One Thousand Great Americans”, and has been named “International Educator of the Year” by International Biographical Centre in England. He has also taught classes and given public lectures at over 40 educational institutions internationally. Yamada is also a prolific published author of articles, having also published 22 books. In addition, Yamada’s rogue taxidermy artworks of mythic creatures, sideshow gaffs, cryptozoological artworks, large sideshow banners and showfronts in the last 40 years have been exhibited at dozens of state fairs and festivals annually nationwide, up to and including the present.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reference (videos featuring sea rabbits and Dr. Takeshi Yamada):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ek-GsW9ay0
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJK04yQUX2o&feature=related
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrCCxV5S-EE
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0QnW26dQKg&feature=related
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpVCqEjFXk0
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NlcIZTFIj8&feature=fvw
s87.photobucket.com/albums/k130/katiecavell/NYC%2008/Cone...


Reference (flickr):
www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit10
www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit9/
www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit8/
www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit7
www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit6
www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit5/
www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit4/
www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit3/
www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit2/
www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit1/
www.flickr.com/photos/museumofworldwonders2
www.flickr.com/photos/museumofworldwonders/
www.flickr.com/photos/takeshiyamadapaintings/

flickeflu.com/photos/museumofworldwonders2
flickeflu.com/photos/museumofworldwonders


Reference (newspaper articles and reviews):
online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704828104576021750...
www.villagevoice.com/2006-11-07/nyc-life/the-stuffing-dre...
karlshuker.blogspot.com/2011/06/giant-sea-serpents-and-ch...
amusingthezillion.com/2011/12/08/takeshi-yamadas-jersey-d...
amusingthezillion.com/2010/12/07/art-of-the-day-freak-tax...
amusingthezillion.com/2010/10/27/oct-29-at-coney-island-l...
amusingthezillion.com/2010/09/18/photo-of-the-day-takeshi...
amusingthezillion.com/2009/11/07/thru-dec-31-at-coney-isl...
4strange.blogspot.com/2009/02/ten-of-takeshi-yamada-colle...
www.flickr.com/photos/museumofworldwonders/5440224421/siz...


Reference (fine art websites):
www.roguetaxidermy.com/members_detail.php?id=528
www.brooklynartproject.com/photo/photo/listForContributor...
www.bsagarts.org/member-listing/takeshi-yamada/
www.horseshoecrab.org/poem/feature/takeshi.html


Reference (other videos):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=otSh91iC3C4
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhIR-lz1Mrs
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BttREu63Ksg


(updated February 2012)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Original post