Spending the night eating pizza while surrounded by tons of water teeming with sharks and other creatures-of-the-deep, may not seem like the best way to get a good night’s sleep, but thousands of people eagerly await their reservations to do so every year.
Aquarium Enables Visitors to Walk on Water Without Getting Wet
Well, almost; the Oregon Coast Aquarium’s amazing Passages of the Deep tunnel allows visitors to stroll through a giant acrylic enclosed walkway, surrounded by every ocean creature from the tiniest planktin to the aquarium’s huge sharks and stingrays.
This surreal tunnel experience, with thousands of colorful sea creatures swimming in their natural habitat above, below, and on all sides of the clear acrylic tunnel, is a photographers dream. Children and adults alike delight in the ‘walking on water’ feeling as they traverse the long underwater tunnel amidst such creatures as the aquarium’s flesh-eating squid and giant Pacific octopus.
From Fierce Faces to Underwater Beauty and Swamps
Visitors ready to observe some of the oceans less fierce sea creatures might find themselves gazing into the jellies tank. With long flowing tentacles, and containing no heart, spine, or brain, these harmless appearing jellyfish, are deceptively complex, and sometimes even dangerous. Ranging from pastel to translucent, jellyfish, the world’s largest plankton, grow tentacles up to 100 ft. long, and the sea wasp jelly has a deadly sting.
Swampland, the Oregon Coast Aquarium’s newest feature includes types of birds, fish, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles that typically reside in the world’s swamps. Designed as an immersive teaching experience, swamp areas include a cypress swamp, a South American swamp, and a mangrove swamp, among others, replete with such swamp dwellers as an anaconda snake, an alligator snapping turtle, and piranhas.
Laughing Sea Otters, Barking Sea Lions, Friendly Seals
The aquariums playful sea otters seem to be smiling all the time as they smoothly glide through their own 65,000-gallon pool, groom their dense fur for hours each day, and eat up to 25% of their body weight daily. They seem to appreciate their good life, complete with enrichment toys, and a rich seafood diet.
With viewpoints both above and below the waterline, aquarium visitors can see the sea lions and seals in a environment akin to their natural ocean habitat, complete with canyons, caves, rocks, and sandy beaches. The enormous 90,000-gallon sea lion/seal pool provides more than adequate room for these delightful animals to swim, romp, play, and entertain aquarium visitors
Oregon Coast Aquarium Makes Learning Fun
While this fantastic Newport, Oregon museum is a favorite field trip for groups, and has many programs geared for such visits, including pizza serving sleep-overs, there is a plethora of materials available to enhance every visitor's enjoyment of the unique facility. Additionally, helpful, informative aquarium guides and workers are on hand near every exhibit.
Donna Hinton - As a former hypnotherapist I developed literature related to smoking cessation, weight management and other behavioral issues. I have ...
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