Newport Aquarium Welcomes Two Dozen Baby Alligators

Posted on October 21, 2019 by NewportAquarium

NEWPORT, Ky. — Newport Aquarium announced today the addition of two dozen adorable baby alligators to the popular Gator Alley collection of exhibits. Guests will have the opportunity to see baby alligators swimming in the bayou and basking on its banks. The aquarium is celebrating their growing family with a Bayou Baby BOGO offer. Through November 3^rd, buy one general admission ticket and get one of equal or lesser value for free.

Just in time for the cool, brisk weather, guests can watch the hatchlings explore their new home, which replicates a cypress swamp like those found in Florida and Louisiana. Alligators thrive in the warm, humid temperatures of the bayou, so this new home is a perfect nursery for the Bayou Babies. “Seeing a group of baby gators in the wild is exciting but can be rare. They have a lot of natural predators, so they are excellently camouflaged,” said Newport Aquarium General Curator, Kelly Sowers. “It’s so special that guests get to see the babies up close and watch them grow up at Newport Aquarium.”

The hatchlings are about one month old and only six inches long. Baby alligators grow about a foot a year during their first few years. They can grow to be as big as or bigger than Snowball and Snowflake, the aquarium’s rare white alligators. Our dedicated Animal Care Team is overseeing the hatchlings and monitoring their weights, measurements and food intake. As the Bayou Babies are acclimating, they’re slowly being introduced to their larger exhibit where they’ll swim under guests’ feet as they cross over a clear floor. But first, they’re spending time in a “baby pool” on the bayou’s beach and dock area. “What’s especially cute is to see the baby gators perched up on the rocks in the baby pool when they’re being fed by a member of the Animal Care Team,” said Sowers.

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The American alligator was brought back from the brink of extinction in the 1980s. It is an endangered species success story so these baby alligators are important ambassadors for education and learning. “Their story should help us all appreciate these amazing and important animals today. They can teach us a huge lesson in how to protect other species that are in danger of going extinct,” said Sowers.

Buy One Get One FREE

See the Bayou Babies now during the Bayou Baby BOGO where you can buy one admission and get one admission of equal or lesser value for free. This offer is available through November 3^rd with advance purchase online at Newport Aquarium.com.

Mighty Farewell: Famous Alligator Saying Goodbye to Newport Aquarium

Posted on July 9, 2018 by NewportAquarium

NEWPORT, Ky. — After five years, wowing millions of people at Newport Aquarium, Mighty Mike, the largest American Alligator outside of Florida, is preparing to head back to the Sunshine State this summer.

At 14 feet long and 800 pounds, Mighty Mike’s size makes it clear that he is truly a living dinosaur. Alligators have been around for 250 million years and seeing Mighty Mike up close reveals how these powerful creatures have survived so long. With his enormous teeth and muscular tail, this is one creature you may not want to come across in the wild, which makes it all the more important for the public to get to meet animal ambassadors like Mighty Mike.

Wowing guests with his amazing size, Mighty Mike has built connections with guests that will stay with them forever. “Getting the public to understand and appreciate these animals has been a critical factor in helping the American alligator achieve sustainable populations after being listed as endangered for decades,” said Eric Rose, Executive Director at Newport Aquarium. “We’re grateful to the Crocodilian Conservation Center and to our world-class animal care team for keeping Mike happy and healthy all these years, and to all the guests who’ve come to see him.”

Mighty Mike is going back home to the Crocodilian Conservation Center in Florida, where he will continue to share an important conservation message as an ambassador for wetlands habitat and preservation. He will create opportunities for others to care more about watersheds and ecosystems around them.

The last chance to see this living dinosaur at Newport Aquarium is September 9. Fans will have the chance to leave well wishes for Mighty Mike on a banner that will be on display in Gator Alley for the rest of the summer.

One Kid FREE – Extended By Popular Demand
For a very limited time, Newport Aquarium is offering one free child admission with each full price adult. The offer is valid Sundays through Fridays after 4 p.m. and is available exclusively online at NewportAquarium.com

Extended Summer Hours
Just for summer, Newport Aquarium is extending its hours and will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily between May 27 and September 2.

Two Summers of Fun with an Annual Pass
For a limited time only, guests will get two extra months free when they purchase an Annual Pass. That’s 14 months of fun and discovery for the price of 12 months, plus exclusive Passholder events, bring a friend free days and additional savings throughout the year. This offer ends July 22, 2018.

For more information, visit NewportAquarium.com or call 800-406-FISH (3474).

Alligator Awareness Day

Posted on August 3, 2017 by NewportAquarium

Today is Alligator Awareness Day. Alligators are mainly spotted in the southeastern parts of the United States, including Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, but you can spot seven American Alligators right here at Newport Aquarium! American alligators are the first animals to ever be put on the endangered species list, but were later removed thanks to education and conservation of the species.

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White Alligators:

Our white alligators are the most unique because not many of them are found in the wild or even in zoos or aquariums. Snowball (14 years old) and Snowflake (12 years old) are two of fewer than 100 known white alligators in the world.

These unique creatures look the way they do because they are albino, specifically a type called amelanistic. Biologist, Erin Muldoon said this means the alligators have “a loss of the pigment, melanin. This gives them their white skin and red eyes.” This condition also gives them the inability to blend in with their surroundings, or protect themselves from the sun.

Just as certain genes are passed down from a parent to a child, Snowball and Snowflake would most likely pass down Albinism if these two were to have babies.

Baby Gators:

Newport Aquarium currently has four baby alligators. Carl, Willard, Edmund, and Murphy are ambassador animals for their species. They are part of our Animal Outreach Program. They were all born in August 2015 at St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park.

Guests get a one-on-one interaction with a baby alligator during a Backstage Animal Experience.

In order to keep people interested and informed about these gators, guests at Newport Aquarium are able to get up close and personal with them. “Allowing guests to touch and interact with these animals helps to spark a connection that can inspire them to help preserve these animals and their wild habitat,” said Muldoon.

The WAVE Foundation at Newport Aquarium takes the baby alligators to schools, libraries, daycare centers and senior centers. To learn more about having the WAVE on Wheels Educational Outreach Program visit you, click here.

Our baby gators will eventually return to St. Augustine once they reach a certain length and size, and then we will welcome a new batch of baby gators!

Mighty Mike:

Our well known gator Mighty Mike made his debut return with us in 2013, and has been catching the eyes of many ever since.

Guests can get eye-to-eye with Mighty Mike in Gator Alley.

Guests can get eye-to-eye with Mighty Mike in Gator Alley. Mike is around 15 feet long and is estimated to weigh around 700-800 lbs.

You must be thinking…How do you feed such a BIG gator? “He is target trained, which means that he must come to a target to get his food. One of his current favorites right now is chicken,” Muldoon said.

Herpetologists, Erin Muldoon and Ryan Dumas have target trained Mighty Mike.

Alligator Facts:
There are only two species of true alligators in the world, the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) and the endangered Chinese Alligator (Alligator sinensis).

Compared to crocodiles, alligators have a rounder and wider “U” shaped snout. Also, when the alligator’s jaw is closed, the fourth bottom tooth cannot be seen.

Most alligators prefer to live in fresh water.

Stop by and discover the wonder of all of the animals at Newport Aquarium – the land-dwelling species, and aquatic animals, and we’re sure you’ll make memories worth repeating.

To learn more about the Backstage Animal Experience at Newport Aquarium, click here.

WAVE Foundation at Newport Aquarium to test public’s water knowledge at Water for Life event

Posted on July 24, 2015 by NewportAquarium

The WAVE Foundation at Newport Aquarium will be one of 26 educational booths at the Water for Life event on Sunday, July 26, located just outside the Aquarium at the Newport on the Levee plaza.

NEWPORT, Ky. — Guests can meet an alligator and test their water knowledge through the WAVE Foundation, Newport Aquarium’s nonprofit partner, during the second annual Water for Life event on Sunday, July 26, located at the Newport on the Levee plaza and Riverboat Row.

“Newport Aquarium, as well as our partners at the WAVE Foundation, strives to promote the importance of water conservation and water quality every day,” said Chris Pierson, operations director at Newport Aquarium, which in April received an Earth Day Award from the Kentucky Environmental Quality Commission for featuring a “Water Story” throughout its exhibits. “The Water for Life event aligns with our water-conservation message and provides a fun opportunity to engage the community about the water story.”

A free event open to the public, Water for Life runs from 2-5 p.m. and will feature food, games and nearly 30 educational booths with interactive and fun ways for people of all ages to celebrate our most precious resource, water, while highlighting the importance and value of water conservation and quality.

Water samples from Newport Aquarium’s Shark and Amazon tanks, as well as from the Ohio River, will be set up at the WAVE Foundation booth, where guests can guess the source of the samples based on pH, salinity and temperature.

Additionally, Newport Aquarium’s Garry the gator will greet guests from the WAVE Foundation booth throughout the event.

Kids who pick up a booth passport upon their arrival at Water for Life can get their passport stamped each time they complete an activity at a booth. Once a booth passport is completed, kids can earn a free snow cone from Kona Ice, along with other prizes.

Similar to last year’s Water for Life event in Chattanooga, Tenn., this year’s Water for Life event in Newport, Ky., will feature an inflatable slide.

In addition to the nearly 30 interactive booths, Water for Life will include an inflatable slide and a water tasting competition.

Water for Life kicks off the 2015 Kentucky-Tennessee Water Professionals Conference, which runs from July 26-29, when approximately 1,500 water professionals will gather in Northern Kentucky to learn and network about water issues affecting the customers and communities they serve. The Northern Kentucky Water District and Sanitation District No. 1 are the conference’s co-hosts.

For more information on Newport Aquarium, visit NewportAquarium.com or call toll free 800-406-FISH (3474). To learn more about the WAVE Foundation, visit wavefoundation.org.

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Newport Aquarium has showcased thousands of animals from around the world in a million gallons of water since May 15, 1999. Named one of the best aquariums in the U.S. by Travel Channel and USA Today, Newport Aquarium is a Herschend Family Entertainment company and an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky jewel attraction is home to: The world’s first and only Shark Bridge; the world’s first Shark Ray Breeding Program; Mighty Mike – the biggest and baddest American alligator outside the state of Florida; the largest and most diverse collection of sharks in the Midwest; and one of the world’s largest and most diverse penguin exhibits. Newport Aquarium is open to the public 365 days a year and is located across the Ohio River from downtown Cincinnati at Newport on the Levee.

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One Aquarium Way | Newport, KY 41071 | 859-261-7444
www.newportaquarium.com

Newport Aquarium Celebrates the Successful Comeback of American Alligators

Posted on June 3, 2015 by NewportAquarium

NEWPORT, Ky. — Thursday marks a historic anniversary for the preservation of one of the most recognizable animals in the United States – the American alligator.

Twenty-eight years ago on June 4, 1987, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed the American alligator from the Endangered Species List, just 20 years after the implementation of the Endangered Species Preservation Act.

After enjoying a bountiful population for millions of years, the American alligator became on the verge of extinction in the 20th century, mostly due to over-hunting for the production of consumer goods.

Thankfully, with the help of the Endangered Species Preservation Act (1966) and the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the over-hunting of American alligators came to a halt.

Today, the American alligator population is thriving throughout the Southeastern U.S. – so much so that they sometimes give people a cheap thrill by showing up unannounced in their back yards.

Mighty Mike is more than 14 feet long and 800 pounds.

Such was the case for Mighty Mike – the biggest and baddest alligator outside the state of Florida who resides at Newport Aquarium. Back in 2000, the more than 14-foot, 800-pound gator was found basking on a boat dock in Lake Talquin, Fla. Because of his large size, Mighty Mike was considered a threat to locals. State wildlife authorities declared him a nuisance and ordered him destroyed, as required by Florida law.

Fortunately, the trapper who caught Mighty Mike knew he was special because of his size and asked a local reptile expert to provide Mighty Mike with a new home. Since that time, Mighty Mike has served as a traveling ambassador for American alligators and has captivated millions of viewers who marvel at his enormous size.

Despite the American alligator’s overall population thriving, the species has a subpopulation that is in danger of becoming extinct – white (either albino or leucistic) American alligators.

Because they have a difficult time blending into their surroundings, making them either easy-to-spot prey or easy-to-avoid ambush predators, there are less than 100 known white alligators in the world.

Newport Aquarium is the home to two albino American alligators, Snowball (male) and Snowflake (female). Since their gene pools are separated far enough, it is the hope of Newport Aquarium officials that Snowball and Snowflake will eventually mate to help with this subpopulation’s growth.

Guests can see Mighty Mike, Snowball and Snowflake at Newport Aquarium’s Gator Alley exhibit, which showcases six species of crocodilians from four continents – one of the most diverse collections of crocodilian species in the country.

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Newport Aquarium, voted the No. 1 aquarium in the country by USA Today’s 10Best.com in 2012, has showcased thousands of animals from around the world in a million gallons of water since 1999. Named a top U.S. aquarium by US City Traveler and Destinations Travel Magazine in 2014, and also by Travel Channel in 2013, Newport Aquarium is a Herschend Family Entertainment company and an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Newport Aquarium is open to the public 365 days a year and is located across the Ohio River from downtown Cincinnati at Newport on the Levee.

Find us on: Facebook.com/NewportAquarium | Twitter: @NewportAquarium

One Aquarium Way | Newport, KY 41071 | 859-261-7444
www.newportaquarium.com

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