Tag Archives: coral reef

Immersive New Shipwreck Exhibit Coming to Newport Aquarium

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NEWPORT, Ky. — Newport Aquarium announced today Shipwreck: Realm of the Eels, an extensive new exhibit that will be opening in spring 2020. Guests will discover the ruins of a long-ago sunken ship scattered across the sea floor, now home to hundreds of animals including mysterious eels, brightly colored fish and curious crustaceans as they thrive in this accidental reef.

 

Shipwreck: Realm of the Eels will be one of the biggest developments since Newport Aquarium opened in 1999 and represents over a million-dollar investment in the guest experience. It will fully transform the 20-year-old space previously known as Dangerous & Deadly into an open and immersive environment for guests to explore.

“We’re always listening to our guests to figure out what new adventures they want in their next visit,” said Newport Aquarium Executive Director, Eric Rose. “To be able to create an artificial reef teeming with ocean life, thriving in a sunken ship is really going to wow them. But it’s not just the fun of this environment that we get excited about, it’s also the chance to teach visitors about the value of artificial reefs and ocean conservation.”

Shipwreck: Realm of the Eels will feature five zones, each with its own unique ship elements and animals to discover:

Captain’s Quarters: Rising up from the sea floor, the mast of the ship and tattered sails flow high above the remains of the captain’s quarters. A group of majestic green moray eels reaching up to 5 feet long have made their home there as masters of the ship. Nearby, the ship’s wheel awaits your turn as a fun photo opportunity with the eels and other residents including spiny lobsters and hundreds of fish.

The Treasure Chest is the perfect photo opportunity.

Treasure Chest: The ship’s treasure was lost to the sea but has been found by beautiful jewel colored fish who now make the treasure chest their home. Step into their luxurious reef to be surrounded by 270 degrees of beautiful sea life and gleaming gold coins, a perfect spot to take a photo among the real treasures of the sea.

Cargo Hold: Fascinating animals thrive among the barrels and crates that held the ship’s cargo. Flamboyant cuttlefish with tentacles, undulating fins and mesmerizing color-changing camouflage scuttle about. Dozens of garden eels pop up from the sand and flow with the current while strange and colorful frogfish imitate corals as they await the approach of their next meal.

Ship’s Anchor: The ship’s anchor now plays anchor to a thriving community of fish. The chain moray eel runs the roost with its impressive black body covered in yellow chain-like rings. It shares this safe spot with tangs, triggerfish, grouper and more.

Ropes and Rigging: Enter the ship’s wreckage and pop-up into a dome to be surrounded by the ropes and pulleys that once held everything together. They now form a forest of protection for the animals that call it home. Find venomous and beautiful lionfish with their long flowing fins, scorpionfish with their venomous spines and the purplemouth eel with its long fin running the entire length of its body.

Annual Pass Deal:
From November 1 to December 31, 2019 Newport Aquarium is offering Annual Passes on a “Buy 3, Get 1 Free” sale. Annual Passes are valid for one year from the date of purchase, so guests can use them now to experience Scuba Santa’s Water Wonderland and into next year, including a VIP Passholder-only preview party for the opening of Shipwreck: Realm of the Eels in the spring.

To learn more, visit NewportAquarium.com or call 800-406-FISH (3474).

 

Mermaids Arrive at Newport Aquarium

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Mermaids are swimming into Newport Aquarium, enchanting guests September 28 through October 14. Guests will get to explore Mermaid Cove, where a mermaid can swim right up and meet them along with their stingray friends. With this new addition, guests will now have three opportunities to see and interact with mermaids throughout Newport Aquarium. Add a couple of pirates, and it’s a swashbuckling good time!

The magical mermaid experience begins in Shark Ray Bay Theater where Newport Aquarium guests will be greeted by a mermaid while she’s sitting on her throne. It’s the perfect photo op, while ocean friends like Denver the sea turtle, Sweet Pea the shark ray and the sand tiger sharks all swim nearby beyond the giant underwater window.

Mermaid Kailua is from the Kona Coast of Hawaii. Where she spent her days swimming along the reefs cleaning invasive algae and cleaning up debris from the human world.

Next stop on the journey to find mermaids is the tropical habitat of the Coral Reef. Visitors will be mesmerized when they see a real-life mermaid swimming gracefully underwater, alongside her tropical fish friends in the 30-foot long, 60,000-gallon Coral Reef Tunnel.

New for 2019 – The mermaids have taken over Stingray Hideaway, and transformed the tropical locale into Mermaid Cove. This unique new interaction allows the mermaid to swim with her stingray friends, show off her glorious tail and talk to guests while they touch the stingrays. With the mermaids visiting from different parts of the world, it’s the perfect spot for them to tell their new friends all about their adventures and how important ocean conservation is for them and all sea life.

“Newport Aquarium’s mermaids are a magical tradition that families look forward to every year,”    said Eric Rose, Executive Director at Newport Aquarium. “Sometimes we forget the magic in our world but when you see the look on a child’s face when they meet a mermaid, it’s undeniable.”

Daily mermaid appearances are included with regular admission, and guests can visit NewportAquarium.com for more information.

Mermaid and Pirate Breakfasts
An add-on experience this year is the Mermaids and Pirates Breakfast on Sept. 9, Oct. 6 and 13 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Get exclusive access to meet a mermaid and pirate while dining in Newport Aquarium’s Riverside Room with beautiful views of the Cincinnati Skyline and Ohio River. As a bonus, each child will receive a magical piece of treasure to take home during the meet & greet. After breakfast, guests will be invited into the aquarium before it opens to be among the first to see the mermaids swim.

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

 

 

Newport Aquarium Kicks Off 20th Anniversary with Opening of New Exhibit and Free Child Admission Offer

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NEWPORT, Ky. — Newport Aquarium began celebrating their 20th Anniversary today with the opening of a new exhibit, Jim Henson’s Splash and Bubbles Reeftown Adventure. Just in time for winter weather, the new area provides an indoor space for kids to play and learn as they explore environments from the popular PBS KIDS series, Splash and Bubbles. The aquarium has also announced that now through February 28, 2019, families can get one free child admission with each full-price adult ticket.

Jim Henson’s Splash and Bubbles Reeftown Adventure lets kids climb and slide through Coral Cove, a three-level play structure. Families can also visit the Kelp Forest, an entirely new area never before available to guests. There they can color their own fishy friends before setting them loose digitally into the animated world of Splash and Bubbles. As they explore and learn about our One Big Ocean and the animals that call it home, kids can also become a Reeftown Ranger, just like in the show.

“As we start our 20th Anniversary year, it’s inspiring to think about the millions of visitors who have built special connections at Newport Aquarium.” said Eric Rose, Newport Aquarium’s Executive Director. “This new experience gives us even more opportunities to help parents teach their little ones that it’s fun to learn about animals and important to protect our oceans.”

Highlights of the new experience include:

Reeftown Adventure:
Just like Splash and Bubbles do on TV, guests will “Catch a current” as they enter this fun new experience on their way to explore and play in Reeftown, Coral Cove, Kelp Forest and other environments from the show.NPAQ_SnBReeftownAdventures_Entrance_1080

 

Reeftown Ranger:
Kids can learn about the importance of ocean conservation through fun hands-on games as they earn their status as an official “Reeftown Ranger.”
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Kelp Forest:
Parents and kids can color a fish that reflects their own personality. Then, through the magic of technology, they’ll bring their creations to life and watch them swim through the world of Splash and Bubbles, along with popular characters from the show.NPAQ_SnBReeftownAdventures_KelpForest_1080

About Splash and Bubbles:
Splash and Bubbles are the stars of the ocean-themed animated kids’ series of the same name on PBS KIDS. The show encourages children to explore the natural undersea world and features endearing and humorous characters on fun-filled adventures. Splash and Bubbles can be seen on local PBS station, CET. The TV show is co-produced by Herschend Entertainment Studios and the Emmy Award-winning The Jim Henson Company, creators of Sid the Science Kid and Dinosaur Train.

npaq_1kidfree_snb_outdoorposter_20191 Kid Free Offer:
From January 7 to February 28, 2019, Newport Aquarium is offering 1 free child admission with each full-price adult ticket purchased. Advance ticket purchase online is highly recommended to secure your time of entry and is available at NewportAquarium.com. Tickets can also be purchased in advance by calling 800-406-FISH (3474).

To learn more about Jim Henson’s Splash and Bubbles Reeftown Adventure, and to follow more announcements for Newport Aquarium’s 20th Anniversary, visit NewportAquarium.com.

Join the #SaveTheMermaidsChallenge

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By: Ric Urban, Senior Biologist

NEWPORT, Ky. — Mermaids are ambassadors for our marine environments and freshwater ecosystems. As they make their way to Newport Aquarium from around the world this week, it is the perfect time to kick-off our #SaveTheMermaidsChallenge. These mythical creatures will be swimming with their freshwater fish friends in the Amazon Tunnel through October 15. They’ll delight guests and share their conservation stories in daily meet-and-greets.

Mermaid Calliope

Mermaid Calliope took a break along the banks of Ohio River. The Ohio River is one of the largest watersheds in our region.

The #SaveTheMermaidsChallenge is one of the ways we bring awareness to the plastics we use every day and how we can work to reduce our dependency of plastics. The mermaids need us! Our oceans need us! Our rivers need us! Mermaids don’t like swimming with plastics.

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Seahorses don’t like swimming with plastic straws, and neither do mermaids.

Newport Aquarium is part of the Aquarium Conservation Partners (ACP) which is a first-of-its-kind collaboration created to increase the collective impact of aquariums on ocean and freshwater conservation. The ACP was founded by Monterey Bay Aquarium, National Aquarium, and Shedd Aquarium. These three major aquariums were joined by Newport Aquarium and 14 other aquariums throughout North America to make a change. Newport Aquarium and its ACP partners are committed to eliminating all plastic straws and single-use bags, and significantly reduce or eliminate plastic beverage bottles by 2020. We first told you about the In Our Hands campaign here on the blog, back in the summer.

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In Our Hands is a consumer campaign of the Aquarium Conservation Partnership (ACP), a coalition of 19 U.S. aquariums taking action together to advance ocean and freshwater conservation.

When you visit Newport Aquarium to see the mermaids, you can share your stories with them in Shark Ray Bay Theater and tell them how you are ‘kicking the plastic’ habit. You can also see them swimming in the Amazon Tunnel, take a selfie with your refillable water bottle and the mermaid!

I have had some time to talk to the mermaids and hear their stories of where they live and the impact of plastic pollution on their underwater environments. Mermaid Coral is the protector of the coral reefs.

Newport Aquarium Mermaids

Mermaid Coral is the protector of the coral reefs.

While talking with her, I discovered the Great Barrier Reef and other coral reefs around the world are dying. The oceans are fun places to swim. Mermaid Coral and her mermaid sisters are entertained by us humans as we jump and play in the sun on the beach. A big problem for the merfolk is we use sunscreens that wash off in the water and harm the coral reefs. Mermaid Coral would like us to start using biodegradable sunscreens that will still protect us but not harm the reefs and the fishes that swim in the oceans.

Mermaid Calliope

Mermaid Calliope is from the Caribbean and does not like plastics. You can’t swim with her if you use plastics.

Mermaid Calliope is from the Caribbean and does not like plastics. You can’t swim with her if you use plastics. She loves metal re-usable straws. They get nice and cold and make her sweet tea “yummy.” Plastic straws are in the Top 10 of plastic debris found on the beaches and in the oceans. Many seabirds and mammals have ingested plastic straws that have harmed them.

Ninety percent of all the trash floating in the oceans is made of plastics. The #SaveTheMermaidsChallenge is our way as leaders and part of the ACP initiatives to reduce sources of plastic pollution in the ocean and freshwater ecosystems.  Our “plastic pollution” problem is not just an ocean problem or a freshwater problem.  Plastic Pollution starts as a land problem!

Join us in the #SaveTheMermaidsChallenge and tag us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, to show how you are reducing your dependency on plastics. Everyone that shares with us will be registered for a raffle to win a “Plastic Free” Newport Aquarium package and a tour of the Newport Aquarium by yours truly.

Let’s take the #SaveTheMermaidsChallenge Together!