Impressive Display of Marine Life in Long Beach
Southern California's own Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach houses some 12,000 animals (nearly 1,000 species) that are native to three regions of the Pacific: Southern and Baja California, the North Pacific and the Tropical Pacific. It's a beautiful aquarium that offers a compelling learning experience.
The Southern California Gallery focuses on tidepools, kelp forests, sea lions, rays, and turtles; while the Northern Pacific Gallery depicts the subarctic waters of Russia and northern Japan. The Tropical Pacific Gallery, on the other hand, focuses on coral lagoons and warm-water reefs, and presents vibrantly colored fish.
Throughout, the aquarium presents animals in large tanks that are intriguing to young and old alike-many that stretch from the floor to the ceiling. Overall, kids will particularly enjoy the sea lions and seals, giant spider crabs, rays, giant octopus, and sea dragons. Some exhibits have guides equipped with microphones who talk to the crowd and answer questions, and encourage kids to touch.
In addition to the three main Pacific galleries, there are three major exhibitions. The Shark Lagoon lets visitors touch innocuous nurse, zebra and other sharks. And another section features sharks that are only for admiring from a distance (one look at the numerous and sharp teeth is clear reason why). The Lorikeet Forest is a walk-through aviary where kids may feed birds with nectar from a cup (available at extra cost). For the smallest fry, there's an outdoor play area with sand and toys. The aquarium also offers educational programs for kids of all ages.
There's enough at the Aquarium of the Pacific to enrapture all kids and the site is well worth a visit that will take most of a day. When planning your visit be warned that the aquarium uses timed-ticketing during busy times, which often occur on weekends. This is to prevent the exhibits from becoming too crowded. As a result, your party may have to wait until an assigned time after buying tickets before entering the building.
Ages: five and up
www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff
