New York City is unlike any other city in the world because of its extraordinary diversity of people, places, and things. A trip to the New York Aquarium is a fun way to spend a day away from the concrete jungle and into the great outdoors while in New York.
In either case, you and your loved ones or you and your friends will have a fantastic time while also gaining valuable insight into the significance of taking good care of the waters.
The natural environments of many different aquatic animals have been painstakingly replicated, making this a fascinating destination to visit.
History
Located in Coney Island, Brooklyn, the New York Aquarium is the oldest in continuous operation in the US. Completed in 1896 at Manhattan’s Battery Park at Castle Garden, the amusement park was relocated to Coney Island in 1957.
Moving from the Battery to Coney Island, the Aquarium had its first year in 1941. (The creatures that once lived in the Aquarium are now cared for in the Bronx Zoo.) On June 6, 1957, the New York Aquarium originally opened on the boardwalk to revive the Coney Island neighborhood.
9M dollars and 1.2M gallons of water were required in total for the project. When it first opened, the New York Aquarium boasted in a brochure published by the New York Zoological Society that it was home to hundreds of species of fish from the world’s oceans and lakes, including those that are beautiful, strange, and even unsettling, such as those found in the polar regions. Four hundred thousand people came through the doors in its first school year.
Affiliation
Aside from the Bronx Zoo and the other four zoos in New York City, the Wildlife Conservation Society oversees the Aquarium.
The AZA has officially recognized this as an acceptable practice. The mission of WCS, of which the Aquarium is a part, is to conserve aquatic ecosystems, biodiversity, and wild places worldwide via scientific study, practical conservation work, public education, and enjoyment.
Objective
260+ different kinds of aquatic species name this location across 14 acres of their home. Through educational programs, public events, and exhibits, the organization’s mission is to teach people about the ocean and the organisms in it.
The New York Seascape program is the WCS’s local conservation project, and it’s based right here in the New York Aquarium. Its purpose is to protect the waters around New York City, which are vital to the city’s socioeconomic and cultural well-being.
Closure
Storm surges and power outages caused by a hurricane in October 2012 caused extensive damage to the New York Aquarium. The WCS workers who stayed on site throughout the storm saved 90% of the collection’s animals. Finally, in January of 2014, construction began on Ocean Wonders: Sharks! It debuted on June 30, 2018; it was the first major exhibit at the New York Aquarium to open after the hurricane.
Main Exhibits
There is a wide variety of activities and sights to see at the New York aquarium. With the Aquarium’s full inauguration in 2022, the Aquarium has brought along a plethora of exhibits.
Spineless
One common ancestor exists between the jellyfish, the giant octopus, and the 12-foot-long crab. The Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium has a new Spineless exhibit, which features some really exotic aquatic life.
This exhibition features stunning invertebrate (animals without spines) aquatic life from all across the globe. These creatures may seem gentle, but don’t be fooled by their looks.
The giant Pacific octopus has been known to use tools and break open jars to get to its prey. And the Pacific Sea nettle is not to be trifled with. It uses a net-like spread of tentacles to catch prey, which it then stings with barbed stingers to paralyze.
Cephalopods such as cuttlefish, moon jellies, and lagoon jellies are on show in the Spineless section with the world’s biggest arthropod, the Japanese spider crab.
Ocean Wonders: Sharks!
Throughout nine galleries and more than half a million gallons of water, this exhibit showcases 115 different kinds of marine life, including 18 different types of sharks and rays. Visitors go on a tour to gain insight into the local shark population, the global shark population, and the Wildlife Conservation Society’s efforts to protect these threatened animals.
Aquatheater
The California sea lions, especially those who appear in the daily Aquatheater shows, are the most charismatic residents of the New York Aquarium. There is plenty of seating in the Aquatheater, but if you want to be towards the front of the line to get a good view of the show, you should be there at least half an hour early.
Showtimes change daily. Sea lions can be found lounging in the Aquatheater of the New York Aquarium, located on the Coney Island boardwalk in Brooklyn. The animal arena, however, was antiquated, as it had been designed to showcase Beluga whales.
The sea lion saves an errant plastic bottle from the tank, and with the help of his trainer, he teaches the audience about the necessity of recycling to protect the environment.
Sea Cliffs
Next to the aqua theater is the outdoor exhibit of sea cliffs, where you get to see cute otters, penguins, and sea lions, lounging in enclosures designed to seem like the rocky beaches of the oceans. If you go there during their feeding break, you even get to see critters eat!
Sea Change
After Hurricane Sandy devastated the Coney Island aquarium in 2012, the final public display to reopen was “Sea Change.” It’s the submerged section of the well-known Sea Cliff, where visitors may watch marine life from above. Coastal ecosystems and the animals that depend on them are the primary focus of Sea Change, which examines the effects of climate change in this context.
Our Final Thoughts
The New York Aquarium has seen some challenges in its time since opening. The aquarium was rebuilt and became a famous tourist attraction. Offering a lot of activities for people to enjoy!