Top 6 Things to Do at the Aquarium This Winter

November 28, 2016

1. Visit Horses and Dragons and Vanishing Animals
The Aquarium’s two major exhibits will remain open through February 2017. Horses and Dragons features more than a dozen species of seahorses, seadragons, and their relatives in exhibits located in the Aquarium’s Tropical Pacific and Southern California/Baja galleries. Vanishing Animals, located in the changing exhibit gallery on the first floor, examines extinction and what we can do to reverse the trend.

2. See our new film.
To further explore the issues featured in Vanishing Animals, the Aquarium has produced a new film of the same name. The film was created using footage from Alucia Productions and original music by Edward Freeman and Marta Victoria of Icarus Studios. The film plays daily in the Ocean Theater.

3. Touch jellies and see fish that “walk” on land.
Just opened on the Aquarium’s Harbor Terrace are the popular moon jelly touch pool and a new exhibit featuring mudskippers. The new outdoor moon jelly pool features a large curved tank that can accommodate the many visitors who wish to touch these gelatinous creatures. Mudskippers are unique fish that have adapted to an amphibious lifestyle and can live both underwater and on land. Native to Indonesia, Africa, and the Indian Ocean, mudskippers get their name from their ability to hop and climb using their pectoral fins. The Harbor Terrace can be accessed through the Aquarium’s Pacific Collections gift store or by following the walkway past Lorikeet Forest.

4. Spend the night!
The Aquarium is offering a special opportunities to “sleep with the fishes” this winter. The Winter Family Overnight on January 13 invites families to complete a scavenger hunt together and paint souvenir T-shirts. Children must be five or older. Reserve spaces online or by phone to ensure your participation.

5. Take advantage of Discounted Late Nights.
Every night between December 26 and January 7 (except December 31 and January 2), enjoy an Aquarium visit during special extended hours at half the price. The entire Aquarium will be open, except Lorikeet Forest. Admission after 5:00 p.m. is just $14.95 for adults, seniors, and children (3-11). Watch the nighttime activities of our animals, touch a shark, and enjoy the beautiful evening lighting of the Aquarium’s architecture. Please note that Café Scuba may not be open on all nights but the Coffee Cart will be open in those cases.

6. Attend the Festival of Human Abilities.
Join us for the fourteenth annual Festival of Human Abilities, a celebration highlighting the creative talents and abilities of people with disabilities. This event will feature wheelchair dance, live music, signing choirs, art demonstrations, accessible SCUBA diving demonstrations, interactive workshops, and other creative performances by people who have disabilities. Sign language interpreters will be present at all major shows, and an audio tour is available for those who are blind. See photos of this year’s performers on the event page.