Penguin Palooza

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A Peek into the Arctic

And one last stop before we say goodbye to Newport Aquarium. This colony of penguins lived in a very cold section of the Aquarium. Most of the large birds stood like statues on this rock, staring out of the glass. But a few little penguines were swimming and splashing in the water you can see in front, diving to the bottom and paddling at the surface. They even swam over to the glass and looked out at us--they were so cute!

Penguins Close-Up

Sharks Topside

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Shark Tank From Above

On our way out of the Aquarium, we had the unique opportunity to see the shark tank from the top. Look at all that water! It made it seem a little more scary to have been down in those tunnels! If you look closely, you can see the outline of the glass tunnels on the lower left, and also different rock outcroppings positioned in the tank. Funny thing was, when we walked through the tunnels I had no idea all this was above our heads! The main part of the Aquarium is actually underground, which allows a second floor above all the tanks for maintenance and cleaning. This makes perfect sense, since there was no way to access all those tanks from the museum floor. Imagine designing something like this!

Surrounded by Sharks

Ohio History

And now . . . immerse yourself in the underwater world. I took this movie standing right in the shark tunnel, completely surrounded by water and sharks. The fish drift gracefully past, beside and overhead, even below the tunnel. They did actually look blue like the movie shows, just as in a deep ocean pool. Doesn't it almost feel like this movie was taken underwater (when you can't see the end of the tunnel, of course)?

Shark Rays

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Swimming Shark Ray

The Shark Tunnel houses more than just sharks: two extremely rare Shark Rays named Sweet Pea and Scooter also make their home here. The rays have been raised at Newport Aquarium since they were little. They are stars, according to the signs, of the world’s only Shark Ray breeding program, located at the Aquarium. The rays seemed friendlier than the sharks, but also more delicate and gentle. Though the picture is a little hard to make out, these fish were big - seven or eight feet long with their tails. There were also several other smaller rays in the aquarium, including Southern Stingrays and Honeycomb Whiptail Rays.

Feeding Pole

Ever since they were little, Sweet Pea and Scooter were hand-fed by a diver every day in their tank. But as they grew, the Shark Rays began to push the divers around, even carrying a man six feet across the tank. Even though rays don't bite, I guess the divers didn't like the experience and decided to try a different feeding method. The staff have been trying to get the rays to come to the water surface instead to eat their food over the last few weeks. They use colored signs on poles, like the cross seen above, to associate food with a certain target for each Shark Ray. So far they've had very limited success; as you can see in the picture, the sharks were more interested than the Shark Rays. Hopefully, the rays will get hungry enough to come over and check it out!

Shark Tunnel

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Shark Silhouette

Welcome to the Shark Tunnel, the most amazing spot at the Newport Aquarium! Three sections of tunnels, at least 50 feet total length, sent us down into the sharks' aquarium (without getting wet, of course!). It really felt like we were in the ocean! The sharks swam so gracefully, it was a very peaceful tank to watch. I especially enjoyed the last section of tunnel, where blue light danced through the water onto the sand below. You can see it in the photo above, underneath the shark silhouette.

Shooting Shark

This shark looks like he has something on his mind! The signs said there were Sand Tiger, Sandbar, Whitetip Reef, Blacktip Reef, Nurse and Zebra sharks in the shark tanks at the aquarium. Don't ask me which kind this is!

One of the tunnels even had a glass floor section, where you could be surrounded 360 by water (and sharks)! I can see where this exhibit got its name, Surrounded by Sharks!

Red Jellyfish

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One More Jellyfish

There were a couple jellyfish all by themselves in a separate little tank. They were not transparent like the others, but naturally an opaque red/orange color I think. These jellyfish also had a bit more body and form. The neat thing was, back behind the tank there was a little viewing area. Sitting behind the aquarium, we could watch the jellyfish swimming and at the same time see the whole jellyfish room beyond it. It was a very unique experience.

Colorful Jellyfish

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Floating Jellyfish

The large, round aquarium held jellyfish in literally every shape, size, and color you could imagine. In fact, each creature was constantly changing its shape, size, and color as it propelled itself around the tank. The long tentacles trailed gracefully out of their globe-like translucent bodies. It seems like it would be hard to classify jellyfish with names; maybe that's why the signs were so descriptive: "Colored Jelly" and "Moon Jelly" were the only names assigned to all the tanks of jellyfish.

Pink Jellyfish

See how translucent they are? What fascinating, beautiful creatures!

Jellyfish Tank

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Jellyfish Globe

Walking into the Jellyfish Exhibit at the Newport Aquarium, it felt almost like we'd entered another world. This large, floor-to-ceiling tank, at least six feet across, dominated the room. Colored lights projected down into the tank, shifting and changing shades constantly. The color did not show in the water, but only lit up the jellyfish (which are ordinarily clear or white). They reflected every color of the rainbow as they drifted up and down and around the tank like floating balloons. It was mesmerizing to watch, although a bit harder to photograph! Around the outside of the room were other interesting aquariums, including tanks with tiny baby jellyfish. You can sure see the Artist's handiwork on these creatures!

Into the Amazon

Ohio History

Here is a peek into the Amazon tunnel! First you can see the strong current of water rippling overhead, full of swimming fish and rays. The light shining in on the surface looked just like sunlight glinting on the water. To the lefthand side in the tunnel was the fountain where the water came out. It looked like rapids washing down into the tunnel from the river. The Amazon is sure amazing!

Amazon Tunnel

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A Peek into the Amazon River

Moving on, we passed through yet another tunnel: the jungle-filled waters of the Amazon River. The water was teeming with all kinds of fish, against a backdrop of coral reef and sand. The most interesting animals were the Rays; they looked like kites dipping and sailing in the wind. A Ray would glide down to the bottom, pick up a handful of sand in its mouth (a slit on the underside of the Ray, the white side visible in the picture), and then sift it slowly as it swam through the water. I don't know whether there was actually any food to be found in this sand or not.

Also in the top picture you can see the long, spotted Eel which seemed to slither through the tank. It was kind of eerie-looking! Below is a Puffer Fish which also lived in the Amazon tunnel. It was really a unique fish. But we couldn't get it scared enough to puff itself up!

Puffer Fish

The Alligator

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Smiling Gator

May I introduce you to Mighty Mike, the king of the Aquarium's alligator exhibit! This whopping 14-foot-long, 800-pound reptile has been a highlight of Newport Aquarium for several years. In fact, it will be moving to another museum in a few months, so we were very happy to be able to see it! Although no one is sure, Mighty Mike is likely at least 50 years old. It eats 300 pounds of food each year, namely fish, rabbits, and (to my dismay) chickens!

Mighty Mike and the Boat Dock

According to the posted signs, Mighty Mike was an ordinary wild alligator which began living near a boat dock on Lake Talquin, Florida in 2000. Local authorities ordered it to be destroyed because, well, local residents did not really want an 800-pound alligator in their backyards. But a local trapper knew it was a unique alligator because of its large size. He captured it and turned it over to live a domestic life in aquariums around the country. Mighty Mike actually had a pretty nice aquarium, with an actual boat dock as the backdrop.

Siamese Crocodile

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Miniature Croc

This cute little crocodile is just that...little. Living in the Aquarium's Gator Alley, it couldn't have been longer than six inches from head to tail. It reminded me of a salamander. The crocodile's pose was very unique, eyes barely above water, almost like it was ready to take a nap. Maybe it's a technique to stay hydrated while watching out for danger too. Or maybe it's just bored to death! The sign said that the Siamese Crocodile lives just about everywhere--freshwater lakes, streams, and swamps, as well as some brackish waters; however, little is know about the species' diet or population in the wild.

Alligator Snapper

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Sleeping Giant

Doesn't this little creature look so cute and harmless? It's what I'd imagine a baby turtle looks like, fallen asleep in its nest. Well, take a look at the picture below before you make your final decision. Yes, that's the very same critter! For one thing, this animal has very BIG jaws, and for another, it's larger than it looks--this was had to have been almost three feet long. It's called the Alligator Snapping Turtle--and for good reason too. Just look at that mouth!

Ready to Attack!

 The sign said that these turtles can live to be 150 years old or more in the wild. They weigh over 200 pounds and eat . . . just about anything. So watch out if you're ever around a hungry Alligator Snapper. You don't know what ideas might be in that big fat head!

Tentacled Snakes

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A Tank of Sticks

 "Dangerous and Deadly" certainly wasn't an understatement for the next area of the Aquarium! From piranhas and puffer fish to alligators and crocodiles, you really had to watch your step! Of course, as long as you stayed outside the glass, you would be perfectly safe. Now, about the picture above, are you thinking I just posted a picture of some underwater sticks? Look again! That "stick" right in front, with the curved ends, is no stick at all, but an impostor in the form of a snake! This tank contained a couple dozen Tentacled Snakes, which can grow up to 25-30 inches in length. I will not describe their methods for capturing and eating their prey, which consists solely of small fish, but I'm sure it will reassure you to know that their venom is not poisonous to humans. Tentacled Snakes can live in fresh or salt water, and can stay underwater for up to 30 minutes.

Discus Tank

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Blue Discus

This was one of my favorite tanks in the whole aquarium. Colorful fish drifted serenely around the logs and rocks in their shadowy aquarium, as dozens of glowing tetras darted about below. The fish seemed very gentle and relaxed but curious too. And the shades of yellow and blue on the Discus were just amazing! Because it was so dark in the tank, it was hard to get good pictures of the fish. But when I put the camera up to the glass, they swam over and seemed like they were looking right into the lens. It was so neat! They're all Discus fish, I don't know the varieties but I never knew there were so many different kinds of Discus.

Yellow Discus

Octopus

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Not Your Typical Sea Creature!

 Entering the Bizarre & Beautiful area of aquariums, this octopus almost startled me. I had never seen one in real life, and my goodness, are they weird! This one must have been at least two feet in diameter, excluding the legs. See all those suction cups on its legs?  The first time we came through the octopus was just hanging from the glass by those suction cups, all squished up in the corner. But when we came back later, it was actually moving around! The octopus had two separate tanks with a glass tunnel connecting them, about a foot in diameter. The octopus proceeded to pass through that tunnel, one leg at a time, squishing and squirming like a rubber ball filled with jelly! I definitely wouldn't want to share a room with this thing.

Surf Zone Tank

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Ocean Shallows Aquarium

My favorite tank in the Shore Gallery was called the Surf Zone. Set against a mountain backdrop, this aquarium held many colorful fish and wiggly orange anemone. A wave-maker sent a current of water periodically through the tank, creating strong waves that were interesting to watch. The featured fish were Triggerfish, Surgeonfish, and all kinds of Wrasse. Below are a few pictures of the fish.

 

It was so interesting to watch the Clownfish swim in and out of the anemone, while the other kinds of fish avoided it. I saw a larger fish going after the Clownfish a couple times, and the Clownfish quickly swam into the anemone to hide until danger was past! The Wrasse, like the one above right, were such amazing colors and patterns--it looked like someone had filled in a paint-by-number with fluorescent paint for each fish.

Sheephead Fish

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A Sheep or a Fish?

If you thought the Four-eyes was strange, check out this fish! I think the name, the California Sheephead, fits it 100%. Except this fish is even bigger than the head of a sheep! Despite the annoying reflections in the photograph, you can see the brilliant pink stripe on its back and its pink eye. The Sheephead can live up to 50 years and eats crabs, lobsters, and sea urchins. If I remember right, this fish was living in the Shore Waters tunnel aquarium.

Below is a very pretty fish we saw in the Shore Gallery. I don't know its name but it could be an angelfish. It loved to swim around so it was very hard to get a nice picture of this one.

What Is This Cute Fish Called?

Four-Eyes Fish

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A Fishy Fish

Okay, I know this looks like a really weird picture, but we never knew what we were going to see next in the Shore Gallery at the Aquarium! This fish is called the Largescale Four-eyes, because, technically, it really does have four eyes. You see, its eyes are divided horizontally into two halves by thin tissue. The fish swims at water level, as in the picture above, and its eyes can actually focus simultaneously above and below the water. Pretty handy, right? Except I think this ability would give me a headache pretty fast! According to the sign, Largescale Four-eyes can get up to twelve inches long, although these were only four or five inches. I'd never seen such a weird fish. They looked even worse when they dipped below water level and swam to the bottom of the tank!

Aquarium Tunnels

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Pink Starfish

To enter each new section in the Newport Aquarium, we had to pass under a tank of fish. Yes, I mean under: there were tunnels made of clear glass (very thick glass, I hope!) which went right through a giant aquarium. The photo below is a view of the tunnel between the World Rivers and Shore Gallery sections, and was home to some of the less-than-pretty fish species. The algae-eater was directly above our heads as we passed through!

In contrast, the tunnel out of the Shore Gallery held some very pretty aquatic life, including the pink starfish in the picture above. It was actually stuck to the inside of the glass in the tunnel. I'd never seen the underside of a starfish before!

Looking Up In the Tunnel