Aquarium of the Pacific facts for kids
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| Date opened | June 20, 1998 |
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| Location | Long Beach, California, United States |
| Coordinates | 33°45′44″N 118°11′49″W / 33.76216°N 118.19692°W |
| No. of animals | 11,000 |
| No. of species | 500 |
| Volume of largest tank | 350,000 US gallons (1,300,000 L) |
| Annual visitors | 1.7 million |
| Memberships | AZA |
| Major exhibits | Coral Reefs: Nature's Underwater Cities, June Keyes Penguin Habitat, Lorikeet Forest, Northern Pacific Gallery, Shark Lagoon, Southern California/Baja Gallery, Tropical Pacific Gallery, Frogs: Dazzling and Disappearing, Sea Otter Habitat |
The Aquarium of the Pacific is a super cool public aquarium located in Long Beach, California. It sits right on Rainbow Harbor, covering about 5 acres of land. You can find it across the water from the Long Beach Convention Center and the famous RMS Queen Mary ship. There's even a street named Aquarium Way leading right to it!
This amazing aquarium welcomes about 1.7 million visitors every year. It has a big team of people who help run it, including over 1,500 volunteers and 375 employees. The Aquarium of the Pacific is a non-profit organization, which means it uses its money to help animals and educate people. It's also a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
Contents
Explore the Ocean's Wonders: Aquarium Exhibits
The Aquarium of the Pacific is home to more than 11,000 animals! These animals represent over 500 different species. Their homes, called exhibits, range in size from about 5,000 to a massive 350,000 gallons of water.
The main focus of the aquarium is the huge Pacific Ocean. It has three main areas, or "galleries," that show off different parts of the Pacific. These are the Southern California and Baja area, the Northern Pacific, and the Tropical Pacific. Each gallery helps you learn about the animals and underwater places in that region. They also share important messages about how we can protect these ocean environments.
Southern California & Baja Gallery: Local Ocean Life
The Southern California & Baja Gallery shows you the many different places animals live in this region. One of the first things you'll see is the incredible Blue Cavern tank. This tank is three stories tall and holds 142,000 gallons of water! It's home to animals that live around Catalina Island.
Next, you can explore the Casino Point exhibit. This area looks just like a Giant kelp forest. Here, you might spot colorful Garibaldi fish or California scorpionfish. The Gulf of California exhibit features animals like Cortez rainbow wrasse and Mexican lookdowns. Other fun spots in this gallery include the 211,000-gallon Seal and Sea Lion Habitat, a special Ray Touch Pool where you can gently feel rays, and a peaceful Shorebird Sanctuary.
Northern Pacific Gallery: Cold Water Creatures
The Northern Pacific Gallery focuses on animals from the chilly Bering Sea. One popular exhibit is the Sea Otter Habitat, where you can watch playful southern sea otters. There's also a tank for the amazing giant Pacific octopus. In the Diving Birds exhibit, you can see cool birds like puffins and auklets swimming underwater. Other creatures you might discover here include huge Japanese spider crabs, graceful jellyfish, and colorful sea anemones.
Images for kids
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The entrance to the Tropical Pacific Gallery, designed to look like a tropical coral reef lagoon.
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A California sea lion during a training session.
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A view of the top of the 350,000-gallon tropical habitat, which you can see on special tours.
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One of the touch pools where visitors can interact with marine life.
See also
In Spanish: Acuario del Pacífico para niños
