Loveland Living Planet Aquarium facts for kids
The Loveland Living Planet Aquarium is a fun public aquarium located in Draper, Utah, United States. It's a special place where you can discover over 4,500 animals from 550 different kinds of species! The aquarium has five main exhibits that take you on amazing journeys around the world.
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| Date opened | February 28, 1999 |
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| Location | Draper, Utah, United States |
| Coordinates | 40°31′56″N 111°53′38″W / 40.53222°N 111.89389°W |
| No. of animals | 2,484 |
| No. of species | 450+ |
| Volume of largest tank | 300,000 US gallons (1,100,000 L) |
| Total volume of tanks | 600,000 US gallons (2,271,000 L) |
| Annual visitors | 1 million + |
| Memberships | 30,000 |
| Major exhibits | 74 |
Contents
History of the Aquarium
The Loveland Living Planet Aquarium was started in 1997 by Brent Andersen. He grew up in Utah and studied marine biology. His dream was to create a place that showed off amazing ecosystems from all over the world.
In February 1999, the aquarium launched its first education program. It was called AQUAVAN. This special van was filled with portable marine exhibits. It traveled to schools all over Utah to teach students about ocean life.
To get more support for a bigger aquarium, a smaller exhibit opened in 2004. It was located at the Gateway Mall in downtown Salt Lake City. This exhibit let people see marine and freshwater animals up close. It had sharks, stingrays, eels, and even a giant octopus! Over 150,000 people visited in the first two years.
The small space quickly became too crowded. So, in June 2006, the aquarium moved to a much larger building in Sandy, Utah. This new location was about four times bigger! It attracted 460,000 visitors each year.
The plan was always to build an even bigger home for the aquarium. In 2011, a big gift from the Loveland Family Foundation helped make this happen. This allowed the organization to buy 17 acres of land. They also raised $27 million to build the aquarium's permanent home in Draper, Utah.
The huge 136,000 square foot Loveland Living Planet Aquarium opened on March 24, 2014. In its first year, over 1.1 million people came to visit!
Exploring the Exhibits
The aquarium has several exciting exhibits. Each one lets you discover different parts of our planet.
Ocean Explorer
The Ocean Explorer exhibit takes you on a journey through the world's oceans. You can see many saltwater species here. Look for graceful jellyfish, slithery eels, and tiny seahorses. You'll also spot amazing sea turtles and gliding stingrays.
One of the most exciting parts is the shark exhibit. You can see seven different kinds of sharks! These include bamboo sharks, nurse sharks, and sandbar sharks. There are also blacktip reef sharks, whitetip reef sharks, grey reef sharks, and zebra sharks. You can even walk through a special tunnel to feel like you're underwater with the sharks!
Journey to South America
Step into a vibrant rainforest in the Journey to South America exhibit. This area is designed to look and feel like a real rainforest. You'll meet many fascinating animals that live there.
Keep an eye out for a huge 14-foot anaconda! You can also see fierce piranhas and cool caiman. The exhibit also features desert insects, tree boas, electric eels, and colorful tree frogs. This exhibit teaches you about the amazing variety of life in rainforests. It also shows why these habitats are so important to protect.
Discover Utah
The Discover Utah exhibit focuses on animals found right in Utah. You can learn about some of Utah's special species. These include the June sucker and the least chub, which are both threatened or endangered.
The biggest part of this gallery features three male North American river otters. These playful otters help teach visitors about their species. You can also learn about efforts to bring otters back to Utah's rivers.
Antarctic Adventure
Get ready for a chilly adventure in the Antarctic Adventure exhibit! This area makes you feel like you're at a research station in the Falkland Islands. The main stars here are the adorable Gentoo penguins. Watch them swim, waddle, and play!
Expedition: Asia
Expedition: Asia opened in 2016. This exhibit brings you face-to-face with animals from Asia. You can see three playful Asian small-clawed otters. There are also beautiful Asian arowana fish.
The exhibit also features many different kinds of Asian birds, fish, and reptiles. A special highlight of Expedition: Asia is the aquarium's two roul-rouls, named Roulanda and Raoul.
Rio Tinto Kennecott Plaza
The Rio Tinto Kennecott Plaza was added to the aquarium in 2020. This outdoor area provides more space for visitors to enjoy.
Community Outreach Programs
The Loveland Living Planet Aquarium doesn't just teach people inside its walls. Its education team also has two special outreach programs. These are the Utah Waters Van and the Rainforest Van.
These programs visit over 450 elementary schools across Utah every year. They reach almost 80,000 students! The aquarium also offers field trip programs for students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. They even have resources for teachers to help them teach about science.
See also
In Spanish: Acuario The Living Planet para niños
