New England Aquarium facts for kids
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New England Aquarium plaza (2017)
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| Date opened | June 20, 1969 |
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| Location | Central Wharf, Boston, Massachusetts |
| Land area | 75,000 square feet (7,000 m2) |
| Coordinates | 42°21′33″N 71°2′58″W / 42.35917°N 71.04944°W |
| Volume of largest tank | 200,000 US gallons (760,000 L) |
| Annual visitors | 1.3 million |
The New England Aquarium is a cool place in Boston, Massachusetts. It's a non-profit group that teaches people about the ocean. You can see many amazing animals here.
Some of the animals include harbor seals, northern fur seals, and California sea lions. There are also African and southern rockhopper penguins. You might spot giant Pacific octopuses, weedy seadragons, and thousands of different fish.
Besides the main aquarium building, there's also the Simons Theatre. You can also go on a New England Aquarium Whale Watch. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, over 1.3 million people visited each year!
The Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life is part of the aquarium. They study North Atlantic right whales. The Quincy Animal Care Center helps hundreds of sea turtles each year. They rescue and care for them until they can go back to the ocean.
Contents
History of the Aquarium
Boston has had aquariums since the 1880s. The one before this was the South Boston Aquarium. It closed in the 1950s.
The city wanted to make the waterfront better. So, a new, modern aquarium was planned in 1962. Peter Chermayeff designed the building. It opened to the public in 1969. The huge Giant Ocean Tank opened in 1970. It holds 200,000 US gallons (760,000 L) of water.
In 1974, a special boat called Discovery was added. It was next to the Central Wharf. The aquarium couldn't get bigger on land. So, Discovery became a floating addition. It had a 1,000-seat theater and a large pool. California sea lions and bottlenose dolphins lived there. The dolphins moved in the mid-1990s. Discovery was removed in the mid-2000s because it cost too much to fix.
A new part, the West Wing, was finished in 1998. It was made of glass and steel. This part added a gift shop and a cafe.
The Simons Theatre opened in 2001. It's a separate building on Central Wharf. In 2020, it got new digital projectors. Now it can show 2D and 3D movies on a huge screen. The artist Shepard Fairey painted a mural on the theater in 2020. It shows a North Atlantic right whale.
In 2009, the New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center opened. Here, you can watch the aquarium's California sea lions and northern fur seals. You can even see them from outside!
The new Animal Care Center opened in 2010. This 23,000 square feet (2,100 m2) facility is in Quincy. It has big tanks for animals. They use it when exhibits are being fixed. They also use it to check new animals and help rescued sea turtles.
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In 2011, the aquarium added an Australian Great Southern Reef exhibit. It has leafy and weedy seadragons. The aquarium also started a program to breed these animals.
The Giant Ocean Tank got big upgrades in 2013. It got a bigger coral reef and new viewing windows. The Yawkey Coral Reef Center was also added. During this time, the animals from the Giant Ocean Tank lived in the penguin area. The penguins moved to the Animal Care Center.
In 2019, the aquarium updated its Indo-Pacific coral reef tank. It's now a floor-to-ceiling exhibit. It has an artificial coral habitat. This habitat is based on the Phoenix Islands Protected Area. The aquarium helped create this protected area.
Meet the Leaders
The current President and CEO is Vikki Spruill. She started in 2018. She works with Kim Fontes and Lauren Hunter-Dyson. John Mandelman leads the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life.
Amazing Exhibits
The Giant Ocean Tank
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This is the main part of the aquarium. It's a huge 200,000 US gallons (760,000 L) tank in the middle of the building. It looks like a Caribbean coral reef. Myrtle the green sea turtle lives here. There are also loggerhead sea turtles and many colorful fish. You might also see sharks, stingrays, and moray eels.
You can walk around the tank on a spiral path. This lets you see the animals from all sides. There are 67 windows to look through.
Marine Mammals
You can see the Atlantic harbor seals outside the main building. There are five seals, and you can watch them for free! The New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center is at the back. You can also see it from outside. It's home to three California sea lions and one northern fur seal.
Playful Penguins
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The penguin habitat is at the bottom of the Giant Ocean Tank. It has 150,000 US gallons (570,000 L) of saltwater. African and southern rockhopper penguins live here. They have artificial rock islands to play on. You can watch them from the spiral walkway and other areas.
Fun Galleries
There are four levels of smaller exhibits. They are around the Giant Ocean Tank. You can reach them by a spiral path or ramps.
- The Tropical Gallery has live corals. It also has hundreds of warm-water fish. There's a huge 9,000 US gallons (34,000 L) Indo-Pacific coral reef exhibit.
- The Temperate Gallery has goliath groupers and lungfish. You can also see weedy seadragons and sea jellies.
- The Freshwater Gallery shows animals from two rivers. One part is like the Amazon River. It has red-bellied piranhas, poison dart frogs, and an electric eel. The other part is like the Connecticut River. It has brook trout and Atlantic salmon.
- The Northern Waters Gallery shows ocean habitats. These are from New England and the Pacific Northwest. You can see shorebirds, colorful American lobsters, and a giant Pacific octopus.
- The Yawkey Coral Reef Center is at the top of the Giant Ocean Tank. It shows smaller habitats from the Caribbean. You can see dwarf seahorses and garden eels.
Shark and Ray Touch Tank
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In 2011, the 25,000 US gallons (95,000 L) Trust Family Foundation Shark and Ray Touch Tank opened. Here, you can touch different kinds of stingrays and sharks. These include leopard whiprays and brown-banded bamboo sharks. There's also a special exhibit called "Science of Sharks." It teaches you about shark bodies and how they live.
Special Themes
The aquarium often has special programs. These programs teach about certain animals.
Penguin Power
In 2010, "Penguin Power" showed off how amazing penguins are. Guests learned how penguins live in the wild. They also learned how to help protect them.
Move It! Marine Mammals in Motion
This program started in 2009. It showed how athletic the seals and sea lions are. It also encouraged young guests to be active. The Marine Mammal Center still teaches about marine mammals. It also shows the problems they face in our oceans.
Turtles Uncovered
In 2008, this exhibit taught about turtles and tortoises. They have lived on Earth for a very long time. But now, some turtles are in danger. This is because of pollution, losing their homes, and climate change.
Killer Instincts
This program in 2007 taught about animals we might fear. It had interactive activities and live animal shows. There was also a big shark video. You could learn about sand tiger sharks, anacondas, great barracudas, and more.
Helping the Ocean (Conservation)
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The aquarium has always helped rescue marine animals. In the past, they had a hospital for marine animals. The seals you see today were born from rescued animals. The sea lions and fur seal were rescued on the West Coast. They couldn't go back to the wild.
After 1972, more marine mammals were protected. So, the aquarium changed its focus. Now, they do more research and speak up for animals. They especially help the endangered North Atlantic right whale. They also rescue and help cold-stunned sea turtles. These turtles get stranded on Cape Cod.
The aquarium is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). They help with plans to save African and southern rockhopper penguins. These penguins are losing their homes in the wild. The aquarium also raises some of its own exhibit animals and food.
The aquarium speaks up for ocean health. They work on climate change, good fishing, and saving marine animals. They work with seafood companies to help them be better. They also push for new ways to fish for lobster. This helps protect North Atlantic right whales. They also give research for offshore wind farms.
In the 1970s and 80s, the aquarium helped clean up Boston Harbor and the Charles River. This made the waters safe for fishing and swimming again.
Whale Watch Adventures
From April to October, you can go on a whale watch. The aquarium works with Boston Harbor Cruises. They take you about 30 miles (48 km) east of Boston. This is to the Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary.
On the boat, experts tell you about the whales. You are almost sure to see whales and other marine animals. This area is a rich feeding ground. You might see humpback whales, finback whales, minke whales, pilot whales, and dolphins. You might even see the endangered North Atlantic right whale. Most trips last 3 to 4 hours. If you don't see whales, you get a free ticket for another trip!
Images for kids
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The aquarium in 1985, before the West Wing was added
