Shreveport Aquarium facts for kids
| Date opened | November 1, 2017 |
|---|---|
| Location | Shreveport, Louisiana, United States |
| Coordinates | 32°30′57″N 93°44′37″W / 32.51583°N 93.74361°W |
| No. of animals | 3,000 |
| No. of species | 300 |
The Shreveport Aquarium is a cool place to visit in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States. It's an aquarium where you can see lots of amazing water animals!
This aquarium is right next to the Red River, close to the Texas Street Bridge. It has seven different areas, called galleries, where over 3,000 animals live. There's even a restaurant called SALT (which stands for Sea Air Land and Time) inside! The Shreveport Aquarium is open all year round for everyone to enjoy. It's working to become a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which means it wants to meet high standards for animal care and education.
Exploring the Shreveport Aquarium's Exhibits
When you visit the Shreveport Aquarium, you'll walk through different areas, each with its own special theme. Let's dive into what you can discover!
The WOW Gallery: Colorful Reef Fish
Your adventure starts in the WOW Gallery. This area is full of bright and colorful reef fish. You'll see fish like the famous blue tangs (just like Dory from "Finding Nemo"!) and beautiful angelfish. It's a great way to start your visit with a splash of color!
Shipwreck Gallery: Home to Lionfish and Clownfish
Next, you'll explore the Shipwreck Gallery. This part of the aquarium feels like you're exploring an old sunken ship. Here, you can see special tanks just for lionfish with their spiky fins and the popular clownfish that love to hide in anemones.
Dome on the Bayou: Freshwater Fun
The Dome on the Bayou is a unique gallery that focuses on freshwater animals. It's designed to look like Caddo Lake, a real lake nearby. The aquarium works with the Caddo Lake Institute to help protect animals like American paddlefish. You can also spot turtles, a huge Alligator snapping turtle, Largemouth bass, and even ducks swimming around.
Shore Explore: Touch Pool Adventures
After the bayou, get ready for some hands-on fun at Shore Explore! This is the first touch pool area. It's designed to feel like a tide pool from the Oregon Coast. Here, you can gently touch cool creatures like kelp crabs, bat stars, squishy green anemone, and spiky purple sea urchins. It's a great way to feel what ocean life is like!
Ocean Tank: Sharks and Reef Wonders
After passing a cave with glowing flashlight fish, you'll reach the biggest part of the aquarium: the 30,000-gallon Ocean Tank! This huge tank is home to many more reef fish species. The coolest part? You get to walk through an acrylic tunnel right through the middle of the tank! As you walk, you might even see amazing gray reef sharks swimming above and around you.
Contact Cove: More Interactive Fun
After the big Ocean Tank, you'll find Contact Cove, which is another interactive area. Here, you can gently touch friendly cownose rays and common stingrays as they glide by. You can even let tiny cleaner shrimp give your hands a little "cleaning" – it tickles!
Submarine Gallery: Jellies and Crabs
Your journey ends in the Submarine Gallery. This area has a special touch pool where you can feel moon jellies. They feel super soft and squishy! You can also peek through a pop-up dome to get a close look at young Japanese spider crabs, which are some of the biggest crabs in the world when they grow up.
