The National Aquarium’s newest and most interactive exhibit, Living Seashore, will open Tuesday, May 12.
Living Seashore will take guests to the crashing waves, sandy beaches and shifting dunes of the ever-changing Mid-Atlantic seashore where they will learn about the importance of protecting and preserving beaches during summer vacations. Visitors will discover some of the beach’s hidden treasures, including hermit crabs, shell fragments, shorebird tracks and egg cases.
Guests will also have the opportunity to look for clues on a digital multi-touch table where they can discover objects that wash up on the beach and find out what animals live along the seashore.
In two large touchpools, guests can experience hands-on interaction with a variety of marine animals such as
Atlantic stingrays, clearnose skates, horseshoe crabs, moon jellies and more. Visitors can also pledge to become a shore hero at the digital Shore Hero Conservation Station.
Facts about the Living Seashore exhibit
- Location: Level 3 of Blue Wonders (Pier 3 Pavilion)
- Total Number of Animals: Approximately 150 animals
- Total Number of Animal Species: Approximately 20 species
- Number of Touchpools: Two (Living Seashore Touchpool and Jelly Touchpool)
- Highlighted Touchpool Animals:
- Clearnose skate (Raja eglanteria)
- Atlantic stingray (Dasyatis sabina)
- Horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus)
- Knobbed whelk (Busycon carica)
- Moon jelly (Aurelia aurita)
- Habitat Design: Replicating the wondrous beaches and waters of the Mid-Atlantic seashore
- Total Gallons of Water: 5,331 gallons of saltwater in the exhibit
- Square Feet: 2,700 square feet of public exhibit
- Key Experiences:
- Animal touch encounters and one-on-one experiences with educational interpreters at two large touchpools
- Explore mysterious objects washed up at the high tide line on interactive, digital multi-touch table
- Tactile activities/interactive on the “slice of the beach” discovery wall promoting inquiry and discovery
- Digital boardwalk-style binoculars showing videos of animals down the beach
- Computer touchscreens to provide guests with more information on animals in the exhibit
- “Shore Hero” stories and “Conservation Station” where guests can make a pledge to protect coastal habitats and animals
Tickets to the National Aquarium in Baltimore are $21.95-$34.95 and can be purchased on the National Aquarium website. Be sure to check out special Aquarium deals here.
Check out our Mommy Daze blog for a mom’s perspective on the new Living Seashore exhibit.
