Just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati in Newport, Ky., the Newport Aquarium offers fun and entertainment for people of all ages. The aquarium features 12 galleries that contain nearly every type of underwater creature.
“Average visit time to the aquarium is around two hours, depending on how much time you spend at each exhibit,” said Jill Isaacs, spokeswoman for the Newport Aquarium.
As visitors enter the aquarium and descend a long escalator, their journey begins with the “World’s Rivers” exhibit. Here guests can visit nine different rivers from five continents, including the Wenlock River in Australia and the Mekong River in Thailand.
Next, touch a sea star or horseshoe crab in the “Shore Gallery.” This gallery features odd fish from around the world, including a fish with four eyes and one that can spit water six feet to catch insects.
Aquarium visitors then have the opportunity to experience the “Dive Show.” This show is conducted by a diver who is submerged in a 385,000 gallon shark tank – the Newport Aquarium’s largest and most impressive tank. During the show, the diver answers questions from the audience and teaches the crowd about the sharks and other sea life in the tank.
“There are three types of shark in the tank: sand tiger, sandbar and nurse,” Diver Dave said. “The sharks are fed one time per week with frozen trout and salmon.”
The shark tank is also home to two loggerhead sea turtles, several southern stingrays and many other saltwater fish.
The 20-minute “Dive Show” is not the only time visitors get to enjoy the shark tank. The aquarium has a long tunnel that runs through the tank, allowing visitors to watch nine-foot, 300-pound sharks swim above, below and beside them. While walking through the 85-foot-long tunnel, less than three inches of acrylic separates guests from the sharks.
Other aquarium exhibits include “Bizarre and Beautiful,” which features octopus, seahorses and flashlight fish and boasts of a 4,500 gallon tank with varieties of live corals.
In “Gator Bayou,” aquarium visitors must pass over a bridge with a clear acrylic bottom while American alligators swim beneath.
The “Amazon Rain Forest” depicts the floor of the Amazon River during its flooded season. This exhibit features the largest of all freshwater fish, such as the eight-foot arapaima, along with huge red-tailed catfish, who have been known to eat small dogs in the wild.
Visitors near the end of their journey when arriving in the “Kingdom of Penguins.” King and Gentoo Penguins inhabit this 8,000 gallon exhibit. Seating is available so visitors can sit back and enjoy the penguins in their 34-degree Antarctic habitat.
The aquarium, which opened in May 1999, is set to open a $4.5 million expansion on May 29, 2004.
“Upon completion, the 21,200-square-foot addition to the Newport Aquarium will add 40 percent to the current exhibit space,” Isaacs said.
The Newport Aquarium is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with extended hours during the summer. Admission is $16 for adults, $10 for children under 12 and $14 for seniors. Directions and more information can be found at the aquarium’s Web site: www.newportaquarium.com.
