All of the aquatic life gets high-grade, sustainable seafood. “We also have a dog program here with five rescue dogs, we have rescue birds - three different birds of prey, Nickel was obviously rescued and most of the otters are rescued.”įeeding the population at Shedd is a chore in itself, but also is part of the facility’s conservation efforts. “We rescue a lot of our aquatic life,” O’Connell said. The staff members and volunteers are dedicated to the aquatic life and to conservation. While the researchers don’t work daily in the aquarium, they contribute to the overall mission of Shedd, which is to have the animals connect you to the living world, inspiring you to make a difference. Shedd employs researchers who work in the Great Lakes with fresh-water fish or in the Amazon.
#Abbott oceanarium how to
Some have degrees in marine biology, others have been at Shedd for a long time and many of the volunteers have been trained by experts on how to do their jobs. The trainers, volunteers and staff at Shedd Aquarium certainly act as a family to the animals, fish and each other. It doesn’t bother them anymore when we have to check on them, unlike other animals.” “But we did a study on our stingrays in the Stingray Touch, and they tended to be less stressed and more comfortable because they are used to being handled by humans. “Certain animals, not used to human touch, would get too stressed out from being handled by humans,” Ciocci said. If you don’t want to spend the extra money, the Stingray Touch ($5 added to general admission) and the Sturgeon Touch allow you to connect with the fish and aquatic creatures.
For an extra fee ($46.95-$350), people can touch the penguins, climb in the water with the beluga whales, experience a shark “feed” or be a trainer for a day.
Interactive exhibits and opportunities are a special part of the aquarium. One of the trainers was telling us that the penguins actually seem to remember (the trainers).” “Their habitat is about 65 degrees, and they are involved in the special Penguin Encounter. “The penguins are very popular,” said Christine O’Connell, manager of communications and public relations at Shedd Aquarium. Guests can see live coral and sharks in the Wild Reef area.īut one of the most visited exhibits is the Polar Play Zone, home to the Magellanic and Rockhopper penguins. The Oceanarium is home to the beluga whales, the Pacific white-sided dolphins, sea otters and sea lions. The Shedd imported 17.5 tons of sand from the Philippines to use as a seabed, a shark habitat and part of the exhibit floor in the Wild Reef. It has 26 interconnected habitats and more than 575,000 gallons of water. It’s four levels and is built on 1.8 acres of lakefill, manmade greenspace that is cut into Lake Michigan.
The Abbott Oceanarium, which covers 170,000 square feet, opened in 1991. In its lifetime, the aquarium has had two major additions to the main building. “So like the sea turtle, she eats a lot, and sometimes she will get special food, like lettuce leaves, to kind of distract her while the other ones eat.” Certain ones will need special attention,” Ciocci said. “The divers will come in several times a day to feed them. They talk to the visitors, share information about the aquatic creatures inside or tend to the fish. “There you can see stingrays, sharks, eels, a sea turtle and hundreds of fish of all colors.”ĭivers, who are staff members or volunteers of the aquarium, make regular appearances in the Reef tank. “There are 90,000 gallons of water in the Caribbean Reef tank,” Ciocci said. It starts from the moment you walk into the exhibit space and you see the Caribbean Reef. You know you are arriving at a special exhibit when the loudest things you hear are the squeals of excitement from the children. “(Staff members) rescued and rehabilitated her, and now she lives here at Shedd.” She was hit by a boat and her buoyancy is off from the accident, so she floats and swims perpendicular with her butt up in the air,” Ciocci said. “One story everybody loves is that of our sea turtle named Nickel. Some are donations, others are brought here from other aquariums, a few are born on site and a lot of them are rescued from accidents or tragedies at sea. The animals and fish arrive at the aquarium via various routes.
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