Adventure Aquarium Adventure Aquarium

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okapikpr

Well-Known Member
I saw at least 1-2 hammerheads at the Georgia Aquarium this summer, as they are in with the whale sharks.
 
When I was at Mandalay Bay's Aquarium they did have one hammerhead, but when I went it was about 4-5 years ago so I don't know if they still have it.
 
Animal Guide - Kids Corner - The Georgia Aquarium

This excerpt from the Georgia Aquarium's website states that great hammerhead sharks are the largest of the 9 species of hammerhead (that's why they're GREAT!) and that the longest ever recorded length is almost 20 feet. The one or two at the aquarium were much smaller in length and perhaps about 10 feet long, and I scanned all of my photos in the gallery but there doesn't happen to be one of the great hammerheads.
 
The great hammerhead shark at Mandalay Bay did not live very long...
 
I think the Sydney aquarium exhibits Shark rays in their Great Barrier Reef Exhibit, and I am pretty sure i saw some juvenile ones at Sea World San Diego in their touch pool with the sting rays....
 
The hammerhead shark at the Adventure aquarium is now 6 feet long.

I never heared anything about this aquarium, on their webside I could see,that see have nile hippos. Do they have an outdoor exhibit for them ? I'm afraid not.
 
There is an indoor hippo exhibit with underwater viewing. Two hippos share space with some ibises, hamerkops and a Crested Porcupine. Once the novelty of closeup views is over, you quickly realize this is no way to exhibit these amazing nocturnal grazers--in a glorified dolphin tank with minimal natural light.
 
The Adventure Aquarium is formerly known as the New Jersey State Aquarium...after many years of poor attendance a private company took over management and expanded the aquarium to add a indoor river hippo exhibit and any large saltwater tank for sharks. The same private company also operates the Newport Aquarium in Newport, KY (across the Ohio from Cincinnati).
 
okapikpr said:
The Adventure Aquarium is formerly known as the New Jersey State Aquarium...after many years of poor attendance a private company took over management and expanded the aquarium to add a indoor river hippo exhibit and any large saltwater tank for sharks. The same private company also operates the Newport Aquarium in Newport, KY (across the Ohio from Cincinnati).
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Hmm. The shark rays are a species that both aquariums promote a great deal. Makes sense now. I don't think either aquarium is anything to get excited about, to be honest. I was a member at Newport when it opened and visited camden this past summer.
 
Does anyone want to post a short review of Adventure Aquarium? It is a for-profit organization, receives around 2 million visitors per year, and on its website declares that it is America's 5th largest aquarium. How that is calculated I have no idea (species, gallons, visitors, acreage) but I've read negative comments about the all-indoor river hippo exhibit. There is also no reciprocity agreement with any other zoo or aquarium except for Newport Aquarium in Kentucky, so there is definitely an emphasis on profit.
 
snowleopard said:
Does anyone want to post a short review of Adventure Aquarium? It is a for-profit organization, receives around 2 million visitors per year, and on its website declares that it is America's 5th largest aquarium. How that is calculated I have no idea (species, gallons, visitors, acreage) but I've read negative comments about the all-indoor river hippo exhibit. There is also no reciprocity agreement with any other zoo or aquarium except for Newport Aquarium in Kentucky, so there is definitely an emphasis on profit.
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If no one does, I will after my next visit. I can't provide a great review without going back though.

But in short, it is a good aquarium imo.

The main tank (ocean realm) is 760,000 gallons and rather impressive in terms of species with the shark rays being among the most notable. There is a very large floor to ceiling viewing window that has theater like seating so visitors can just sit and watch as long as they like.

The shark tunnel is in shark realm is cool.

There's an outdoor section that is a little outdated that features african penguins as well as seals.

There are a lot of touch tanks that are nice and very entertaining.

There's plenty of other tanks that are of decent to good quality along with a rainforest.

Then there's the hippo exhibit. Really good from a visitor perspective with the great viewing of hippos along with the various birds flying around. The exhibit is not a bad size either. What it really comes down to is how you feel about hippos being kept indoors year round. I'm conflicted on that only because I'd say they have a better exhibit than the vast majority of hippos in northern zoos have for 4-6 months a year, but it would of course be great if they could be outdoors during the warmer months.
 
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