Moody Gardens Moody Gardens News

I have just uploaded a rather comprehensive set of photos of the Rainforest in the gallery, they are the first images posted in over four years. I will post photos of the Aquarium soon as well. Here are some highlights of the Rainforest:

Rainforest - Exterior

Rainforest - Exterior

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Rainforest - View From Tree Top Trail

Rainforest - View From Tree Top Trail

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Rainforest - Tree Top Trail

Rainforest - Tree Top Trail

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Rainforest - Tree Top Trail

Rainforest - Tree Top Trail

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Rainforest - White-faced Saki (Free Roaming)

Rainforest - White-faced Saki (Free Roaming)

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Rainforest - South American Pond Exhibit Area

Rainforest - South American Pond Exhibit Area

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Rainforest - Mayan Temple Area

Rainforest - Mayan Temple Area

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Rainforest - Two Terrariums At Base of Simulated Tree

Rainforest - Two Terrariums At Base of Simulated Tree

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Rainforest - Komodo Dragon Exhibit

Rainforest - Komodo Dragon Exhibit

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Rainforest - Komodo Dragon Exhibit

Rainforest - Komodo Dragon Exhibit

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Rainforest - Blue Duiker and Hornbills Exhibit

Rainforest - Blue Duiker and Hornbills Exhibit

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Rainforest - Blue Duiker and Hornbills Exhibit - Blue Duiker

Rainforest - Blue Duiker and Hornbills Exhibit - Blue Duiker

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Rainforest - Common Vampire Bat Exhibit

Rainforest - Common Vampire Bat Exhibit

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Rainforest - Giant River Otter Exhibit

Rainforest - Giant River Otter Exhibit

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Rainforest - Giant River Otter Exhibit

Rainforest - Giant River Otter Exhibit

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Visitor Center - Interior

Visitor Center - Interior

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...
 
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Well, @geomorph are you going to type up a review of Moody Gardens? It's a fantastic establishment that is part-zoo, part-aquarium and other than the Giant Otters I think that all of the animal exhibits are indoors. A few years ago the facility had 6 penguin species, 4 sea turtle species and 3 pinniped species...is that still the case? Also, thanks for counting the exhibits in the pyramids (50 in the Rainforest and 29 in the Aquarium) as that's something that I would normally do but I didn't during my 2015 tour. :)
 
I never realized until now that Moody Gardens is run by a non-profit. I guess I always assumed this kind of place would be a for-profit institution. I need to plan a trip out to this place. I probably can't do it as a day trip but want to spend a weekend in Houston at some point.

Also a red-knobbed imperial pigeon recently hatched according to the gardens twitter.
 
snowleopard said:
Well, @geomorph are you going to type up a review of Moody Gardens? It's a fantastic establishment that is part-zoo, part-aquarium and other than the Giant Otters I think that all of the animal exhibits are indoors. A few years ago the facility had 6 penguin species, 4 sea turtle species and 3 pinniped species...is that still the case? Also, thanks for counting the exhibits in the pyramids (50 in the Rainforest and 29 in the Aquarium) as that's something that I would normally do but I didn't during my 2015 tour. :)
Click to expand...

I won't write a detailed review other than to agree that it is a very nice attraction and I enjoyed both the Rainforest and Aquarium. The only outdoor exhibit is indeed the giant river otter exhibit, although the only viewing areas to see it are all indoors either from the Rainforest or Visitor Center. The Rainforest is comparable to many of the finest indoor rainforest buildings in the country, and has a good variety of species, spaces, and flora. The Aquarium has 5 feature exhibits, 4 of which are viewed from two levels; it could use a greater number of intimate exhibits with a few species each, but those that do exist are nice. There are currently 5 penguin species and 2 pinniped species, but I did not see any sea turtles! Unfortunately the signage for the South Pacific and Caribbean feature exhibits is nearly non-existent, so attempting a species list for the Aquarium is useless. However I will post a Rainforest species list here.
 
Meet Duke, a 7-year-old California sea lion making a splash at Galveston’s Moody Gardens

They got a new sea lion recently.

I have a membership to Moody Gardens and I go fairly regularly. Do you guys want me to try and get photos of something specific next time I'm there?

I can confirm that the rainforest exhibit is spectacular. The open rainforest area itself has a lot of free roaming birds and lots of trees for them to hide in. You see something different every time you go, kind of feels like being in a real rainforest, lol.
 
TheMightyOrca said:
Meet Duke, a 7-year-old California sea lion making a splash at Galveston’s Moody Gardens

They got a new sea lion recently.

I have a membership to Moody Gardens and I go fairly regularly. Do you guys want me to try and get photos of something specific next time I'm there?

I can confirm that the rainforest exhibit is spectacular. The open rainforest area itself has a lot of free roaming birds and lots of trees for them to hide in. You see something different every time you go, kind of feels like being in a real rainforest, lol.
Click to expand...

I would be interested to hear how the butterflies behave when they are on exhibit, have you seen them? It seems like if there were not many, they would get 'lost' visually in that huge space!
 
geomorph said:
I would be interested to hear how the butterflies behave when they are on exhibit, have you seen them? It seems like if there were not many, they would get 'lost' visually in that huge space!
Click to expand...

They don't have the butterflies in the rainforest pyramid any more any more. The sign is still there though. When they did have the butterflies, they didn't have full roam of the rainforest pyramid. A portion of the rainforest pathway was netted off and you'd go through that.
 
I have just uploaded a rather comprehensive set of photos of the Aquarium in the gallery, they are the first images posted in over four years. Here are some highlights of the Aquarium:

Aquarium - Exterior

Aquarium - Exterior

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Aquarium - Pyramid Central Atrium

Aquarium - Pyramid Central Atrium

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Aquarium - Gulf of Mexico Exhibit - Upper Level

Aquarium - Gulf of Mexico Exhibit - Upper Level

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Aquarium - South Atlantic - Penguin Exhibit - Upper Level

Aquarium - South Atlantic - Penguin Exhibit - Upper Level

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Aquarium - South Atlantic - Penguin Exhibit - Lower Level

Aquarium - South Atlantic - Penguin Exhibit - Lower Level

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Aquarium - South Pacific - Main Exhibit - Upper Level

Aquarium - South Pacific - Main Exhibit - Upper Level

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Aquarium - South Pacific - Main Exhibit - Lower Level

Aquarium - South Pacific - Main Exhibit - Lower Level

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Aquarium - Jellies - Moon Jelly Exhibits

Aquarium - Jellies - Moon Jelly Exhibits

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Aquarium - North Pacific - Pinniped Exhibit - Upper Level

Aquarium - North Pacific - Pinniped Exhibit - Upper Level

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Aquarium - North Pacific - Pinniped Exhibit - Lower Level - California Sea Lion

Aquarium - North Pacific - Pinniped Exhibit - Lower Level - California Sea Lion

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Aquarium - Caribbean - Main Exhibit

Aquarium - Caribbean - Main Exhibit

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Aquarium - Caribbean - Main Exhibit

Aquarium - Caribbean - Main Exhibit

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...

Aquarium - Caribbean - Main Exhibit

Aquarium - Caribbean - Main Exhibit

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Taken 3/31/21. Located in Galveston, Texas, this attraction features The Rainforest inside a...
 
Other 2021 News:

On April 13th, the zoo announced that (0.0.2+?) humphead cichlids were hatched.

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On April 16th, the zoo announced they have acquired a (1.0) giant Pacific octopus named Jasper which is now on exhibit in the North Pacific section of the aquarium.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=512418326445784

On June 21st, the zoo announced that a (1.0) hyacinth macaw named Coby has passed away.

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On July 6th, the zoo announced that a (0.0.1) red-knobbed imperial pigeon was born on June 24th.

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2022 News:

On January 3rd, the zoo announced that a (1.0) California sea lion named Duke passed away on December 30th, 2021, due to never regaining consciousness following a medical procedure. He was 7 years old.

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On January 18th, the zoo announced that a (0.0.1) chinstrap penguin was hatched.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=708531033866713

On April 13th, the zoo announced that their (1.0) harbor seal named Porter has passed away the week prior at the age of 22.

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On May 3rd, the zoo announced that a (0.1) western crowned pigeon has hatched.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1002703987041660

On May 4th, the zoo announced they have acquired a (0.1) California sea lion named Arnette.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1074009946486156

On May 20th, the zoo announced they have acquired a European honeybee colony, which is now on exhibit in the Rainforest Pyramid.

Also on May 20th, the zoo announced they have acquired (0.0.6) nurse sharks from the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Washington which are now on exhibit in the Caribbean Tunnel exhibit.

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https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=7871535486197798

On June 10th, the zoo announced that their (1.0) giant Pacific octopus named Jasper passed away due to a decline in health in old age.

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On July 15th, the zoo announced that a (0.0.1) chain catshark was hatched.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=5694151693957864

On August 9th, the zoo announced they have acquired a (0.0.1) black spiny-tailed iguana from U.S. Customs and Border Protection after it was found hidden in container stacks at the Houston Seaport.

https://www.facebook.com/moodygardens/photos/a.135646547824/10158922193682825
 
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