National Aquarium in Baltimore National Aquarium, Baltimore Updates and Events

Aardwolf said:
I want to say until 1992 or so - I remember being on a field trip in elementary school and being so sad when I realized that they didn’t have them anymore
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Yeah, January 1992 is when three belugas were transfered to Sea World Texas for long term breeding loan. I believe there may be one of those whales still alive, but I'd have to check.

Belugas were originally housed as an alternative to dolphins in the Central Tray (now Blacktip Reef) off and on starting in 1983. All four whales then moved to the newly opened Marine Mammal Pavilion in 1990 and did quite well. After a dolphin rammed one of the whales during a show and killed it in December 1991, the decision was made to separate the two species and focus only on dolphins.
 
A few small updates that have occured on a rolling basis over the summer

Surviving Through Adaptations

- Giant Pacific octopus has been off exhibit. While getting a recent face lift a few years ago, staff are evaluating the best use of the exhibit space moving forward.

- Jewel Tanks - seahorses will no longer be exhibited in the small set of exhibits. Plans are proposed to convert a larger exhibit over to seahorses

- Shocking - the electric eel is off exhibit as the tank cycles following a renovation to their space.

- Lurking - the largest exhibit on Level 3 has been closed all summer as a new life support system, basin, and exhibit are constructed. The exhibit is scheduled to open next Spring.

Atlantic Coral Reef
- Kemp's Ridley sea turtle has been off exhibit since May.

Amazon River Forest
- thousands of rummy nose, neon, cardinal, lemon, and bleeding heart tetras have been added to all three displays.
 
How hard would it be for the aquarium to convert the old dolphin space into a manatee rehabilitation space/exhibit? Would love to have more aquaria with Florida manatees in the U.S. I don't think there are any outside the state which have them besides the two zoos in Ohio. I know Dallas World Aquarium has some, but they're a different subspecies.
 
Evy said:
How hard would it be for the aquarium to convert the old dolphin space into a manatee rehabilitation space/exhibit? Would love to have more aquaria with Florida manatees in the U.S. I don't think there are any outside the state which have them besides the two zoos in Ohio. I know Dallas World Aquarium has some, but they're a different subspecies.
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Theoretically, anything can be done. The tanks would certainly have to become more shallow and the exhibit would have the potential to showcase the Aquarium's successful Animal Rescue Program. Realistically though - zero chance.

The idea can be added to everyone's 'Pier 4 Wishlist' at least.
 
On March 2nd, the aquarium announced they rehabilitated and released 2+ sea turtles (species not specified) back into the wild. On May 23rd, the aquarium announced they rehabilitated and released 8 more sea turtles (species not specified) back into the wild.

1.4K views · 71 reactions | 2024 Sea Turtle Release | This past Wednesday, National Aquarium staff and rescue sea turtles traveled south to Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine, Florida. The turtles, who... | By National Aquarium | Facebook
2.7K views · 78 reactions | A few weeks ago, our Animal Rescue team traveled to Fort Fisher, North Carolina to release eight sea turtles into the ocean. When endangered sea turtles... | By National Aquarium | Facebook

On May 21st, the aquarium announced they rehabilitated and released a (0.1) grey seal back into the wild. On July 29th, the aquarium announced they rehabilitated and released another grey seal back into the wild.

14K views · 419 reactions | Earlier this month we returned grey seal Selkie to the ocean at Assateague Island State Park. Rescued as a pup at only one week old in February, she made... | By National Aquarium | Facebook
7.8K views · 208 reactions | Kelpie's Release | Sea you later! Grey seal Kelpie has been released back to the ocean after several months of care under our experts. Learn more about our Stranding... | By National Aquarium | Facebook

On June 10th, the aquarium announced they released 13 diamondback terrapins into the wild.

National Aquarium

On November 1st, the aquarium announced they rehabilitated and released 2 loggerhead sea turtles back into the wild.

4.9K views · 139 reactions | Time to shellebrate! On October 2, our team released loggerhead sea turtles Sprite and Cerberus back to the ocean at Assateague State Park. Both sea... | By National Aquarium | Facebook

In Autumn 2024*, the aquarium announced that 2 Merten's water monitor lizards hatched which are behind the scenes. The aquarium also announced they acquired a (1.0) green moray eel named Gherkin which is on display in the Atlantic Coral Reef gallery, as well as 20 fish of various species including blacksmith damselfish, cabezon, copper rockfish, and rock wrasse which are on display in the Kelp Forest tank.

Watermarks

* As the issue does not have a date on it, I cannot accurately timestamp this as I usually would.
 
Belle, one of the golden lion tamarins, passed away over the summer after a years-long battle with diabetes. We are now down to one elderly golden lion tamarin, Davi. Davi now has access to the main rainforest habitat since Belle’s passing. He is out for a few hours each day and is brought in every night, just like the parrots as he is known to be mischievous like all monkeys are! When they used to stay out all night, they would be super sneaky and mischievous and were known to steal and eat bird’s eggs! So now he’s brought in at night because no one is able to watch him.
In the Pacific Kelp exhibit, honeycomb cowfish sign has been removed and was nowhere to be found
In the Allegheny stream exhibit, the American bullfrog passed away
Giant pacific octopus and electric eel exhibits under renovation. As mentioned before the octopus exhibit is going to be reused, is the octopus no longer at the aquarium? I wouldn’t be surprised if it passed considering they don’t live long.
Kemps Ridley sea turtle is not signed and was nowhere to be seen. I thought it came on display this year in the Atlantic coral reef exhibit so is it off display again?
 
Kevin2342 said:
Belle, one of the golden lion tamarins, passed away over the summer after a years-long battle with diabetes. We are now down to one elderly golden lion tamarin, Davi. Davi now has access to the main rainforest habitat since Belle’s passing. He is out for a few hours each day and is brought in every night, just like the parrots as he is known to be mischievous like all monkeys are! When they used to stay out all night, they would be super sneaky and mischievous and were known to steal and eat bird’s eggs! So now he’s brought in at night because no one is able to watch him.
In the Pacific Kelp exhibit, honeycomb cowfish sign has been removed and was nowhere to be found
In the Allegheny stream exhibit, the American bullfrog passed away
Giant pacific octopus and electric eel exhibits under renovation. As mentioned before the octopus exhibit is going to be reused, is the octopus no longer at the aquarium? I wouldn’t be surprised if it passed considering they don’t live long.
Kemps Ridley sea turtle is not signed and was nowhere to be seen. I thought it came on display this year in the Atlantic coral reef exhibit so is it off display again?
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I mentioned these points above, but the sea turtle has been off exhibit since May. He'll make his return to the Atlantic Coral Reef soon.

The octopus is not on exhibit as they reassess the best use of that space - that doesn't necessarily mean it'll be repurposed for another species - it just will not hold an octopus in its current configuration.

The best time to see the golden lion tamarin is right away in the morning until early afternoon.
 
Kevin2342 said:
It was around for quite a while, and frogs don’t live super long, so it was probably old age. I hope they get another one in the future. That exhibit is very large and naturalistic for the frog.
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I agree, it sounds silly but he was a highlight for me.
 
Renovations to the Pier 3, Level 4 galleries are to start in February and run through April. North Atlantic to the Pacific and the Amazon River Forest exhibits will be closed during that time. Construction entails infrastructure improvements, new exhibit graphics, and interactive educational displays similar to renovations that occured on Levels 2 and 3. The animal exhibits themselves will not be altered.

Guests will be re-routed to access the Upland Tropical Rainforest and the Atlantic Coral Reef.
 
The State's Budget recently passed and the Aquarium received funding for a number of infrastructure projects. As noted previously, the Aquarium has $94 million of capital needs at the facility campus over the next eight years.

Pier 4 Roof Replacement: The proposed fiscal 2026 funding will support completion of the replacement of the flat-roofed Pier 4 building at the National Aquarium’s main campus. The roof is deteriorating, which has caused leaks over the sea turtle hospital and dolphin pools. The overall project cost has increased from $3.0 million to $3.25 million due to delays caused by insufficient funding. State fiscal 2025 ($2.25 million) and fiscal 2026 ($2.25 million) funding will be combined to complete the project,
which will begin in summer 2025.

Public Safety/ Campus Lighting Improvements: $1.5 million to address campus wide public safety and lighting improvements

Staff Spaces/ Critical Infrastructure: Begin a three year, $6 million project to overhaul outdated staff workspaces throughout the Pier 3 and Pier 4 buildings which also includes improving animal safety, repairing deteriorated and collapsed drainage lines in the National Aquarium pump room, rehabilitating nonpublic spaces, repairing concrete spalling, supporting the upgrade of infrastructure in aging exhibits, and upgrading elevators and escalators.
 
NAIB Volunteer said:
Renovations to the Pier 3, Level 4 galleries are to start in February and run through April. North Atlantic to the Pacific and the Amazon River Forest exhibits will be closed during that time. Construction entails infrastructure improvements, new exhibit graphics, and interactive educational displays similar to renovations that occured on Levels 2 and 3. The animal exhibits themselves will not be altered.

Guests will be re-routed to access the Upland Tropical Rainforest and the Atlantic Coral Reef.
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Level 4 is back open after a brief renovation. A few features will be installed over the next week to finish up.
 
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