Surviving Through Adaptations: the Lurking exhibit is back open after a 10 month rebuild. The tank is still being stocked and won't be complete until mid summer.
National Aquarium in Baltimore National Aquarium, Baltimore Updates and Events
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A few small updates that have occured over the spring months:
Surviving Through Adaptations - the Shocking exhibit that houses the electric eel reopened. The Lurking exhibit continues to be re-stocked. The former Octopus exhibit is empty and closed.
Atlantic Coral Reef - Odie, a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle made his debute a few months ago. He's doing well on exhibit. The Aquarium has two other sea turtles not on display: another Kemp's Ridley and a green.
Waterfront Park - the park by the ticketing and main entrance is set to get new educational displays with similar themes and color pallets to those displays at the recently opened Harbor Wetlands. Paired with a new campus lighting plan, the goal is to create a more unified campus between the two piers and slip.
Surviving Through Adaptations - the Shocking exhibit that houses the electric eel reopened. The Lurking exhibit continues to be re-stocked. The former Octopus exhibit is empty and closed.
Atlantic Coral Reef - Odie, a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle made his debute a few months ago. He's doing well on exhibit. The Aquarium has two other sea turtles not on display: another Kemp's Ridley and a green.
Waterfront Park - the park by the ticketing and main entrance is set to get new educational displays with similar themes and color pallets to those displays at the recently opened Harbor Wetlands. Paired with a new campus lighting plan, the goal is to create a more unified campus between the two piers and slip.
He passed away.
2 Pieces of 2025 News Not Mentioned:
Also on May 20th, the aquarium announced they acquired a male (1.0) corn snake named Copper, which is an ambassador animal. The aquarium also announced they acquired 2+ dusky pipefish (which are on display in the Slurping tank) and 2+? purple firefish (which are on display in the Pacific Coral Reef tank).
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On July 7th, the aquarium announced they reopened the Lurking exhibit to the public.
150 reactions | Our Lurking exhibit is sometimes called the “shipwreck” exhibit due to its spot-on recreation of an underwater wreck. Shipwrecks can provide habitat for animals and a substrate for corals, sea fans and algae to grow. | National Aquarium
On July 9th, the aquarium announced they acquired a female (0.1) ocellated river stingray named Queenie after it was confiscated by US Fish & Wildlife, which is on display in the Amazon River Forest gallery.
National Aquarium
On August 12th, it was reported that the aquarium transferred a female (0.1) Kemp's ridley sea turtle to SEA LIFE Kansas City in Missouri.
Kansas City is now home to Missouri's only permanent resident Kemp’s ridley sea turtle
On February 11th, the aquarium announced they helped rehabilitate and released 29 Kemp's ridley sea turtles and 3 loggerhead sea turtles into the waters off the coast of Florida that day.
7.2K views · 124 reactions | Sea you later! On February 11, the National Aquarium released 32 rehabilitated turtles back into the ocean in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Among the released turtles was Ghost, a 65lb loggerhead sea turtle who was originally rescued from the intercoastal waters of Ocean City, MD in October 2024. The National Aquarium and partners across the country are leading the charge in a national effort to encourage Congress to pass the bipartisan Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act. This act would help provide critical funding to rescue and rehabilitation operations nationwide. Help us achieve our goal: https://bit.ly/4gErwNO | National Aquarium
7.2K views · 124 reactions | Sea you later! On February 11, the National Aquarium released 32 rehabilitated turtles back into the ocean in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Among the released turtles was Ghost, a 65lb loggerhead sea turtle who was originally rescued from the intercoastal waters of Ocean City, MD in October 2024. The National Aquarium and partners across the country are leading the charge in a national effort to encourage Congress to pass the bipartisan Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act. This act would help provide critical funding to rescue and rehabilitation operations nationwide. Help us achieve our goal: https://bit.ly/4gErwNO | National Aquarium
Also on May 20th, the aquarium announced they acquired a male (1.0) corn snake named Copper, which is an ambassador animal. The aquarium also announced they acquired 2+ dusky pipefish (which are on display in the Slurping tank) and 2+? purple firefish (which are on display in the Pacific Coral Reef tank).
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On August 4th, the aquarium announced they helped rehabilitate and released 2 Kemp's ridley sea turtles back into the waters off the coast of Maryland.
2.1K views · 83 reactions | Thank you to everyone who played a role in getting Mothman and Ichthyocentaur back into the ocean. We rehabilitated them for seven months before their cheerful send-off at Ocean City, Maryland. Please wish them good luck on their journey! | National Aquarium
On July 15th, the aquarium announced they helped rehabilitate and released (4.2) grey seals and a male (1.0) harp seal back into the wild. The aquarium also announced that they helped rehabilitate a male (1.0) grey seal (which was later transferred to Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut to be released into the wild), and (0.1.4) grey seals and (1.0.1) harp seals passed away while undergoing treatment at the facility.
Seal Rescue Recap
2.1K views · 83 reactions | Thank you to everyone who played a role in getting Mothman and Ichthyocentaur back into the ocean. We rehabilitated them for seven months before their cheerful send-off at Ocean City, Maryland. Please wish them good luck on their journey! | National Aquarium
On July 15th, the aquarium announced they helped rehabilitate and released (4.2) grey seals and a male (1.0) harp seal back into the wild. The aquarium also announced that they helped rehabilitate a male (1.0) grey seal (which was later transferred to Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut to be released into the wild), and (0.1.4) grey seals and (1.0.1) harp seals passed away while undergoing treatment at the facility.
Seal Rescue Recap
On July 7th, the aquarium announced they reopened the Lurking exhibit to the public.
150 reactions | Our Lurking exhibit is sometimes called the “shipwreck” exhibit due to its spot-on recreation of an underwater wreck. Shipwrecks can provide habitat for animals and a substrate for corals, sea fans and algae to grow. | National Aquarium
On July 9th, the aquarium announced they acquired a female (0.1) ocellated river stingray named Queenie after it was confiscated by US Fish & Wildlife, which is on display in the Amazon River Forest gallery.
National Aquarium
On August 12th, it was reported that the aquarium transferred a female (0.1) Kemp's ridley sea turtle to SEA LIFE Kansas City in Missouri.
Kansas City is now home to Missouri's only permanent resident Kemp’s ridley sea turtle
The Aquarium has been closed since Wednesday due to a power outage that has affected the main building. A timeline for restoring full power is unclear.
National Aquarium temporarily closed due to power outage
National Aquarium temporarily closed due to power outage
The Aquarium reopens today
John Racanelli is to retire by the end of the year. His contract was set to expire in Spring of 2026 and is not a surprising departure. The Aquarium has started a national search for his position.
National Aquarium CEO to retire after more than 14 years
National Aquarium CEO to retire after more than 14 years
Some small rolling updates from the summer and early fall:
Surviving Through Adaptations: more displays are offline as the Level 3 galleries are slowly updated. Displaying, housing colorful Pacific tropicals and Hiding, housing stonefish, are currently empty. The former octopus exhibit is still empty. All Jewel tanks are open now too with the addition of Eastern newts in one of the displays.
Blacktip Reef: the exhibit is now home to a small Green sea turtle named Kai. Kai exhibits a buoyancy issue and was transferred to the Aquarium's Animal Care and Rescue Center in late 2020 for long term care.
The Aquarium has an additional sea turtle, a Kemp's Ridley named Odie, in the Atlantic Coral Reef. This is the first time two sea turtle species are on exhibit at the same time since the early 90s.
Surviving Through Adaptations: more displays are offline as the Level 3 galleries are slowly updated. Displaying, housing colorful Pacific tropicals and Hiding, housing stonefish, are currently empty. The former octopus exhibit is still empty. All Jewel tanks are open now too with the addition of Eastern newts in one of the displays.
Blacktip Reef: the exhibit is now home to a small Green sea turtle named Kai. Kai exhibits a buoyancy issue and was transferred to the Aquarium's Animal Care and Rescue Center in late 2020 for long term care.
The Aquarium has an additional sea turtle, a Kemp's Ridley named Odie, in the Atlantic Coral Reef. This is the first time two sea turtle species are on exhibit at the same time since the early 90s.