bigfoot410
Well-Known Member
I went to the New York Aquarium today in order to view the new Ocean Wonders Sharks exhibit. A beautiful and sunny Sunday may not have been the best day to visit due to the immense lines to get into the aquarium and then into the exhibit. However; through some luck I only waited 15 minutes for each (some people waited over 45 minutes in the sun!).
This is also going to be my first review ever on this site! Due to the crowds I cannot list every species, but I will give an overview of what I thought was a solid and very much needed addition to the aquarium, even though there are some quibbles.
First off a brief history; the old shark exhibit had opened in 1980 and was a single 100k-110k gallon tank featuring local sharks, rays and sea turtles. It was due to be replaced beginning in 2012. However; Hurricane Sandy severely damaged the aquarium delaying construction until 2014. The sharks and sea turtles were held in the old beluga whale tank from 2015 until now where there are still 5 sand tiger sharks, 4 sand bar sharks and 3 sea turtles still in the old exhibit. The map indicates this will be a sea turtle exhibit so I am not sure if the sharks are only in until they can move them.
Now onto the Ocean Wonders exhibit. The building's architecture is interesting with the shimmering aluminum panels a great effect in the breeze and coastal plantings throughout. The building also is lit up a beautiful and shiny blue in the evening so it really stands out on the boardwalk. There is also a nice garden on the boardwalk side with a new café. The building directly abuts one of the entrances into Sea Cliffs so I am wondering how that will work once that exhibit's lower level reopens.
Upon entry is the donor wall with a circular bubble room indicating you are going underwater, which opens into the Coral Reef Tunnel. Due to the crowds you are a little rushed through this section; but it is a great opener with reef sharks and zebra sharks swimming overhead and dozens of different coral reef fish swimming on either side of you. This exhibit is smaller than Glover's Reef at the aquarium's entrance, but the tunnel effect works wonderfully here. There is a small side window that lets you spend some more time viewing the reef before entering the next section.
The Sharks Up Close section is in two rooms. The first only has one tank that I recall had small coral fish; I cannot recall what species since I could not reach the mobile pads that you swipe to see the species. The next exhibit "What is a Shark" had some fun and interactive exhibits about different shark teeth and large screens showing the larger shark species while a tank displayed two bamboo shark species and an epaulette shark. The next room had some great graphics about shark overfishing and pressures on shark populations worldwide with a small window into the next large exhibit. The interactive exhibits spread throughout the exhibit were a definite highlight for children and children at hear like myself.
New York Waters is the next large tank that looks similar in size to the old shark tank; but with smaller species. The glass curves towards you and gives a great view of rocky canyons and nooks covered with anemones and sea stars. Rays and skates seem to be the stars here with cownose rays and blunt nosed rays being the easy to see species. Sea bass, flounder, sea robins and several other species were in the tank with one lone shark; a Smooth Dog Fish. This exhibit is also viewed from the next room with a crawl through tunnel and an exhibit on how the Aquarium has tagged local sharks in the wild
The last tank is the highlight: It begins in the ShipWreck room which has visitors in the belly of a ship with fish schooling above you and side tanks with various fish (two tanks were unlabeled) and a first view into the main tank, which had some nurse sharks resting in front of the glass. These rooms are the darkest rooms in the building, which does build to a dramatic conclusion once you enter the next room. The main tank has one long floor to ceiling window that curves into the tank. The background is very dark so you cannot make out the back of the tank; allowing the inhabitants to swim in and out of view. There is a seating area where on a less crowded day you could sit and watch. The tank has several sandtiger and sand bar sharks, nurse sharks, several schooling fish and one large sea turtle and the old roughtail ray. This was really the best exhibit in the whole aquarium and most people who were in the room were impressed. Despite how crowded the room was, the sheer height and length of the window allowed everyone to get a good view.
The last room is an education room that goes over environmental choices one can make shopping, recycling and even ordering seafood at a restaurant. The exhibits are very interactive, but rely on technology that I hope can be maintained and updated. One involved children grabbing plastic "out of the ocean" by stomping on a mattress sized touch screen; hopefully built from some heavy-duty NASA material! There is one tank in this room for seahorses, minnows and other fish found right within view of the building; but this could almost be missed by everything around the tank.
Once outside the path takes up onto the second story through an ecology walk. The graphics here are wonderful at explaining the protected coastal areas nearby and where some of the exhibits within Ocean Wonders are located in the "real world". The views of the Coney Island boardwalk are also a standout. However; the top floor is too small for the crowds with a bar/café and a shark touch tank. The bar looked to only have 10-15 tables (if I was able to see it all) which is not enough space for a busy day! The touch tank was so crowded you had to be given a timed entry so we skipped it. I have pet a shark before and I don't know if an hour wait would be worth it.
Overall; this is a welcome addition to the New York Aquarium that was in need of something new. Architecturally it is a standout and the educational set pieces and conversational messages are a strongpoint. This is an enormous improvement on what was there; however is it the best shark exhibit I have ever been to? No, it is no Monterey or Lisbon Oceanarium. For the $100 million+ price tag I did think some of the tanks would have been bigger (or the building would have been bigger with more exhibits); but I also want to go back when the weather cools and the crowds lessen to really judge. There are some nice wow moments and once all the sharks are in (the sharks still in the old tank and at least white tip reef sharks are not in the coral tank yet) I'm sure it'll be even better.
Signs indicate "Spineless Wonders" and the "Play-quarium" will be the next exhibits to open. The NY Times said 2020; but I am only seeing construction begin now. Sorry for the long-winded review (this is why I usually avoid doing these things)!
This is also going to be my first review ever on this site! Due to the crowds I cannot list every species, but I will give an overview of what I thought was a solid and very much needed addition to the aquarium, even though there are some quibbles.
First off a brief history; the old shark exhibit had opened in 1980 and was a single 100k-110k gallon tank featuring local sharks, rays and sea turtles. It was due to be replaced beginning in 2012. However; Hurricane Sandy severely damaged the aquarium delaying construction until 2014. The sharks and sea turtles were held in the old beluga whale tank from 2015 until now where there are still 5 sand tiger sharks, 4 sand bar sharks and 3 sea turtles still in the old exhibit. The map indicates this will be a sea turtle exhibit so I am not sure if the sharks are only in until they can move them.
Now onto the Ocean Wonders exhibit. The building's architecture is interesting with the shimmering aluminum panels a great effect in the breeze and coastal plantings throughout. The building also is lit up a beautiful and shiny blue in the evening so it really stands out on the boardwalk. There is also a nice garden on the boardwalk side with a new café. The building directly abuts one of the entrances into Sea Cliffs so I am wondering how that will work once that exhibit's lower level reopens.
Upon entry is the donor wall with a circular bubble room indicating you are going underwater, which opens into the Coral Reef Tunnel. Due to the crowds you are a little rushed through this section; but it is a great opener with reef sharks and zebra sharks swimming overhead and dozens of different coral reef fish swimming on either side of you. This exhibit is smaller than Glover's Reef at the aquarium's entrance, but the tunnel effect works wonderfully here. There is a small side window that lets you spend some more time viewing the reef before entering the next section.
The Sharks Up Close section is in two rooms. The first only has one tank that I recall had small coral fish; I cannot recall what species since I could not reach the mobile pads that you swipe to see the species. The next exhibit "What is a Shark" had some fun and interactive exhibits about different shark teeth and large screens showing the larger shark species while a tank displayed two bamboo shark species and an epaulette shark. The next room had some great graphics about shark overfishing and pressures on shark populations worldwide with a small window into the next large exhibit. The interactive exhibits spread throughout the exhibit were a definite highlight for children and children at hear like myself.
New York Waters is the next large tank that looks similar in size to the old shark tank; but with smaller species. The glass curves towards you and gives a great view of rocky canyons and nooks covered with anemones and sea stars. Rays and skates seem to be the stars here with cownose rays and blunt nosed rays being the easy to see species. Sea bass, flounder, sea robins and several other species were in the tank with one lone shark; a Smooth Dog Fish. This exhibit is also viewed from the next room with a crawl through tunnel and an exhibit on how the Aquarium has tagged local sharks in the wild
The last tank is the highlight: It begins in the ShipWreck room which has visitors in the belly of a ship with fish schooling above you and side tanks with various fish (two tanks were unlabeled) and a first view into the main tank, which had some nurse sharks resting in front of the glass. These rooms are the darkest rooms in the building, which does build to a dramatic conclusion once you enter the next room. The main tank has one long floor to ceiling window that curves into the tank. The background is very dark so you cannot make out the back of the tank; allowing the inhabitants to swim in and out of view. There is a seating area where on a less crowded day you could sit and watch. The tank has several sandtiger and sand bar sharks, nurse sharks, several schooling fish and one large sea turtle and the old roughtail ray. This was really the best exhibit in the whole aquarium and most people who were in the room were impressed. Despite how crowded the room was, the sheer height and length of the window allowed everyone to get a good view.
The last room is an education room that goes over environmental choices one can make shopping, recycling and even ordering seafood at a restaurant. The exhibits are very interactive, but rely on technology that I hope can be maintained and updated. One involved children grabbing plastic "out of the ocean" by stomping on a mattress sized touch screen; hopefully built from some heavy-duty NASA material! There is one tank in this room for seahorses, minnows and other fish found right within view of the building; but this could almost be missed by everything around the tank.
Once outside the path takes up onto the second story through an ecology walk. The graphics here are wonderful at explaining the protected coastal areas nearby and where some of the exhibits within Ocean Wonders are located in the "real world". The views of the Coney Island boardwalk are also a standout. However; the top floor is too small for the crowds with a bar/café and a shark touch tank. The bar looked to only have 10-15 tables (if I was able to see it all) which is not enough space for a busy day! The touch tank was so crowded you had to be given a timed entry so we skipped it. I have pet a shark before and I don't know if an hour wait would be worth it.
Overall; this is a welcome addition to the New York Aquarium that was in need of something new. Architecturally it is a standout and the educational set pieces and conversational messages are a strongpoint. This is an enormous improvement on what was there; however is it the best shark exhibit I have ever been to? No, it is no Monterey or Lisbon Oceanarium. For the $100 million+ price tag I did think some of the tanks would have been bigger (or the building would have been bigger with more exhibits); but I also want to go back when the weather cools and the crowds lessen to really judge. There are some nice wow moments and once all the sharks are in (the sharks still in the old tank and at least white tip reef sharks are not in the coral tank yet) I'm sure it'll be even better.
Signs indicate "Spineless Wonders" and the "Play-quarium" will be the next exhibits to open. The NY Times said 2020; but I am only seeing construction begin now. Sorry for the long-winded review (this is why I usually avoid doing these things)!
