Greeting me at the entrance to the Newport Aquarium is the Wishing Whale, a humpback whale that seems to appear out of the frozen ice beneath him!  It is a spectacular life-like replica where visitors can contribute their change to expand the educational programs of the aquarium.

A beautifully painted mural of more whales and extraordinary polar bears augment the feeling of visiting the arctic.

It is here where I present my ticket to enter the Newport Aquarium as I begin my fantastic exploration of this award-winning attraction!

Having opened in May of 1999, the Newport Aquarium showcases fourteen permanent exhibits where visitors can learn about life in both saltwater and freshwater habitats from around the world.  From freshwater to saltwater, there are over 90 species that have found a home here at the aquarium.

I am fascinated by those species that are somewhat unusual.  For example, animals such as the electric white lobster live deep below the ocean.  They are creatures that live in caves and require minimal light for survival, resulting in their albino-type features.

Some of my favorite exhibits at the aquarium are the tunnels made of seamless acrylic, of which there are five.  The aquarium displays placards of the animals that are present in the tunnels and finding each of them is a fun way to learn about these creatures of the deep.

The Tide Pool is one of the aquarium’s interactive exhibits that allow visitors to touch some of the sea creatures such as starfish, mollusks and horseshoe crabs.

The theater is another educational feature of the aquarium where staff divers explain the habitat of the sharks and their habits.

The seahorse exhibit was one of my favorite displays where informative placards explain the behavior of these fragile creatures.

There are several tanks that contain these delicate sea animals, some so small they seem invisible.

Have you ever seen anything like the Weedy Seadragon?  They are a marine fish, related to the seahorse, that camouflages itself against the sea kelp, and are indigenous to the waters of Australia.

Mighty Mike is the largest American alligator outside of Florida who resides at Gator Alley.

There is also a pair of American white alligators which were brought to the aquarium from Louisiana.  Their names are Snowball and Snowflake.  Albino American white alligators are very rare.  It is believed that there are only 12 of these alligators in the world and each of them reside in captivity.

The Frog Bog is just around the corner and I cannot believe what I am seeing!  There are so many different colors of frogs that I have to readjust my eyes to make sure they are not playing tricks on me!

Green and black…

Red…

And blue!

Canyon Falls is a habitat for otters and I have such a fun time watching them swim around in the water.

This is also the place where I find the Green Tree Python, wrapping himself around a tree branch with his green beady eyes  staring me down as if I am his next meal.

But it is the chameleon that capture my attention with his crazy eyes and sweet disposition.

I exit the habitat and I pass through a tunnel, the Amazon River and meet up with the Jellyfish Gallery which is said to be the largest collection of jellyfish in the Midwest.  There are several species including “the moon jelly, upside-down jellyfish, sea nettle and spotted jelly”.

I am so excited to pass through the shark tunnel!  There are close to 10 different species of shark swimming alongside me as well as above me as well as grouper, stingrays and the loggerhead turtle.  The experience is exhilarating!

Shark Central is an additional exhibit that allows visitors to actually pet some of the least dangerous of shark species such as the crested bull shark, the leopard shark and the sharptooth houndshark to name a few.

At last I have arrived at the Kroger Penguin Palooza where there are a number of penguin species on display including the king penguin, the chinstraps, gentoos, macaronis and rockhoppers. I love watching them in the habitat, especially when they decide to go for a swim.  It is an entertaining display of nature that seems to be a favorite among the children and adults I would presume as well.

So as I stand to the side and take in the show, I am in awe of the underwater creatures of the seas and fresh waters.  Whether they live in the depths of the cold or near the islands of the tropics, these animals are an essential part to the ecological system of the earth.  I am happy that places like the Newport Aquarium exist to bring each of us the opportunity to experience a whole new world.

Have you visited the Newport Aquarium?  What was your favorite exhibit?  I would love to hear from you if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below.  Many thanks for reading my post and Happy Travels!

What to See and What to Do:

The Newport Aquarium

1 Aquarium Way

Newport, KY 41071

Telephone:  859 261 5888

Website:  www.newportaquarium.com .