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Suggested Aquarium Tour
Tropical fish in Glover's Reef exhibit
©WCS | Upon entering the Aquarium, you’ll find yourself in Conservation Hall*, the Aquarium’s first exhibit building, which opened to the public in Coney Island in 1957. Here, the marine life of the Caribbean Glover’s Reef ecosystem—including jawfish, moray eels, sharks, and more than 35 other species—swim in our new 165,000-gallon tank. The other exhibits of this hall focus on Wildlife Conservation Society research in the lab and in the field. Some of the species you’ll see are highly endangered in nature and exist only thanks to the conservation work of our scientists.
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Northern fur seal in Sea Cliffs exhibit
©WCS/J.Maher
| It’s a quick hop outside the doors to Sea Cliffs, but this North Pacific habitat is a world away from the tropical Caribbean. The 300-foot-long rocky coastline exhibit is home to a number of marine mammals, penguins, and fish. We suggest you tour the outdoor portion of the exhibit first, and save the underwater viewing experience for the end of your visit. Click here for information on feeding demonstrations for the Sea Cliffs residents. Check the show schedule at the Aquatheater entrance for a training demonstration starring our charismatic sea lions.
In our plaza area, you’ll find the Bathysphere, the “lunar module” of oceanography! The Bathysphere is the original diving vessel used by William Beebe and Otis Barton in 1934 to establish a deep-sea diving record for that time. These intrepid explorers ushered in a new era of ocean research. William Beebe was one of the founders of WCS and a widely recognized global explorer.
Make your way down our wooden boardwalk and get ready to Explore the Shore (ETS). The ETS exhibit contains a series of interactive, educational galleries that will teach you about some of the wonders of the ocean and its inhabitants. Here you can also see local wildlife thriving in the Salt Marsh, a newly renovated exhibit that recreates a swath of the famous Jamaica Bay wetlands. This landscape contains living salt marsh grass with sheepshead minnows and invertebrates such as hermit crabs and horseshoe crabs, with an underwater view. At the end of your journey in ETS you’ll meet Sparky, our electric eel.
Next, descend into the world of corals, anemones, and jellies pulsing in the electric blue glow of the Alien Stingers exhibit. The New York Aquarium is one of the only aquariums in the U.S. to permanently feature jellies. While their sting can pack a punch, these creatures are extremely delicate and require unique tanks for their care.
Hold onto the kids…sharks are next! Did you know there are over 350 different species of sharks? If you get close enough, maybe you can count our sand tiger shark's teeth—this species can have well over 3,000 of them! Despite their intimidating jaws, sharks are inaccurately portrayed as a serious threat to humans. In fact, it is actually we humans that threaten the existence of sharks.
Now it’s time for YOU to go underwater as you return to Sea Cliffs. Here you can watch the diving feats of our penguins and walrus, and check out the real Mr. Moms—our seahorses. It is the seahorse dads who incubate the developing embryos. Be sure not to leave this area without viewing our octopus.
Pause a moment at the end of your stroll for a photo-op with our orca and life-size walrus sculptures. Or, if you stand next to the viewing glass, you can take your picture with a real walrus. Before you leave, be sure to stop in our main gift shop, the Oceanic Gift Shop to pick out a treasure to remind you of your visit.
*Conservation Hall is closed for renovation until summer 2009. Glover's Reef will remain open.
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