Elmo is coming to the Aquarium!

 

On December 28 everyone's favorite little red monster, Elmo, is coming to SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium for an exclusive playdate! Accompanied by KS95 contest winners*, Elmo will be exploring the aquarium and feeding some of the fish. As most people know, Elmo loves fish (like his pet goldfish, Dorothy) as well as learning! So, the aquarium's 10,000 sea creatures and even more to discover and learn, makes for the perfect spot for Elmo's playdate!

*Visit SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium this weekend to register for your chance to win this once-in-a-lifetime playdate with Elmo!

If you don't get the chance to play with Elmo on December 28, you can still see him LIVE when him and his friends take the stage at the Target Center January 11-15. For your chance to win free FRONT ROW tickets to the show, print and color this photo and post it to our Facebook wall!

SEA LIFE Open December 25

The aquarium will be open to all looking for some fun and adventure on December 25. SEA LIFE is all about bringing families together to learn and explore, no matter what their traditions may be. Hours are shortened, from Noon -5P.M. but  those looking for a warmer endeavor to escape from the chill of late December, will be able to enter the aquarium for only $5.99 when they present  this coupon.

Scuba Saint Nick is Coming to Town- Additional Dates Added!

Even the fish will get a visit from Santa this year when Scuba Saint Nick takes a dive at SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium on Saturday December 17, 2011 at 1:00P.M. and also Saturday December 24, 2011 at 10:30A.M. Saint Nick and his trusty helpers will be visiting the Sturgeon Lake tank and all are welcome to watch the holiday fun.

For those who still haven’t gotten their holiday pictures taken, having Scuba Saint Nick on a Christmas card will be a great addition to any relatives fridge.. And if you’re looking to take a picture on Santa’s lap, his workshop is just down the hall on the first floor of Mall of America in Sear’s Court.

General Admission tickets will be sold at the ticket counter and is open to all interested in seeing Scuba Saint Nick!


REMINDER: December is American Hero Thank You month and all first responders will be receiving free entry as well as family will be receiving admission for 50% off. This includes:

• Police Officers
• Firefighters
• EMT & Paramedics
• Veterans and Military Personnel

See http://www.visitsealife.com/Minnesota/explore-our-creatures/July4th/ for more information

Thank You to our American Heroes

This December, SEA LIFE Minnesota is giving thanks to the American Heroes who do so much for our country. From now until the end of December, all Military Personnel, Veterans, and first responders, including: Police Officers, Firefighters, Paramedics, and EMT will receive free admission into the aquarium.  Their immediate families will receive 50% off admission.

SEA LIFE Minnesota wants to ensure that our American Heroes, who are home for the holidays, have the opportunity for some family fun and adventure. With over 10,000 sea creatures to explore and experience, what better way to spend a day in December!

To receive the discount just show identification of your occupation at the SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium box office. 

           

We salute your sacrifice and are grateful for the opportunity to give something back. Thank you Heroes.

And for those Iraq War Soldiers, welcome home.

For more information, please visit: www.sealifeus.com

Drop and Shop at the Aquarium!

This holiday season drop the youngsters at SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium to explore the ocean and discover over 10,000 sea creatures while you get your holiday shopping done at Mall of America. The kids will have a guided tour of the aquarium including a Behind-the-Scenes tour. They will have a shark tooth necklace activity and get pizza party! In turn, Moms and Dads will have 3 hours of kid free power shopping, or just a night at the mall!

For specific dates and times, visit http://www.visitsealife.com/Minnesota/explore-our-creatures/holidays/

 

Price: $25/child; $15/additional child. Drop & Shop available to children age 5 - 12.

Advance reservation is required. To schedule, please call 952-853-0612 or email sales@sealifeus.com

All times and details subject to change without notice.

Another Kardashian Abandons Minnesota

Following in Kim’s Foot Steps: 

Swim Kardashian is leaving SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium to 

head south and take Texas

After a short 34 week relationship with Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium, Swim Kardashian, a Giant Green Sea Turtle, is following in her “sisters” foot steps by leaving Minnesota for good. It turns out Swim didn’t want to settle down here either. She is heading south to SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium in Texas. There are several sea turtles at SEA LIFE Minnesota and Swim is looking forward to living the single life at SEA LIFE Grapevine.  

Swim Kardashian arrived at SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium in March 2011 and received her name for being one of the new “Celebrity turtles” here at the aquarium. Swim has a condition called a “bubble butt” because air gets under the shell and gathers by her butt. A weight patch is added to her shell to help her to swim properly.

Swim also gained some weight when she started here in March, so now she is working on slimming down with a salad diet to prepare herself for being the hot new turtle in Texas.

Epilepsy Foundation Fundraiser

Epilepsy Foundation Fundraiser

While medications and other treatments help many people of all ages who live with epilepsy, more than a million people continue to have seizures that can severely limit their school achievements, employment prospects, and participation in all of life's experiences. The Epilepsy Foundation is working to find a cure.

SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium in the Mall of America
 is hosting a fundraiser for the Epilepsy Foundation.
Tickets will be only $9.50 +tax (That’s up to a 50% discount!) 
Also, $5 of every ticket goes to the Epilepsy Foundation. 
Friday, November 4, 2011 

Between 4:00 – 8:30pm

Buy your tickets ahead of time at
Click here to purchase tickets.
Or Purchase them at the door!
Just mention the Epilepsy Foundation

Associated websites: EpilepsyFoundation.org

VisitSeaLife.com/Minnesota

Show Your Colors and SAVE!

Show your colors for the big game on Sunday! Whether it's PURPLE and GOLD or GREEN and GOLD - wear them to the Aquarium and say who you are rooting for and receive $9.99 Adult or Child Aquarium Admission!

$10 off Sharks After Dark admission!

Tomorrow (October 13, 8:00pm - midnight) and Friday (October 14, 9:00pm - 1:00am), SEA LIFE Minnesota will be hosting Sharks After Dark! A one of a kind adventure that allows guests to explore the aquarium after hours, munch on some delicious treats, dance the night away, and play 2 hours worth of games at Sky Deck!

Receive 2 hour unlimited Arcade Game Card with Sharks After Dark
admission! www.skydecklanes.com

Admission for this event is $24.99/person. Which is a great deal for Aquarium admission ($20 value), 2 hour Sky Deck game card ($20 value), Live DJ at the Aquarium, and complimentary nacho bar!
BUT - we want to reward our loyal followers with a special treat. We are offering $10 off Sharks After Dark admission with the below coupon.

So, (with the coupon) your $14.99 (+tax) ticket will get you:

• Aquarium Admission ($20 value)
• 2 Hour Unlimited Arcade Gaming Card for Sky Deck ($20 value)
• Live DJ at Aquarium
• Complimentary Nacho Bar
• Drink Specials at Sky Deck

For more information about Sharks After Dark visit www.sharksafterdark.com 

Dress up your pet: Halloween Costume Contest!

It's October, which can only mean one thing: Halloween! and with the Halloween season comes tricks, treats, candy, and, of course, costume contests! but here at SEA LIFE Minnesota we are running our costume contest a little differently than most... we want you to submit photos of your pet dressed up in their favorite Halloween costume!



Daisy as a 'Hot Dog', submitted by Nancy.
Click here for photo.



How to Enter:

1. Dress up your pet in their favorite Halloween costume, and take their photo
2. Post the photo to SEA LIFE Minnesota's Facebook wall facebook.com/sealifemn

How to Win:

1. The photo posted to SEA LIFE Minnesota's Facebook page with the most Likes wins!
2. Share your photo with your friends to increase your chances of winning.

Prize

4 all-day aquarium admission tickets!

Contest ends Monday, October 24.

http://www.facebook.com/sealifemn




October 7: Children's Hospital Night

Children's Hospital Night at the Aquarium
October 7, 2011: 4:00pm - 8:30pm
Only $9.50/person - $5 of each ticket sold donated directly to Children's Hospital of Minnesota!
Click here to purchase tickets, and scroll below for more information.

At SEA LIFE Minnesota we do what we can to help those around us. For example, Merlin Entertainments Group, our parent company, established an organization called Merlin's Magic Wand, where children who are seriously ill, disabled, or disadvantaged are provided with magical experiences at many of their attractions throughout the world. More information about Merlin's Magic Wand is available here: http://www.merlinsmagicwand.org/

 

Weights were added to the giant green
sea turtles shell to allow him to swim normally.

The well-being of animals is also of up-most importance to us. Which is why we work with other SEA LIFE locations to contribute to SEA LIFE SEA HAPPY, an idea that reminds us to work together to protect the beautiful marine habitats around us. Recently, we have adopted 2 giant green sea turtles from a Turtle Hospital in Florida and are slowly rehabilitating them into their new home at SEA LIFE Minnesota. More information about SEA LIFE SEA HAPPY is available here.

Our most recent endeavour allows us to help out on a local level. On October 7, 2011 from 4:00pm - 8:30pm, we will be hosting Children's Hospital Night at the Aquarium. Patients of Children's Hospital, along with their families, staff, and the supporting community, will be given the opportunity to purchase discounted tickets to the aquarium: only $9.50/person! (regular admission prices are $19.99/adult and $15.99/child) But not only that, $5 of each ticket sold will be donated directly to Children's Hospital of Minnesota!

Click here to purchase tickets

More information about Children's Hospital Night at the Aquarium can be found on Children's website: giving.childrensmn.org/sealifeaquarium

Coziest Spot in Rainbow Reef

Rainbow Reef is the first stop within SEA LIFE Minnesota's famous, 300ft long tunnel. Not only is it the home of many tropical fish, but it is also the location of a heart warming sight you will not want to miss!

A Nurse Shark and a variety of Bamboo sharks curl up
against the exhibit's rocky overhang.

This tropical paradise houses some of the warmest water in the aquarium - nearly 82 degrees! Water that warm, in addition to cozy, coral surroundings, can only mean one thing: naps!

And that's exactly what the shark's of Rainbow Reef do! The next time you begin your journey through the Aquarium's 300ft long ocean tunnel, look up towards the overhanging rocks! You'll be sure to find White Spotted Bamboo Sharks, Brown Banded Bamboo Sharks, and our newly added, Juivinile Nurse Shark all cuddling against the tunnel's glass and exhibit rocks.

Keep your voice down, though. These little guys need their beauty sleep!

Piranha’s Rocky Rescue

SEA LIFE Minnesota Removed 55 Rocks from Piranha’s Stomach
Piranhas typically eat mackerel, shrimp, or algae; NOT ROCKS. However, SEA LIFE just received a piranha who had an abnormal looking stomach full of 55 rocks! Carly Bryns, SEA LIFE’S Curator, spotted the piranha at a locally trusted fish supplier.

As you can imagine, rocks can only be removed one way- through surgery. The aquarium staff took on the challenge of surgically removing the rocks and saving this poor piranha’s life. The net weight of these 55 rocks ended up being 17 grams.


SEA LIFE MInnesota's newest piranha after his surgery.


As you can see, the piranha is doing well after his intense surgery. Tomorrow, (Tuesday, August 23rd) SEA LIFE staff will display the piranha for guests to see and learn more about. He now has some stiches and a strict fish diet - hold the rocks.

It’s been a ROCKY road for this little piranha, but he has found himself an excellent home at SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium!

SEA LIFE Minnesota Facebook fans can vote to help name the little survivor! Click here to choose from: Rocky, Rambo, or Rock Star!

An Intern's Perspective

When I tell people I am working as an intern at SEA LIFE Minnesota, their response is usually “what a fun place to work” - and they are right about that! This summer, I had the privilege of working with the marketing and group sales departments, as well as other college interns.
Consequently, I have many new SEA LIFE facts up my sleeve, such as: sea stars eat by moving their stomachs out of their bodies and horse shoe crabs can survive one year without eating. Let me share with you some of the highlights of the SEA LIFE marketing internship.


ANIMALS, ANIMALS, ANIMALS!
You might be doing offsite events with Cub Foods and teaching families about shark jaws, shells, horseshoe crabs, pencil sea urchins and chocolate chip sea stars. You could be in the office writing a blog about the SEA STAR of the week, conservation or your internship experience. Or you could be working with animals as an animal husbandry intern (or displays as we call it). Patrick, a senior from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said his favorite part of the Displays Internship is the daily interactions with the animals and his scuba diving experience in SEA LIFE’S Atlantis Exhibit. His favorite animal at the aquarium is Lola, the shark ray, for the simple fact that she is cool to look at and has a lot of personality.


YOU WILL GET TO KNOW THE MALL AND ITS EMPLOYEES!
You could be running a coupon contest for the mall tenants and reward the winner with a breakfast or gift cards. You might be refilling coupons or replacing stickers within the mall and Nickelodeon Universe. Or you could go from store to store to let the employees know they get in for FREE.


YOU WILL WORK WITH THE MARKETING DEPARTMENT AND OTHER INTERNS!
You will be working on team projects with the marketing department such as planning and promoting an event, designing a flyer, or establishing partnerships with hotels in the area. All of the interns will work on various things together such as designing a hotel window display, surveying guests, or creating Sharky videos (we definitely had fun filming those).


My advice for future SEA LIFE interns would be to have an open mind and a good attitude because it will only make your experience better. Another important thing to remember is always treat your internship as if it’s your career because many of SEA LIFE's current employees started as interns.


I can assure you that your SEA LIFE intern experience will look great on your resume and you’ll enjoy it too! To find out more information go to http://www.visitsealife.com/about-us/careers.aspx Candidates must receive college credit.

*I had to say goodbye to the turtles on my last day!!

-KS
SEA LIFE Marketing Intern, from Concordia University- St. Paul

If Fish Can Swim in Schools...

...then why can't you! Well, because your teacher may not approve of your swim-suit attire or soaking wet hair, so we came up with other fun, Back-to-School adventures that won't leave sea-weed hanging from your desk.

All of the sea creatures at SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium are gearing up for the first day of school, including our mascot, Sharky! Sharky has been anxiously awaiting this day for months; in fact, he has been scoping out the best spots at the Mall of America to purchase Back-to-School clothing and accessories. Check out this video to see what Sharky finds on his latest Extreme Adventure...

Sharky found so much great stuff while searching through the Mall of America that he had to split his adventure into two videos! Stay tuned to SEA LIFE Minnesota's YouTube page for the next video!

Buying and receiving school supplies is great, but giving to those in need is even better! Right now, TruStone Financial Federal Credit Union is asking Twin Cities communities and businesses to help collect school supplies for children in grades K-12. Those who donate will receive a FREE SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium child admission coupon! More information can be found here.

Summer is swimming by, so we want to help people make the most of it! To do this, we are extending our online ticket sale! The general public can currently purchase tickets for as low as $9.99 until the end of summer! Click here for more information and to purchase your tickets!

Photography Tips for Your Visit to the Aquarium

Anyone who's been to an aquarium knows exactly how hard it is to get a good picture of the sea creatures! We've put together a list of tips to help you get exactly the shot you want.

• Use a digital camera. You can check how your picture turned out right away.
• Turn the flash off! In a lot of exhibits, the tanks are already lit in the way that best shows off all the animals and coral inside. If you do use the flash, pay attention to any flash restrictions that might be posted.
• Use a faster shutter speed - some of our animals can swim pretty fast, you don't want them to look like a blur as they speed by!
• Try to take the shot straight on. Weird angles through the tank glass can distort the image or show reflections.
• The SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium is quieter during the evening, so if you come then, you'll have more time to perfect your shot.

We'd love to see your favorite pictures! Share them on our Facebook page.

Green Sawfish in Atlantis

Our Sea-STAR of the Week is keeping up with the Shark Week theme! Our Green Sawfish are in the same family as sharks, along with rays and skates.

Sawfish are most recognizable by their rostrom, which is the long saw-like protrusion from their faces. It is covered motion sensitive and electrosensitive pores that help the sawfish to detect movement, as their eyes are fairly undeveloped. It can even allow them to detect the heartbeats of sea creatures hiding under the ocean floor!

They live in the tropical and sub-tropical waters of the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific oceans, and can even survive in the brackish water of estuaries, much like their cousin, the Bull Shark!  

While Sawfish in the wild spend most of their time lying on the ocean floor, the Sawfish here at the SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium prefer to hang out on top of the tunnel, giving guests a great view of themselves!  

They prefer to hunt at night, and swim into schools of fish moving their rostrom back and forth. The "teeth" on the rostrom, which are actually called "denticles", are very useful for spearing fish to eat!  

Sharky's Extreme Adventures at Scooops Kid Spa

Sharky's had another great day out in the Mall of America! This time he went out to Scooops Kid Spa for a day of pampering and relaxation. It looks like he had a great time with the staff there while they gave him a manicure and hair styling appointment - who knew a shark would enjoy getting his nails done so much!

Check out the video to Sharky living the good life - it's the only time you'll get to see him wearing a robe and a tiara!

Juvenile Nurse Shark Moves into Rainbow Reef

It's been a big day here at the SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium! After rescuing a juvenile Nurse Shark from the aquarium at a recently closed local restaurant, we released her into the Rainbow Reef Tank to swim among the Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles, French Angelfish and  Brown-banded Bamboo Sharks - just to name a few!

While this Nurse Shark is only about two feet long right now, she may grow to be up to ten feet long, and live to be well into her twenties. Since Nurse Sharks are generally nocturnal animals, the Rainbow Reef Tank will provide her with lots of ledges and crevices that she can rest under during the daytime, before becoming more active and exploring her new tank.

Our Animal Expert and Displays Curator, Carly Byrns, said that the shark " seems like she's doing really well in her new home, and is adjusting to living with her new roommates. We're excited to have her here and are looking forward to seeing her become accustomed to life at the aquarium,".

Remember, even though a shark may seem like a fun pet, they require a lot of attention additional to what your average aquarium creature needs! This includes a 2,000 gallon tank (at least), to garuantee that the shark has enough space to live and grow. Also, sharks should be fed good quality frozen food, not the fish flakes you feed the rest of your aquarium fish. Here at the aquarium, our sharks get restaurant quality food on a regular basis!

Watch the video below of the Nurse Shark moving in!

Shark Week is Almost Here!

It's official: Shark Week is only a few days away! Here at the aquarium, we can't wait to see what the Discovery Channel has to share about some of the ocean's "toothiest" creatures!

While we may not have videos of shark attacks or of Great White Sharks jumping out of the water, we do have more than six different species of free-swimming sharks in our Atlantis exhibit!

As a way to share our excitement, we've put together a selection of cool facts about these sharks. Did you know...

Sand Tiger Sharks are the only sharks known to come to the surface to gulp air, which allows them to float motionless in the water while they hunt for prey! They grow to be up to 10 feet long and have a mouthful of vicious looking teeth protruding in all directions.

Nurse Sharks are nocturnal, and are often found on the sea floor in groups of up to 40 - sometimes even piled up on top of each other! They are generally harmless to humans, but have thousands of tiny, serrated teeth that they will use defensively.

Next, our Blacktip Reef Sharks, which are easy to recognize because of their black-tipped fins. They have to swim constantly with their mouths open in order to let oxygen-rich water flow over their gills.

Come by the tunnel at the SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium to check out the rest of our shark species! One more cool fact before you go: sharks don't have a swim bladder like most other fish, and will sink to the bottom if they stop swimming!

Conservation Competition!

How do you conserve resources at home? Maybe you use energy efficient light bulbs, or maybe you've started recycling! You might even have started taking shorter showers, participating in river clean-ups or organized a carpool to work! However you do it, we want to hear about it!

For our current SEA LIFE contest, we're asking all you conservation-conscious readers to describe your favorite ways to save energy and water! Submit photos, stories or videos to our Facebook page describing your efforts and earn a chance to win 4 all-day SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium passes, a guided tour of the aquarium (including Behind-the-Scenes!), and an opportunity to meet our animal curator!

Check out the video to learn more, or click here to visit our Facebook page!

Porcupine Pufferfish

As you head towards our 300 foot tunnel after making your way through the incredible sights of Seahorse Kingdom, you'll spot one of our most recognizable sea creatures! Porcupine Pufferfish look exactly like their name suggests! They have two distinguishing features - the sharp spines that cover their bodies, and the ability to rapidly inflate their bodies with air! The combination of the two defense mechanisms mean that the Porcupine Pufferfish is able to intimidate predators without any problems!

 

Porcupine Pufferfish are found in tropical waters all over the world, and usually spend the daytime hiding in crevices and coral. At night, they emerge to hunt for sea urchins and small crustaceans.

But watch out! Even if a human managed to successfully catch one, Porcupine Pufferfish are poisonous to eat and can cause breathing difficulties, paralysis, and even death.

The Perfect Catch



The happy couple after feeding stingrays.

 July 11, 2011, was the first day of Nicole and Trever's life together, and it started in a rather unusual place: under a sea of 10,000 sea creatures. That's right! Yesterday, Nicole and Trever tied the knot within SEA LIFE Minnesota's 300ft tunnel, accompanied by friends, family, sharks, and sea turtles!

Nicole and Trever always wanted a wedding on a beach, but with the economic downturn and a tight budget, they turned to the next best option: getting married under 10,000 sea creatures at SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium!

The nontraditional couple drew attention to their surroundings by beginning their vows, "before these witnesses both human and fish". Trever and Nicole gladly repeated each word after their friend, and ordained minister, before turning toward each other to say "I do"!

After the ceremony, the newly weds did not throw rice to celebrate the occasion; instead, they sprinkled capelin over the side of our stingray tank!

Watch Nicole and Trever's exciting wedding adventure on our YouTube page.

Thank you so much to Nicole and Trever for sharing this special day with all of us at SEA LIFE Minnesota!

Protect our Oceans

Just because we live in Minnesota, and need to travel thousands of miles to even see the ocean, does not mean there is nothing we can do to help save it! 

What most people don’t realize is how dependent we are upon the ocean. According to national geographic, the ocean regulates the climate and gives us more than half the oxygen we need. At SEA LIFE, we want to reward our Facebook fans for their conservational efforts. So, what can we do to protect our oceans? Here is a list of ideas for your story, video, and picture entries for our latest Facebook contest:

• Leave the car at home and take public transportation instead
• Make conscious energy choices at home and work
• Switch to fluorescent light bulbs
• Use a fan or blanket rather than oversetting your thermostat
• Choose seafood that is sustainable
• Switch to reusable bags to save on plastic products
• Recycle
• Participate in beach clean-ups
• Donate money to an environmental organization
• Volunteer

The truth is: each one of us (including myself) has habits that we can change in order to help protect the ocean and its marine life. YOU can make a difference!!

Click here for more information about our current Facebook contest. By participating in any of the above conservational efforts, or coming up with something on your own, you will be entereted to win the perfect prize pack for the ultimate Conservational Advocate: 4 SEA LIFE passes, a guided tour through the aquarium, a behind-the-scenes tour, and a meet and greet with our animal curator!

-KS

Giant Pacific Octopus

After visiting the Ray Lagoon and Rockpool exhibits, guests at the SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium will come across one of our most intelligent sea creatures - the Giant Pacific Octopus! They are smart enough to solve simple problems, like finding their way through mazes and unscrewing jar lids to get to the food inside. They also have a very creative defense mechanism - if a Giant Pacific Octopus feels threatened, it will release a cloud of black ink to obscure the attacker's view and sense of smell, giving the octopus time to escape.

These sea creatures have some very cool anatomical features, such as three hearts and blue blood! While shrimp, clams and small fish are usually a Giant Pacific Octopus's favorite food, they have been known to attack sharks, and even birds, with their sharp, beaklike mouths that they used to puncture and tear flesh.

In the wild, a Giant Pacific Octopus will usually only live for three to five years, but during that time they can grow to be about 16 feet across and weigh 110 pounds!

The Aquarium doors are open!

In response to the Minnesota government shutdown, the SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium has decided to open its doors to all recently laid off state employees! The 22,000 state workers who are out of work as of today, July 1st, can visit the aquarium for free from now until the state is back up and running - all they need is a copy of their lay off notice.
And that's not all! Laid off employees don't need to come alone to take advantage of this great deal - any family members who accompany the employee will receive admission for only 50% of the usual price. It's a great chance for state employees and their families to relax and have some family fun, all while discovering over 10,000 of our sea creatures!

It couldn't be any simpler - the only thing the state employee needs to do is provide a copy of their lay off notice, and get ready for a great day hanging out with our sea turtles, sharks and jellyfish, just to name a few!

Check out our website or "like" our Facebook page to stay updated on great aquarium deals!

1 Fish, 2 Fish, Red, White & Blue Fish!

These fish are proud to show their Independence Day patriotism! Join in the fun and come celebrate the 4th of July with SEA LIFE Minnesota! From now until July 4th we are offering $10 admission when you purchase your tickets online! Take a break from the heat and spend some time with the sea creatures this weekend! Click here to purchase yours $10 tickets today!

In honor of our troops, SEA LIFE Minnesota is offering families of currently deployed soldiers a free family membership! Bring your service member's deployment papers to the SEA LIFE Minnesota Box Office (first floor on the East side) at the Mall of America to redeem your family membership!

Did you know? Members of our service always receive $4 off adult admission and $2 off child admission with their Military I.D.

Stay tuned: SEA LIFE Minnesota sincerely hopes that an agreement with the state's budget is able to be reached, however, in the event of a government shutdown, the aquarium will be offering benefits for state employees who are affected by this tough time--stay tuned to find out more information.

Happy 4th of July everyone, see you this weekend!!

Sharky's Extreme Adventures: Mirror Maze

Check out the second episode of Sharky's Extreme Adventures! This time, Sharky visited the Amazing Mirror Maze at the Mall of America. He filmed part of this one himself, so we got to see exactly what he did throughout the maze! From what we could tell, Sharky definitely took some wrong turns and bumped into a few walls...watch the video to see if he made it out!



Come back next week to see the newest episode! 

Welcome Bubbles!

Thanks to the help of all our awesome Facebook fans, we officially have a name for our Green Sea Turtle! From now on, you'll be able to find Bubbles in the Atlantis exhibit in the ocean tunnel. Come by the SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium to see how she's settling into her new home with the other sea turtles, sharks and stingrays!

Happy 4th of July Special!

We always have a ton of great deals here at the SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium, but we're really excited about one coming up for this weekend! Guests who buy their tickets online will receive aquarium admission from June 29th until July 4th for just $10! Admission includes express entry, an opportunity to touch some of the animals in the Rockpool, and a chance to see all 10,000 of our sea creatures. Click here to buy your tickets now, or "like" our Facebook page to learn more!

We are also offering families of currently deployed soldiers free family memberships! Bring your service member's deployment papers to the SEA LIFE Minnesota box office (first floor, east side) at the Mall of America to learn more!

See you all this weekend!

Wobbegong Sharks in Atlantis

If you walk through Atlantis in the 300ft long Ocean Tunnel at SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium, you'll get to see one of the coolest looking sharks around! The Wobbegong Sharks may be well camoflaged, but once you see them, you'll recognize it right away! They have symmetrical marking patterns, can grow to be 10 feet long, and have little weed-like tassles hanging from the head and mouth. These tentacles are used to attract small fish, crabs and lobsters so that the Wobbegong Shark can easily catch them.

These sharks are great at camouflaging themselves - they blend in well with the ocean floors!

Wobbegong Sharks are not generally aggressive, or dangerous to humans, but they have been known to bite people if accidentally stepped on! They live in shallow and tropical waters of the western Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, around Australia and Indonesia. Come see if you can spot them hanging out around the bottom of the tank!

Sharky's Extreme Adventures: Sky Deck

Hey everyone! We have great news - Sharky is starting his very own video blog, Sharky's Extreme Adventures. It will keep track of all the exciting and crazy things he does around SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium and the Mall of America! 

In this first episode, Sharky went up to the Sky Deck to play some games and go bowling. Check out the video below to see how much fun he had!

Sharky's next video blog post will be coming soon, so stay tuned! There's rumors going around that he's visiting some pretty awesome places, we can't wait to see what he does next!