Wednesday, July 27, 2011

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!

Friday, July 22, 2011

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!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

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.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

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!

Monday, July 11, 2011

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! 
Green Turtle
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

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

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!

Friday, July 1, 2011

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!