At the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, if you liked watching the stingray’s and sea turtles swim over you from one side of their giant tank to the other or watching the huge cylinder of jellyfish swirl about, then you are in luck! The Aquarium of the Pacific is reopening their indoor exhibits!
They tell us, “After careful planning and discussions with the City of Long Beach, the Aquarium of the Pacific has announced that the entire Aquarium will be fully open at 25 percent capacity to the public on Tuesday, March 16, and to Aquarium members on Monday, March 15, with safety protocols and advance reservations. ‘We have survived, and our animals have thrived the last year only because of the support of our donors, help from the City of Long Beach, and dedication of our staff. With our reopening, we can continue to give back to our communities through our educational programs and provide an experience for visitors that embodies spring and recovery. A weight has been lifted. Our mischievous sea otters, beautiful lorikeets, endearing penguins, sleek sharks, and my favorite –Groot, our giant pacific octopus await you,” said Dr. Peter Kareiva, Aquarium of the Pacific president and CEO.”
PHOTO BY GREEN-EYED BLONDE PHOTOGRAPHY
The Aquarium is opening their three main galleries which have been closed since last summer. We can now once again enjoy the Southern California/Baja Gallery where the sea bass, leopard sharks, eels, seals, sea lions and more! The Northern Pacific Gallery with cold-water habitat creatures like sea otters, diving birds, sea jellies, giant spider crabs and a Pacific octopus and then we can visit the Tropical Pacific Gallery where all the beautifully colorful fish and other species from the tropical warm water area.
Best of all, their stunning Honda Pacific Visions Theater and Schubel Family Culmination Gallery added in 2019 is open with their interactive displays and game tables and live animal exhibits.
PHOTO BY GREEN-EYED BLONDE PHOTOGRAPHY
The Aquarium of the Pacific has their safety protocols well thought through and laid out to ensure our safety and peace of mind. As part of its safety protocols, the Aquarium is limiting the number of visitors, requiring advance timed reservations for everyone, and managing traffic flow to ensure appropriate social distancing.
The Aquarium also requires masks for everyone age two and older and temperature checks for everyone. Visitors will find numerous hand-sanitizing stations throughout the facility, Aquarium staff constantly sanitizing all touched surface, and clear partitions in key areas where staff interact with guests, such as the main entrance, member services, and retail areas. The Aquarium has installed social distancing signs throughout the facility, set up for one-way foot traffic in the main galleries, and has staff to monitor and enforce social distancing. Exit with re-entry will not be allowed during this initial phase of reopening.
Their public reopening date is Tuesday, March 16, 2021, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (advance reservations are required). The Aquarium of the Pacific is located at 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802.
