Tour: Living Shores Aquarium

April 18, 2022April 18, 2022 Emily McMaster 1297 Views

By: Emily McMaster, GSA Communications Director

On a beautiful spring day, our GSAs drove up to Living Shores Aquarium, located at Storyland in Glen. Our tour began with a guided tour of the aquarium, a 32,000 sq. ft. space of exhibits and interactive activities. We stopped at each exhibit, and our tour guide gave us a comprehensive overview of the different types of fish, stingrays, sharks, otters, and more. We watched the otters play in their grass area, and then fall asleep with each head resting on the other! We were hoping to watch them play in the water, but they were sleepy – maybe next time!

There are a variety of interactive exhibits, which are perfect for families…and GSAs! We put our hands into the Freshwater Red Garra Touch Pool, where “Nibble Fish” greeted us and nibbled on our hands. The Large Invert Touch Pool was another touch exhibit, where you can use two fingers to touch Horseshoe Crabs, Caribbean Spiny Lobsters, Large Crabs, Hermit Crabs, and Snails.

Walking through the aviary was a delightful and hilarious experience. We had the opportunity to feed the lorikeets. Guests can walk into the aviary, where the lorikeets have free roam. Several landed on GSA’s heads, and when our GSAs offered them food, they were quite popular! There were also reptiles and amphibians in the aviary.

Another feeding experience was the Ray Touch Pool, which houses four different species of rays. GSAs received a tray to feed the rays, which is an add-on experience when purchasing tickets. Our GSAs were up to the task of feeding them, placing their hands in the tank in the proper position.

After exploring the aquarium on our own for a bit, we headed through the gift shop and into the Bistro. We were treated with a variety of samples of dishes that the Bistro has to offer. From pretzels with beer cheese, to chicken wraps, to chicken pizzas…we were stuffed! Anyone can stop by the Bistro for a meal, and the restaurant is perfect for anyone visiting either the aquarium or Storyland. They also offer Dunkin’ products both in the Bistro and within Storyland, which is great to know before visiting!