The columbus zoo and aquarium
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The one area of the exhibit we didn’t get to experience yet (and maybe won’t for a while due to the virus situation) is the 250-seat theater. The highlight of the new habitat is a “first of its kind” 60-foot-long underwater viewing tunnel where the middle twenty feet includes a clear ten inch thick acrylic floor, allowing guests to view the sea lions as they plunge above and dive below your feet. It looks like they even have a wave machine! I read previously this is the largest tank exhibit in the whole zoo, containing over 375,000 gallons of water, meaning it contains more water than the coral reef, polar bears and the manatees. Seal and Sea Lion HabitatĪfter entering the zoo and turning left, you’ll find the new home of the sea lions and seals which features a Pacific Northwest inspired rocky coast and harbor setting complete with a mini lighthouse. Here’s what you’ll see in each of the individual areas. Now as soon as you enter the gates guests will hear the barking of the pinnipeds.ĭesign of the exhibits began in November 2016, and after 2.5 years of construction this brand-new, 4.1 acre, state-of-the-art region is finally open to the public. However, placing the exhibit immediately inside the zoo’s entrance in an area previously devoid of any animals corrects one of the few weaknesses the zoo used to have: it was quite a long hike from the parking lot to the first major animal exhibit. Thematically it would have made more sense to put the seals and sea lions in the Shores region of the zoo. Mirroring the coastal wharf of San Francisco’s Pier 39- with vibrant salt-worn storefronts and the bellows of sea lions-Adventure Cove immerses guests in an exciting world of wildlife as soon as they enter the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. On Friday July 10, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium officially opened Adventure Cove, their newest region and biggest project since Heart of Africa debuted in 2014.