Sharks FIN-ally take the spotlight at Save The Bay???s Exploration Center and Aquarium
Chomp down on shark facts at Save The Bay???s Exploration Center and Aquarium this July. This month???s theme, ???Stunning Sharks of Narragansett Bay,??? helps guests learn all about local sharks through a shark-themed scavenger hunt, craft and story time.
After all that, visitors can then make their way to the aquarium???s shark tank where they can see and touch the real thing. The Exploration Center and Aquarium on Easton???s Beach in Newport is open daily, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
At least a dozen different shark varieties migrate through Rhode Island???s coastal waters every year, including the blue shark and mako shark, as well as the smooth dogfish and chain dogfish shark, both of which can be found in the aquarium???s shark tanks. All shark species are ???elasmobranchs,??? or members of a group of marine creatures whose skeletons are made of cartilage, rather than bone.
Many elasmobranchs, including sharks, also have the ability to detect electromagnetic fields using extra-sensory organs called the ???ampullae of Lorenzini.??? Visitors to the aquarium can test their own powers of perception by tackling a shark-themed scavenger hunt, before putting their craft skills to the test on a paper plate shark visor or sitting down to listen to a reading of ???Hark a Shark!??? by Bonnie Worth.
After circling all the shark activities, guests are also invited to meet some of the aquarium???s newest guests???including a six-fingered sea star, a red sea raven, a striped sea bass and electrifying new comb jellies???and to check out the aquarium???s new diamondback terrapin nesting enclosure, built to encourage egg-laying by the endangered turtle species.
The Exploration Center and Aquarium is located in the Easton???s Beach Rotunda at 175 Memorial Blvd. in Newport, Rhode Island.
The center is open daily 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Memorial Day – Labor Day. General admission is $8, and $7 for military and senior citizens.
Save The Bay Family Members can enjoy FREE admission for two adults and up to four children.
For more information about the Exploration Center and Aquarium, visit savebay.org/aquarium or call 401-324-6020. The Exploration Center and Aquarium is supported, in part, by Corvias Solutions.