![]() ![]() The otters are sleeping when we show up at Canyon Falls, bummer, people of all ages are checking out the Turtle Corral, you can even touch a tortoise. Scuba Santa is putting on a show in the theater area, this is one of the largest windows to view the giant shark tank. For us the seamless acrylic tunnels are the main attraction it’s a strange feeling to be surrounded by sharks, sting rays, and a variety of marine life. Everybody takes the same photograph, the shark swimming directly overhead, it’s fun to watch. Where the other fish and turtles seem mildly amused by our presence the sharks just give us that cold, dead stare as they glide by. The Jellyfish Gallery is pretty cool, more than 100 jellyfish from around the world capture our attention with their unique shape, the way they move inside cleverly lit tanks.Then there’s everybody’s favorite, the penguins! Penguin Palooza is home to 5 species of cold-weather penguins, they’re so much fun to watch. Newport Aquarium now offers a walk along the top edge of the shark tank, the shark tank overlook. Here you can view 2 dozen sharks, 4 exotic shark rays, 2 sting rays, and more than 300 fish. If you are so inclined you can even cross the “shark bridge”, a 75-foot long v-shaped rope bridge strung across the tank.We try and get to the aquarium every couple of years, there’s always something new, and we’re never disappointed. Outside the rain has let up, we make our way to the Newport On The Levee Riverwalk and take in the view. Here we overlook the mighty Ohio, after days of rain the water level is high, multiple bridges criss-cross the waterway, to the right Mt Adams rises above downtown Cincy, skyscrapers dot the skyline. The aquarium was open for business yesterday, but the shark tank was curtained off.Next we leave the city of Newport, cross the Licking River and arrive in Covington KY. ![]() "We didn't have 'Jaws' in the aquarium or anything like that," said Ron Forman, president of the Audubon Institute, which runs the aquarium.Īquarium spokeswoman Melissa Lee said the plastic-and-fiberglass catwalk was supposed to hold up to 5,000 pounds, much more than the total that was on it when it collapsed. ![]() Officials said the guests were in little if any danger. I was scared to death what I would do if I saw a shark." "When I first looked down, I saw a stingray right underneath me and I just freaked out. But she had to swim to the other side of the tank to get out - and her rescue took 15 minutes. "I know the sharks are well-fed, but with all that splashing you wonder if their hunter instincts are going to kick in."Īllison Rooney was able to hand 2-year-old daughter Amber to a rescuer after they fell in. "The water is clear so you could see the stingrays and sharks swimming beneath them," Dan Rooney said. The water level is about 3 feet below the slick edges of the glass-walled tank, so there was no way for those inside to pull themselves out without help. When it buckled, the group was thrown into the 20-foot-deep, 400,000-gallon tank along with a 38-foot section of the platform. The catwalk normally is reserved for staff but was opened for a behind-the-scenes tour for aquarium members. "Its lips were peeled back, and its teeth were showing," she said. Well, not even two seconds later, sure enough the whole thing just collapsed."Īmanda Kruse, an 8-year-old onlooker, said most of the sharks scattered, but she saw one cruising underneath the panicked guests. ![]() "All of sudden I heard something go bam, and the long catwalk split in half right in the middle, and it dropped everybody straight into the water," said Dan Rooney, whose two daughters, 2-year-old granddaughter and 5-year-old nephew plunged in.ĭaughter Allison Rooney, 21, told CNN: "Ironically, the man was telling us that if anybody ever fell into the water, that the sharks are well-fed and that they would scatter. The exhibit includes about 24 nurse and sand tiger sharks, some of them 10 feet long. No one was seriously hurt in the accident Wednesday night at the Aquarium of the Americas. NEW ORLEANS - Officials at an aquarium yesterday were investigating the cause of an accident that sent 10 visitors, including four children, plunging into a shark tank, where they thrashed around in terror for up to 15 minutes before they were pulled out. ![]()
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