Surrounded by water, Long Island is shrouded in marine culture, from magnificent lighthouses and nautical museums to seaport villages and boat-lined docks. The summer months welcome beach goers to fun in the sun and surf. What about the aquatic inhabitants that swim our waters year round? In one day, you can meet some our local marine life, as well as species from faraway regions.
The Long Island Aquarium opened in 2000 under the name of Atlantis Marine World. The facility opened with the mission of educating Long Islanders about marine life through exhibits and interactive opportunities. The facility is located in downtown Riverhead, situated along the Peconic River. In addition to admission to the aquarium, visitors have the option to purchase tickets for an informative riverboat cruise, where a guide will educate passengers about Long Island's marine ecology and the native aquatic residents.
The decorative theme of the aquarium is based on the mysterious underwater metropolis of Atlantis. There are plenty of exhibits indoors and out, starting with the aquarium's collection of seals that happily and gracefully glide through the turquoise waters of their pool near the entrance. Once inside, visitors can get an underwater perspective as they watch these seals through an observation window. Indoor displays include a tank of spectacularly colorful, live coral, an octopus, circling sharks, piranhas, jellyfish, sea horses and much more. Test your vision by trying to spot the flounders, which are well camouflaged against the sandy bottom of their tank, and try petting a stingray in the touch pool.
For the ultimate interactive experience, you can arrange in advance for an underwater plunge into the shark tank to come face to face with an assortment of sharks. Other interactive encounters allow visitors to get up close and personal with some of the aquarium's biggest celebrities. Pose for a photo shoot while receiving a kiss from one of the sea lions, or learn all about how the baby penguins are cared for behind the scenes.
Outdoors, there are additional exhibits that no one will want to miss. A cast of sea lions captivates and delights audiences with their performance in the sea lion coliseum. Throughout the show, a trainer educates the audience about sea lions and how they differ from their cousins, the seals. In Penguin Pavilion, waddling penguins are clad in their natural tuxedoes, ready to step out and amuse their adoring fans. Another big attraction is the Otter Falls display, where river otters splash in their waterfall pool and entertain crowds of admirers with their silly antics and feeding frenzies at meal times. The Creatures of the Night display houses some non-marine characters, including bats, a sloth and a porcupine, and the Japanese snow monkeys rule the Lost Temple of Atlantis. During the summer months, visitors can snorkel in the Shark Reef Lagoon, where bamboo sharks, stingrays and an assortment of tropical fish swim past and guide you through their underwater abode. For dryer photographic opportunities, take a stroll through the garden and be surrounded by colorful flitting and fluttering butterflies.
Also located inside the Long Island Aquarium is the facility's medical center. Here, you may get a glimpse of a rescued seal or turtle that is currently receiving treatment and rehabilitation before being rereleased back into the sea. The Long Island Aquarium runs the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation, an organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and preservation of sea turtles, seals, dolphins, porpoises and whales. They are all endangered species, and the organization also strives to educate the public about the plights of these animals. The Foundation arranges tours of the rehabilitation facility, seal walks during the winter, beach cleanups, shoreline ecology walks and other opportunities to inform Long Islanders about our marine environment and the life that dwells within.
Long Island Aquarium is located on East Main Street in Riverhead, and it is open daily from 9:00am until 5:00pm. For more information to help plan your day, visit www.longislandaquarium.com
The Long Island Aquarium opened in 2000 under the name of Atlantis Marine World. The facility opened with the mission of educating Long Islanders about marine life through exhibits and interactive opportunities. The facility is located in downtown Riverhead, situated along the Peconic River. In addition to admission to the aquarium, visitors have the option to purchase tickets for an informative riverboat cruise, where a guide will educate passengers about Long Island's marine ecology and the native aquatic residents.
The decorative theme of the aquarium is based on the mysterious underwater metropolis of Atlantis. There are plenty of exhibits indoors and out, starting with the aquarium's collection of seals that happily and gracefully glide through the turquoise waters of their pool near the entrance. Once inside, visitors can get an underwater perspective as they watch these seals through an observation window. Indoor displays include a tank of spectacularly colorful, live coral, an octopus, circling sharks, piranhas, jellyfish, sea horses and much more. Test your vision by trying to spot the flounders, which are well camouflaged against the sandy bottom of their tank, and try petting a stingray in the touch pool.
For the ultimate interactive experience, you can arrange in advance for an underwater plunge into the shark tank to come face to face with an assortment of sharks. Other interactive encounters allow visitors to get up close and personal with some of the aquarium's biggest celebrities. Pose for a photo shoot while receiving a kiss from one of the sea lions, or learn all about how the baby penguins are cared for behind the scenes.
Outdoors, there are additional exhibits that no one will want to miss. A cast of sea lions captivates and delights audiences with their performance in the sea lion coliseum. Throughout the show, a trainer educates the audience about sea lions and how they differ from their cousins, the seals. In Penguin Pavilion, waddling penguins are clad in their natural tuxedoes, ready to step out and amuse their adoring fans. Another big attraction is the Otter Falls display, where river otters splash in their waterfall pool and entertain crowds of admirers with their silly antics and feeding frenzies at meal times. The Creatures of the Night display houses some non-marine characters, including bats, a sloth and a porcupine, and the Japanese snow monkeys rule the Lost Temple of Atlantis. During the summer months, visitors can snorkel in the Shark Reef Lagoon, where bamboo sharks, stingrays and an assortment of tropical fish swim past and guide you through their underwater abode. For dryer photographic opportunities, take a stroll through the garden and be surrounded by colorful flitting and fluttering butterflies.
Also located inside the Long Island Aquarium is the facility's medical center. Here, you may get a glimpse of a rescued seal or turtle that is currently receiving treatment and rehabilitation before being rereleased back into the sea. The Long Island Aquarium runs the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation, an organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and preservation of sea turtles, seals, dolphins, porpoises and whales. They are all endangered species, and the organization also strives to educate the public about the plights of these animals. The Foundation arranges tours of the rehabilitation facility, seal walks during the winter, beach cleanups, shoreline ecology walks and other opportunities to inform Long Islanders about our marine environment and the life that dwells within.
Long Island Aquarium is located on East Main Street in Riverhead, and it is open daily from 9:00am until 5:00pm. For more information to help plan your day, visit www.longislandaquarium.com