Wednesday, 10 February 2016

Explore the rich marvels of marine life in the Key West Aquarium


Key West is one of those regions of Miami that sees a large number of tourists all round the year. The region offers great opportunities for water sports and other types of adventure sports. Among the various notable sightseeing attractions of this region, the Key West Aquarium is one that deserves to be mentioned as it not only offers visitors with an opportunity to see some of the rare aquatic species but also learn a lot about them in the process. The Key West Aquarium was built between the years 1932 and 1934 and is currently one of the oldest aquariums of Florida.
The Key West Aquarium is the proud home of numerous species such as sharks, jellyfish, alligators, hermit crabs, horseshoe crabs, sea urchins and sea stars. There are numerous exciting exhibits that allow visitors to view these creatures up close and marvel about their aquatic world. One of the popular exhibits that are frequented by people all the time is the Sea Turtle Conservation which serves as a safe environment for different turtle species that have been previously injured. Notable species that are currently a part of this exhibit are the Hawksbill, Loggerhead, Kemp Ridley and Green Sea Turtle. These turtles are taken care of by the conservation authority by carrying out research and offering education on turtle protection. The visitors are also educated about how to keep turtles safe and provide for them a safe and secure habitat.

The aquarium also has an impressive exhibit that displays various sharks like nurse sharks, bonnethead sharks and sandbar sharks. It allows visitors to view the process of shark feeding on a close scale. The visitors also get to understand what it feels like to touch a shark skin by touching the tail of a juvenile shark. The Stingray Bay is one of the latest exhibits of Key West Aquarium that offers people to see cow nose rays from a close distance. The aquarium guides encourage visitors to feed the cow nose rays which is a delightful experience for the people as well as for the rays themselves. The visitors can also photograph the rays and the helpful guide is always ready to answer to the queries that the visitors may have.


The Jellyfish exhibit showcases moon jellyfishes which are known for their otherworldly beauty. These creatures are not poisonous but can deliver a sharp sting. Visitors can view and photograph the jellyfishes at close range. The Aquarium Touch Tank is one of the most important exhibits of the Key West Aquarium. It allows visitors to interact directly with a wide range of aquatic species by touching and handling them personally. Some of the species that are a part of this exhibit include slate pencil sea urchins, sea stars, conchs, sea cucumbers, serpent sea stars, horseshoe crabs and giant hermit crabs. Finally, there is the Atlantic Shores Exhibit that displays some of the most important species of mangrove ecosystem such as the sharks, game fishes, sea turtles and tropical fishes.      

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