That’s changed with the opening of the latest SEA LIFEaquarium right here in Tempe. It joins the ranks of the 34 other worldwide aquariums with locations in Germany, the UK, Italy and four other locations in the good ol’ USA.
As we entered, the kids were given sheets to record their answers to the interactive trail quiz. It helped to focus on all the cool things there was to see. The first area we loved was very hands-on; hands on starfish! It wasn’t just the kids who were thrilled to touch these colorful beauties. We even saw a starfish on display showing how starfish eat. It was upside down so we could see its ejected stomach reaching out for the food. I’m thinking if I could eject my stomach, maybe my jeans would fit better.
Throughout the aquarium there were tubes and bubbles to surround yourself in the aquarium. Including an area especially geared to little kids. All the kids climbed inside a shark jaw – great photo op, especially after walking through the giant shark tank.
Our other favorite area was the manta ray tank, it was a good size pool (but not as big as the shark tank) that you could look straight down on the rays and other fish. I love watching them glide, but I’m pretty sure they were splashing us on purpose. We listened to an informational presentation about manta rays. FYI, if you are in the wild and you get struck with a manta ray’s barb – don’t pull it out!
My kiddo with the plush fetish loved the gift shop, specifically the 1000’s of stuffed animals. We were lucky to escape without any new additions to her collection! The perfect end to our wild day at the Arizona Mills Mall was dinner at the Rainforest Café.
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