By: Kaitlin Zeilman

A seal in the husbandry show surfaces, revealing its belly to the audience. Staff Photo / Kaitlin Zeilman

Falling off an escalator with at least 20 other people while parents tried to extricate a stroller stuck at the top was not how one envisions the start of their day at Adventure Aquarium on the Camden Waterfront. This was the beginning of a learning experience as to why, on the Aquarium’s website and in the flyer they hand out, the museum insists that small groups not visit on President’s Day.

However, Camden Aquarium has many different attractions and exhibits that could appeal to many people of various interests. Irazu Falls, located in Adventure Zone A, was the first stop. Zone A has animals like eels, barracuda (who looked like they would eat me for lunch), sea horses, sea turtles, and rays. A favorite part of the exhibit is the Touch-A-Shark Tank, where people get to see what the smooth and sandy skin of smaller species 0f shark feels like.

A stop in the café led to a meeting with the Yurick and Mooney families, who were visiting from Alaska.

“We really liked the bottom part so far. We just really don’t like the noise and the chaos in this place right now,” said Tiffany Yurick, the spokesperson for the large group.

Adventure Zone B is almost completely outdoors, and this is where the aquarium houses their seals and penguins. The 4-D Theater is right inside the door. There are public penguin feedings and seal shows daily. Visitors can watch Michelle (the head staffer in that area, according to the information desk), and her assistants work with the Harbor and Gray Seals. They called their teaching techniques “husbandry,” which means that they work with the animals to learn new behaviors and shape old ones.

According to aquarium staff, Kara is one of their oldest seals at 26 years old. The aquarium’s biggest male seal weighs over 600 pounds. The show was ruined in part by a large group of people complaining that the walkways weren’t shoveled, and that they didn’t pay $27  (the tickets were more like $21) to not be able to see the show from the top of the outdoor amphitheater.

Adventure Zone C is mostly for the younger children, but it is still pleasant to walk through and see the set-ups. There are a lot of hands-on games for the little ones, and more open tanks with animals to touch. It was interesting, even for an adult, to listen to aquarium staff explain how a starfish eats with its mouth, located on the bottom of its body.

A penguin swims to shore at feeding time. Staff Photo / Kaitlin Zeilman

Next to the starfish was a large squishy, spongy mass called a sea cucumber. Most of the children were asking if it was even alive because the lethargic sea cucumber wasn’t moving. They had smaller anemones in the same tank, which visitors were allowed to touch. After being assured that no one would get hurt by touching it, many put their hands into the tank. When the animal tried to sting you, it just felt like suction cups attaching themselves to your fingers.

Adventure Zone D was by far the most heavily trafficked because of the West African River Experience. The area houses a wide variety of tropical birds and two female hippos. As large as these animals were, the hippos moved effortlessly and almost gracefully through the water. According to an informational video playing on the wall by the tank, hippos, even at their large, fully-grown size, can still run at up to 20 miles per hour on land.

If the aquarium visitor wants to go on a real deep sea adventure, they should check out the Jules Verne Gallery, which looks like the inside of a giant submarine. In the first part of the exhibit, moon jellyfish float down from the top of their vertical tank like they are giant pieces of confetti raining on the audience.

Stepping into the large shark tunnel could cause some people to become dizzy, because the tunnel encases you in an underwater world, with fish swimming in all directions. For others, it is an awe-inspiring observation period. The experience inside the aquarium usually ends after this exhibit, but there are still some beautiful views outside of the Camden Waterfront itself, such as the Battleship New Jersey, and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge across the bay.

The Camden Aquarium really does afford the visitor the opportunity to see and learn about a completely different environment. Whether for an educational or recreational trip, everyone should check out Adventure Aquarium because it is a fascinating experience that all can enjoy.