A 1,000-pound manta ray was returned to the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday after three years as a research subject and tourist attraction at a Bahamian resort.
The massive black ray, known as “Zeus” and with a mouth spanning more than 3 feet, was lowered from a helicopter on a hydraulically welded frame to ensure its safe entry into the water.
Marine biologists will now use a satellite tracking tag to monitor its movements in the open sea.
Relocating the ray from its 2.7-million-gallon aquarium took more than two hours.
Shark’s plight The New England Aquarium launches its run of the IMAX movie “Island of the Great White Shark” with a talk by Richard Theiss, the filmmaker, and Mauricio Hoyos, a Mexican shark biologist. The movie focuses on the Mexican island that serves as one of the last sanctuaries for great white sharks. At 7 p.m. Reservations required at www. neaq.org (click on “attend a lecture”).
The new owners say that they will invest £5 million in developing the London Aquarium, which currently welcomes more than 750,000 visitors a year.
Merlin says that it will “reposition the London Aquarium as a fun learning experience for visitors of all ages” by adding more interactive elements.
Merlin Entertainments has also negotiated a 35 year lease on the aquarium’s riverside premises at County Hall with landlord Shirayama Shokusan. The attraction opened in 1997 in the basement of the former home of the Greater London Council.
“We believe that the sale of the Aquarium is a positive step in the development of an already successful London attraction,” says Audrey Summers, managing director of previours owners County Hall Entertainment.
“County Hall Entertainment will continue to move forward with various new projects that will continue to see London County Hall as a destination of choice in London.”
Glenn Earlam of Merlin Entertainments describes the London Aquarium as “a wonderful site – big enough to be awe inspiring, but also very accessible for visitors. There is no one better qualified than Merlin to operate marine attractions; and when we add the Sea Life “magic” we believe it will once again quickly become a “must see” attraction for both Londoners, and those visiting the capital.”
Monterey Bay Aquarium will help ARAMARK develop practices to guide the supply, purchase and consumption of sustainable seafood for as many as 180,000 ARAMARK employees in the U.S. and potentially tens of millions of consumers in businesses, universities, schools, sports and entertainment facilities, parks and other locations ARAMARK operates.
Sustainable seafood comes from sources, either fished or farmed, that can exist over the long term without compromising species’ survival or the surrounding ecosystem.
“We’re delighted to partner with ARAMARK and help the company fulfill its commitment to serving seafood that comes from sustainable wild and farmed sources,” said Michael Sutton, Director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Center for the Future of the Oceans, which incorporates the Sustainable Seafood Initiative and Seafood Watch program, www.seafoodwatch.org. “This decision by ARAMARK, and similar commitments by other business leaders, will have a real impact in the marketplace. By creating more demand for seafood from sources that protect the health of ocean ecosystems, we’re on a path toward improving fishing practices around the world.”
Through its Seafood Watch guidelines, the Monterey Bay Aquarium recommends which seafood to buy and which to avoid, helping consumers become stronger advocates for an environmentally friendly seafood supply.
Wildlife World Zoo in Litchfield Park will boast the only public aquarium between San Diego and Albuquerque when it opens later this year.
“Bringing the ocean to the Sonoran Desert is quite a challenge,” said Assistant Zoo Director Mike Demlong, who is overseeing day-to-day construction. “We are about 70 to 80 percent complete.”
The aquarium will consist of three exhibit buildings, each with a different theme, with a total of 33,000 square feet. The $6 million project is expected to open in November or December.
As many as 400 species of animals will eventually be housed in a campus-like setting that features indoor and outdoor exhibits. The entrance and first two aquarium buildings are nearly complete. The final and largest exhibit building, also under way, will house a restaurant and bar featuring a 30-foot diameter shark tank and stingray feeding pool.
At completion, the aquarium will exhibit unusual species such as sea horses, stingrays, penguins, giant Pacific octopus, sharks and arapaima, the largest fresh water fish in the world. The design features fish as well as aquatic mammals, reptiles and birds.
At opening, the aquarium will contain about 135,000 gallons of water spread over 60 indoor exhibits.
Aquarium project manager Jeff Faucett is in charge of designing, building and maintaining life-support systems for hundreds of aquatic animals. A veteran aquarist, Faucett has helped launch aquariums at Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas, and the Oklahoma State Aquarium in Tulsa.
“The Wildlife World Aquarium will be unlike any other,” Faucett said. “We’ve taken the best features from aquariums across the U.S. and tried to make them better.”
