Aquarium of the Bay
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San Francisco's Aquarium of the Bay on Pier 39 | |
| Location | San Francisco, California, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°48′32″N 122°24′33″W / 37.8087548°N 122.4092956°WCoordinates: 37°48′32″N 122°24′33″W / 37.8087548°N 122.4092956°W |
| Land area | 65,000 sq ft (6,000 m2)[1] |
| Total volume of tanks | 700,000 US gal (2,600,000 l)[1] |
| Annual visitors | 600,000[1] |
| Memberships | AZA[2] |
| Website |
www |
Aquarium of the Bay is a public aquarium located at Embarcadero and Beach Street, at the edge of Pier 39 in San Francisco, California. The Aquarium is focused on local aquatic animals from the San Francisco Bay and neighboring waters.
The Aquarium of the Bay is an affiliate of The Bay Institute and is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
History
The aquarium opened in 1996 under the name UnderWater World at a cost of $38 million and about 3,000 fish with 100 unique species. UnderWater World had a 360-foot-long acrylic tunnel that cuts through tanks filled with 700,000 gallons of filtered water from the bay. The original aquarium was remodeled with around $2 million in 2001 and re-branded as Aquarium of the Bay in 2001 due to poor attendance and a steep entry fee.[3]
Aquarium of the Bay added additional attractions and has 273 species and more than 60,000 fish.
Animals
The Aquarium has over 50 sharks from species such as sevengill sharks, leopard sharks, soupfins, spiny dogfish, brown smoothhounds and angel sharks. The Aquarium also has skates, bat rays and thousands of other animals including eels, flatfish, rockfish, Wrasse, Gobies, Kelpfish, Pricklebacks, Ronquil, Sculpin and Sturgeons.
Exhibits
The Aquarium is divided into three parts:[4]
- Discover the Bay
This exhibit has a variety of satellite tanks containing animals such as moray eels, Bay Pipefish (the father pipefish gives birth to their young), garibaldi (the California state marine fish), and more.
- Under the Bay
This is the aquarium's largest exhibit. It includes 300 feet (91 m) of tunnels and features thousands of aquatic animals and other sea creatures. The exhibit is a recreation of the San Francisco Bay.
- Touch the Bay
This exhibit lets visitors touch several types of animals including bat rays, skates, leopard sharks, sea stars, and sea cucumbers.
Gallery
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A bat ray at Aquarium of the Bay
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A skate at Aquarium of the Bay
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A starfish at Aquarium of the Bay
Notes
- 1 2 3 "About Aquarium of the Bay". aquariumofthebay.org. Aquarium of the Bay. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
- ↑ "List of Accredited Zoos and Aquariums". aza.org. AZA. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
- ↑ "Aquarium rises from depths of UnderWater World". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
- ↑ "Plan a Visit". aquariumofthebay.org. Aquarium of the Bay. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
External links
Media related to Aquarium of the Bay at Wikimedia Commons- Official website
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