Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 25, No. 11, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 16, 1995 Page: 33 of 68
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Port Aransas South Jetty
1995 Spring Visitors Guida
PSQS 17
Aquarium window to Gulf
T-'Vuriiig your day in Port
B\ransas, take half a day
1—^lo visit the country’s Tint
facility to focus on the plants and
anunals indigenous to the Gulf of
Mexico and Caribbean Sea: the
Texas State Aquarium in Corpus
Christi.
The living exhibits of the
Aquarium are designed to give
visitors the sensation of gradually
immersing deeper into the waters
of the Gulf.
“You become an undersea ex-
plorer as you experience the many
interactive displays that reveal the
mysteries of this fascinating un-
derwater adventure," a promo-
tional brochure reads.
Visitors are taken from the shore
to the deep waters and back sgam
through interactive experiences
with plant and animal life pre-
sented in their natural environ-
ments.
Located on 7.3 acres on the
southernmost tip of Corpus Christi
Beach in the shadow of the Haibor
Bridge, the Aquarium features
hundreds of species, ranging from
invertebrates to the higher order of
animal and bony fishes displayed
in intricately reproduced
representing the ecosystems of the
Gulf of Mexico. These habitats
include "Marsh, Dune and Bay:
the Estnariea," with a dramatic
slice through a barrier island dune;
and “The Shoreline Comes Alive:
Animals of the Texas Coast," with
its Sea Star Discovery Pool where
visitors can touch the mysterious
and intriguing marine animals
which inhabit the waters of the
Gulf Coast.
"Shaping the Boundaries: The
Barrier Islands:" includes an in-
teractive video that allows visitors
to become a mayor and issue the
evacuation procedure as a simu-
lated hirricane threatens the coast,
and in "The Flower Garden Coral
Reef," visitors will see a recre-
ation of a rare phenomenon known
for its beauty, flourishing coral
and marine life.
The exhibit “Islands of Steel:
Oil and Gas Platforms" highlights
the Aquarium's largest tank with
132,000gallons. “Ocean Technol-
ogy and Mariculture" focuses on
the technology of the deep-sea ex-
ploration and research; and “The
Nearshore" depicts the crowded
jetties and the Seven and One-
Half Fathom Reef.
In 1995 several new exhibits
have opened or will open. The
Alligator Marsh E^hibitshowcases
"Eve”, a five-foot female albino
alligator that traveled from Loui-
siana with her companion, Adam.
Albino alligators are extremely
rare, but are more common than
lucisbc, or white, alligators. Albi-
nism is the complete lack of pig
mentation which causes the eyes
of the alligator to be pink and
prohibits exposure to direct sun-
light Most albino gators therefore
do not survive the first year. Eve,
however, is about 2 1/2 years old
and thanks to comprehensive
round-the-clock care, is in excel-
lent health. She is the only one of
her kind on exhibit anywhere in
the world. She will remain in her
temporary habitat until March
when a brand new Alligator Marsh
Exhibit funded by Koch Refining
should be complete. The exhibit
will be designed with special light-
ing to accommodate Eve's unique
needs rod it will consist of a pool
and beach area with an acrylic
front for visitor viewing andaback-
drop mural depicting sand dunes
and sky.
During Spring Break in March,
Aquarium visitors will have an
opportunity to experience "The
Wonderful World of Sherman's
Lagoon" far the first time. Three-
dimensional graphics and interac-
tive displays in vivid cartoon color
will bring to life the quirky and
delightful stars of Jim Toomey's
popular cartoon strip, "Sherman's
Lagoon". Sherman the shark and
his friends will guide visitors
through the exhibit, teaching them
about lagoons, barrier reefs and
the formation of coral atolls. The
exhibit will contain a Warm Water
ReefLagoon tank andaCold Water
Tidal Pool tank featuring animals
such as anemones, tropical fish,
corals and starfish from the Pa-
cific Ocean and the Pacific North-
west coastline. Sherman will also
help answer some frequently asked
questions about shaiks arid their
habitats and through an entertain-
ing video interview, Toomey will
provide some insight into the fas-
cinating life of a cartoonist
The new Conservation Cove is
scheduled to open in June. The
76,624 square-foot Cove will in-
clude an endangered sea turtle
habitat and will also eventually
provide a permanent home for four
Texas river otters currently on tem-
porary display. It will be located
next to the Aquarium's outdoor
rehabilitation marsh for injured
shorebirds and will teach visitors
about the cycle of life and how a
species becomes either threatened
or endangered. Visitors will enter
through a series of conservation
Story Walls and as they tour the
turtle and otter exhibits in a circu-
lar route, the story of each animal
will unfold through graphics and
weatherproof video displays. The
sea turtle habitat will consist of a
2.250 square-foot pool and beach
area and a 40,000 gallon tank. It
will feature several different spe-
cies of sea turtles including the
endangered Kemp's Ridley.
The Aquarium is operated by
the Texas State Aquarium Asro-
ciatkm, a nonprofit, self-support-
ing organization established in
1978. The Association has raised
more than $28 million in private
and public funding for die con-
struction and operation of the
Aquarium.
Admission fees are $7 for adults
(18 years and older), $3.73 for
children (4 to 17 yean), $5 for
senior citizens (60 years and older)
and active duty military. Admis-
sion is free for children 3 years and
under.
The Aquarium is handicapped
accessible, it has elevators and
wheelchairs available for use by
the handicapped. Strollers are per-
mitted in the Aquarium, although
complimentary child back packs
are available.
The Aquarium is open Monday
through Saturday from 9 am. to 5
p.m., and on Sunday from 10 am.
to 5 pm. It is closed Christmas
Day.
Information on membership to
the Texas State Aquarium cm be
obtained by calling (512) 881-1300
or 1-800-477-GULF (4853).
I C O A --- ,
H A
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wmmm
Hope Devlin, Owner
Women - Men - Children
Full Service Salon
Moderately priced using quality Matrix Sr Biolage
hair Sr skin products.
Open Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m. -1 p.m.
Walk-ins welcome - Appointments preferred
We specialize in Color, Sunglitz, Highlights, Perms and
Creative Hair Cuts. Color/Perm Consultants.
Also, pamper yourself to a
Facial - Manicure - Pedicure
Call 749-5814
520 Cut Off Road Ste # 11
Bring this ad in and receive 10% off first visit.
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Judson, Mary. Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 25, No. 11, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 16, 1995, newspaper, March 16, 1995; Port Aransas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth623793/m1/33/: accessed May 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Ellis Memorial Library.