Along the coast of Corpus Christi sits the Texas State Aquarium, dedicated to educating what lies off the coast of Texas in the tremendous vast Gulf of Mexico. There is a lot to discover in this ever-growing experience that creates an immersive environment of the gulf deeps and coastline. The sand-colored three-story building rises along the bay and offers a view of downtown Corpus Christi, the USS Lexington, and the man-made barriers that hug the coast against hurricanes. The aquarium is connected to the downtown via a web of bridges and freeways. You are dumped into the small tourist area that surrounds this venue. It sits in a small ocean-front vacation area filled with smaller ma and pa hotels that sit along with a few chain hotels that were purchased directly from a few of these families.
The effort to procure and create a zoological and botanical sanctuary for animals in the area started in 1969. It came to fruition in 1990 with the grand opening of the Texas State Aquarium. They owned sanctuary status in 1993 to rehabilitate the animals in distress along the Gulf of Mexico. The dolphin bay opened in 2003, along with a playground for kids. The aquarium slowly grew from there, adding additional areas to help and support animals in this area, from a bird sanctuary and a stingray bay. The playground turned into a much-visited splash park in 2011, and the aquarium celebrated its most visited year. In 2014, they reinvented many areas of the aquarium to create a more immersive environment so kids and adults could feel like they see the animals in their native habitat. The most significant expansion occurred in 2017 with the opening of the Caribbean Journey.
The ticket booth is located outside of the aquarium as you walk up to the building. It is planked by a couple of cute splash fountains filled with miniature golf blue water. You can also buy tickets online. The Texas State Aquarium is part of the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums), and they offer a discount if you belong to another AZA organization. Most local zoos and aquariums belong to this organization and offer a discount. Parking is available near the aquarium running under and along the freeway overpass. The street that runs along the overpass also has numerous private parking areas priced the same as the aquarium. If you park at the aquarium, you will need to purchase a coin at the ticket booth so you can leave when your day is done.
Once you obtain your tickets, you can walk up to the main building over a cement bridge under large fabric sails that block the coast's heat. The entrance leads you into the main lobby that opens up to the two stories above. Along the walls are sculptures created from rainbow-colored collected trash that has been scattered across the shores. They should have individuals handing out maps and offering to help with directions. The Caribbean Journey is immediate to the right, and the Gulf of Mexico is to the left. Definitely head off to the Gulf of Mexico.
The Gulf of Mexico starts you off along the mangroves and shallow waters where seashore birds nest and hunt, and the stingrays, alligators, and sharks swim among the roots that crawl through the shallows and reach deep into the sand. Around the corner are a touch pool and small aquariums filled with treasures that crawl and swim along the beaches. This room leads into the deeps and reefs created by the piers and large wreckage pulled into the waters off the shore. You start to see angelfish and sharks. Saving Sharks is an exhibit that extends this experience to fight off the stigma that still follows sharks since Jaws. There is a shark touch pool in this area where you can feel the skin of the shark. When you touch the skin, you can feel the vulnerability of the shark. The skin is thin, smooth, and unique to scaleless fish. Evolution has imbedded a warning in the skin. Perfectly aligned bumps raise from the surface and leave a needle prickling experience if you brush the skin from tail to head. Remember to use two fingers, your index and middle, folding the other three into your palm when you touch any creature at the aquarium. There is plenty of room for the sharks to isolate themselves away from being touched.
The experience continues as you are pulled two hundred miles off the coast and get a glimpse of the Flower Garden Banks National Marin Sanctuary. This naturally occurring reef was discovered as we started searching for pockets of petroleum in the Gulf of Mexico. It is a beautiful example of how life survives wherever it is given an inch of productive environment. There is also an incubator area for sharks where you can view a hatchery that contains eggs and baby sharks. Next to this incubator is a large display of jellyfish. The jellyfish swim through the sea's waters and land up along the coast from time to time. And don't forget to catch a glimpse of the octopus and sea anemones.
At this point, you empty into the break of day and the Dolphin Bay. They have performances daily, but the seating area is quite small. There is an additional area as you head out to the left of the arena to view the dolphins underwater. They do have a place to hide away from our eyesight, but you will probably catch a glimpse of them down there. A beautiful blue glow fills the viewing area that is calming and gives you a feeling of entering their world. As you exit the underwater viewing and walk along the edge of the aquarium, you catch views of the bay and downtown Corpus Christi. You walk along the Boardwalk Gardens filled with different environments for stingrays, otters, turtles, alligators, and ocelots. The ocelot used to wander and hunt throughout most of Texas until encroaching ranches and cities pushed them down into Mexico. At the end is a Hawk Wild Flight Theater where you are introduced to the rehabilitation part of the aquarium and learn about the birds that fill our skies.
Between the Dolphin Room and Boardwalk Gardens is a space to purchase food from the Pepsi Shoreline Grill and numerous food vending machines. Food is allowed in this area and outside. There are a few tables outside and under the building. It isn't my favorite place to eat and seems a little shoved off to the side, but it may be necessary if you forgot snacks or have extended your stay to run through lunchtime. It is good to know that it is there.
You will enter the Splash Park area as you head under the building and past the Pepsi Shoreline Grill. The Splash Pool is a great place for kids to be themselves and keep cool in the hot weather. Make sure you bring your sunscreen, towels, and clothes to change into after they are done. There are some adorable, colorful little huts against the wall that remind one of the east coast changing rooms along the seaboards. There is a splash area where the water shuts up and dances across the pavement and a larger lowered splash pool where they can climb through and around obstacles as water is squirted on them from all angles and dumped on them from above.
Our last and best experience at the aquarium is the Caribbean Journey. You need to head back to the aquarium entrance and head up the escalator to start your journey through the forest and coasts. There is an elevator to the left of the escalator. Definitely head upstairs first. As you reach the second floor, there may be an opportunity to feed the flamingos and purchase some krill for them. Then you enter through plastic strips that protect the birds. Immediately you can smell the flamingos, and then you will see their bright pink plumage. They are well-fed. There are quite a few birds that fly throughout the atrium and fill the air with their calls. You can also find a few treasures hiding throughout the exhibit, vampire bats, sloths, and poison dart frogs. There is an overlook filled with sharks and an additional one representing the coral reefs of the Caribbean. They have quite a few recreations of the coastal environments and have a stingray touch pool. The stingrays feel about the same as a shark, with a much smoother feeling. You should check out the skeleton of a stingray. It is life-changing.
From here, you can head down the escalator or elevator to the level below or above. Above is an observation deck to get an overview of the Caribbean Journey and an excellent chance to use a less traversed bathroom. Below is an underwater view of the Caribbean Journey tanks. You can view smaller aquariums teeming with life among the corals and reefs. There is a close-up viewing area of the sharks and reefs. As you empty out of the Caribbean Journey, a photo gallery displays the plastic threat to our seas. National Geographic gives you a pictorial of the destruction and pervasive culture of plastic, National Geographic: Living in the Age of Plastics. They offer some sustainability alternatives and consideration of discontinuing our overabundance of the use of plastics.
As you exit this area to the left is a 4D movie theater available for an additional fee. These are great if you are a member of the aquarium and an excellent way to dive deeper into the subject of our waters. To the right is the gift shop, which seems a little tone-death after exiting the National Geographic: Living in the Age of Plastics. There are some outstanding books and takeaways that can further your or your child's understanding of the ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
Texas State Aquarium
2710 N Shoreline Blvd
Corpus Christi, TX 78402
Tel 800.477.GULF
Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm and Saturday - Sunday 9:30 am - 6:00 pm
Age: Preschool and up
The Texas State Aquarium can be very crowded during a holiday week or a summer weekend. Keep in mind that most spaces are smaller and funnel you through their exhibit, and it may be hard to escape the crowds. Make sure you stand back and let large groups pass before entering to give yourself a little space. Bring items to calm those with sensory issues and those that get upset with tight spaces. There are plenty of surfaces to touch, and there is hand sanitation available at the touch pools. There are plenty of outdoor spaces overlooking the bay that allow for some quiet time and an escape from the chaos. People and animals, primarily birds, create the noises you will hear. There are a lot of loud birds in the Caribbean Journey.
Комментарии