Stingray Shores Touch Exhibit
Stingray Touch Exhibit
This exhibit allows guests of all ages and sizes to get up close with one of the friendliest species at OdySea Aquarium: stingrays.
Stingray Touch Exhibit
Be sure to touch gently with only two fingers. Helpful rules and species information can be found on the large white column next to the exhibit.
About Stingray Shores Touch Exhibit
The stingray touch pool is one of four exhibits in which guest can interact with the animals. This exhibit is home to multiple species of rays and sharks. The small dinner plate sized rays are called Yellow Rays, which are fully grown and weigh about one pound each. The second smallest rays in this exhibit are the Atlantic rays. They are normally found resting on the bottom waiting for food to present itself to them. This exhibit is also home to juvenile Southern rays. While these rays are small right now, these animals will weigh over one hundred pounds each when they are fully grown. The rays that you see flapping around in the middle of the water column are called cownose rays. Many of these animals were born in our SeaTrek exhibit and the touch pool serves as their temporary home. If you are lucky you might also spot an epaulette shark or coral cat shark. These animals tend to hang out underneath the coral structures in this exhibit, but they almost always make an appearance when food is present.
The stingray touch pool is the only exhibit that guest can get an up-close view of the many pumps, filters, and other components that make the operation of public aquariums possible. If you have ever wondered how the different types of filtration systems work, you can learn this and much more at this exhibit.
did you know?
Did you know the acrylic panels that surround this exhibit had to be placed by hand? The longest panels are 20 feet in length and required a small team to carefully position them prior to sealing them into place. Another interesting fact is that all of the animals in this system have individual identification markers that the animal care specialist use to care for them. Each shark and ray has a specific diet developed for it based off its age, body weight, the species and other variables.
