The New England Aquarium is located on the Central Wharf in downtown Boston, right on the waterfront. With many different exhibits, this aquarium is one of the bigger tourist attractions in Boston. This popular attraction serves as a nice way for locals and Concord Academy students to spend an afternoon in the city. CA took approximately thirty students on a trip to the aquarium on Saturday, November 13. Students roamed the aquarium and even went and walked around Boston.
The main attraction of the New England Aquarium is the four-story tall tank in the middle of the building. Around 1,000 animals live in this tank, including Myrtle the green sea turtle, who has lived at the aquarium since 1970 and is a favorite of most visitors. Other popular exhibits include the Shark and Ray Touch Tank, where you can interact with cownose rays, Atlantic rays, and epaulette sharks. Furthermore, there is an Atlantic harbor seal exhibit at the aquarium entrance, where you can watch the seals play for hours. The aquarium also boasts a penguin colony, with more than sixty penguins of two different species, African penguins and rockhoppers. The newest exhibit at the aquarium is the Indo-Pacific coral reef. It shows the beauty and diversity of coral reefs and is home to many beautiful tropical marine animals. However, unlike the Monterey Bay Aquarium, there are no otters here.
The aquarium is mainly family-oriented, having the largest number of visits during the summer and school breaks. Young kids enjoy wandering around and getting the chance to pet rays and sharks and adults learn about the animals while entertaining their children, who may be disappointed by the lack of otters.
While the New England Aquarium itself is entertaining enough to take up hours of your time, it is also conveniently located in the downtown area of bustling Massachusetts’ capital city. Faneuil Hall is just down the street from the aquarium, shops, and restaurants such as Chart House are all within walking distance.