CLEVELAND — The Greater Cleveland Aquarium is making a big splash with a series of upgrades throughout the attraction.
“The goal was to freshen the galleries and add something new. When we’re complete, we’ll have added more than a dozen species.”
For the first time, the aquarium is adding birds to its exhibits, while also becoming the only location in Ohio to feature an endangered weedy sea dragon.
WKYC was given a tour of the upgrades Tuesday morning.
Here are the new animals you can experience at the aquarium:
ASIA & INDONESIA GALLERY
- Frilled lizard
- Green tree python
- Solomon Island leaf frogs
- Blue-tongued skink
TROPICAL FORREST GALLERY
- Argentine black and white tegu
- Poison dart frogs
- Curl-crested aracari birds
INDUSTRY & HABITAT GALLERY
- Weedy sea dragon. "It will grow up to 18 inches. It is severely endangered and very fragile. We are the only zoo or aquarium in the state of Ohio that has this species."
- Flashlight fish
COASTAL BOARDWALK
- Spiny Pacific lumpsuckers
- Lookdown fish
A new play space -- known as Imagiquarium -- has also been added for kids.
"Kids can pretend they've joined they've joined the team of the Imagiquarium and they can do everything from food prep to our vet lab. They can design an exhibit, they can 'dive' to clean the exhibit and they can even clean."
The aquarium first opened in January 2012.
