New York Aquarium

Sea Cliffs keepers regularly provide enrichment for all our animals and have been experimenting to find items that Walter, our young African penguin, finds enjoyable and reinforcing. As a young animal, this is an exciting time as many items and activities his keepers provide will engage his curiosity and be novel for him. According to our Sea Cliffs keepers, Walter has shown heightened interest in bubbles! This activity stimulates curiosity for Walter. As African penguins explore their world with their beaks, he will nip at the bubbles to investigate further.

📷: Keeper Olivia

Harbor seal Pickles recently became an overnight internet sensation when we shared a video of him ‘galumphing’ to illustrate how seals move on land. Here are some stunning shots of him in the water in the Aquatheater. Pickles plays an important role in the Aquatheater. His participation helps us to point out the differences between seals and sea lions. It also helps us connect our audience to a marine mammal that is found right off the New York coastline. For the daily Aquatheater schedule, see: https://bit.ly/3Ybrw0E

📷: WCS Photographer, Terria Clay

Thank you to the approximately 200 participants who came out for the World Oceans Day Beach Sweep on June 6! We are thrilled to share that we collected 170 pounds of trash, removing harmful debris from Coney Island Beach. The most commonly collected items included cigarette butts, bottle caps, broken glass and plastic bottles.

Once plastic and other debris enters our waterways, it is deadly for many species and negatively impacts animals and people. Caring for the planet is a year-round commitment at New York Aquarium and we’re dedicated to protecting our beaches and local waters for generations to come. 🌍

Give your kids an experience they’ll never forget at New York Aquarium Summer Camp!

New York Aquarium Summer Camp is open to young explorers of all ages, from PreK to 8th grade. Campers will get up close with incredible ocean animals, explore our park, and discover the wonders of marine life through hands-on play and learning. With award-winning programming from Wildlife Conservation Society Education program, your kids are in the best hands all summer long. https://bit.ly/46rsitw

Shark Party is back! The countdown is on for our shark-themed event at the aquarium, July 7/18-7/19 and 7/25-7/26.

Sharks play a vital role in their marine ecosystems. Through family-friendly activities and entertainment, including keeper chats, shark crafts, games, Wildlife Theater, costumed characters, puppets, and more, you will learn about these misunderstood but important denizens of the deep!

This fintastic celebration is included with your New York Aquarium admission. Get tickets: https://bit.ly/4jFycg0 🦈

📸: WCS photographer, Terria Clay

Check out these stunning photos of Quint, our male southern sea otter, taken by Keeper Olivia. Quint was rescued as a two-week-old pup when he was found without his mother off the Central Coast of California. After Quint received veterinary treatment and supportive care at a rescue center, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined he could not be released into the wild, and Quint came to live with us at the New York Aquarium in 2012, when he was around six months old. This sweet otter brings joy to guests and keepers alike.

Happy ! 🌊

Just like national parks protect the land, marine protected areas safeguard the habitats and animals that call the ocean home — and they're one of the most powerful tools we have for ocean conservation.

At the New York Aquarium, every day is World Oceans Day. We're committed to protecting wildlife and inspiring the next generation of zoologists, marine biologists, and conservationists who will carry this mission forward. The ocean has always been worth protecting, and together, we can continue to preserve marine environments. Join us in our mission to protect wildlife and inspire the next generation of zoologists and conservationists. The ocean needs its champions, and that starts with you.

📷 : WCS Photographer, Terria Clay

How do you train a wobbegong shark to come to its dinner? Very patiently! In the wild, these sharks are ambush predators. They lay camouflaged on the sandy sea floor and wait to snap up unsuspecting prey.

To train this behavior, the shark team established a target (a Kong dog toy fastened to a PVC pipe), which is usually the first step in training any behavior. Over time, the sharks began to associate the target with food and keepers did not need to put the food directly next to them. If they could at least see the target, they would go to it to get their reinforcement.

The next step was for keepers to incorporate an acoustic stimulus: tapping metal rods together three times under water. Each time the sharks accepted their food, a keeper gave the acoustic stimulus. This established the association that when they heard that tapping sound, they would get fed. By pairing the target and the acoustic stimulus, they learned to come to the surface to eat when they heard their ‘dinner bell’!” After several YEARS of training, the keepers no longer had to search for the small sharks or maneuver an unwieldy pole in order to make sure they get a balanced diet!

📷: WCS Photographer, Terria Clay

This adorable is brought to you by Keeper Olivia! These are our female California sea lions in the Sea Cliffs habitat, Halftime, Ariana, Dory, and Nora.

Sea lions will group together in the wild for protection from predators. Sleeping in numbers allows them to stay warm and also promotes social bonding.