Spotted Eagle Rays at Sea Life Aquarium
“GET UP AND GO” WITH THE JUMPITZ® July 29 – Sept. 9
With a call to action of “You can do it, so just jump to it,” The Jumpitz® take the audience on a song and dance filled interactive adventure that inspires, engages and shows kids that with a can-do attitude, anything is possible. The Jumpitz is one of the hottest children’s performance groups in the nation and has won multiple national awards. “Get Up and Go” runs daily in LEGOLAND California’s Village Theatre. Kids 3–12, Seniors 60+ $57; Adults $67. General Parking $12. Visit www.LEGOLAND.com or call (760) 918-LEGO.
THE LEGO® ATLANTIS ADVENTURE Now Playing!
The all-new LEGO® Atlantis Adventure is now showing in the SEA LIFE Theater! Professor Samantha Rhodes, an archaeologist and expert in ancient languages, has discovered a Triangular Map on the ocean floor, and believes it to be the map to Atlantis. When the story begins, viewers find themselves aboard the Neptune, a state-of-the-art submarine, where the Professor has gathered a top-notch salvage crew. She briefs the crew on the real reason behind the mission, but before they can voice their displeasure at the farfetched story of Atlantis, the submarine comes under attack by a Giant Crab. Things go from strange to outright bizarre, as the crew finds itself being plummeted to the bottom of an underwater volcano, besieged by a host of mutant sea life, and mentally tested to uncover the secret of the mysterious Glowing Crystals they uncover along the way. It takes all their strength, willpower, and brainpower to overcome the unknown elements of the ocean’s depths, but if they survive, they might discover the greatest treasure the world has ever known −The Lost City of Atlantis. The 22-minute long LEGO Atlantis Adventure plays several times daily and is included in the price of admission. Kids 3–12 $12, Seniors 60+ $16; Adults $19. Parking $5. Visit www.sealifeus.com or call (760) 918-5346
SEA LIFE™ CARLSBAD ADOPTS CARLSBAD STATE BEACH FOR CALIFORNIA COASTAL CLEANUP DAY Sept. 25
SEA LIFE™ Aquarium Carlsbad is adopting Carlsbad State Beach for California Coastal Cleanup Day Sept. 25 from 9 a.m. to noon. Employees from SEA LIFE and LEGOLAND® California will join hundreds of volunteers in picking up debris from our local beaches in an effort to improve the overall health of our beaches, bays, parks, canyons and open space areas. California Coastal Cleanup Day covers nearly 80 coastal and inland sites throughout San Diego County and Tijuana. Last year, nearly 10,000 volunteers removed debris like plastic bags, cigarette butts, bottle caps, Styrofoam, straws, food wrappers, discarded clothing, shoes and more from beaches and other sites by the truckload – totaling over 173,000 pounds of trash that could have ended up in our ocean! Coastal Cleanup volunteers are asked to register in advance at www.cleanupday.org for more information on this event and SEA LIFE Aquarium, visit www.sealifeus.com.
The Eagles Have Landed at SEA LIFE™ Aquarium! Aquarium Becomes First on West Coast to Feature Spotted Eagle Rays
The newest residents in the giant ocean tank at SEA LIFE™ Aquarium Carlsbad are two male spotted eagle rays. The new creatures are easy to find in the 250,000 gallon tank – their inky black bodies with bright white spots, long tails and uniquely shaped snouts make them true standouts among the 26 rays, 15 sharks and countless tropical fish who call the display home.
“We are thrilled to be the only Aquarium on the West Coast with spotted eagle rays on display,” said Bob Burhans, Curator for SEA LIFE Carlsbad. “Not only are they gorgeous creatures that appear to be flying through the water, they are extremely smart. We are looking forward to training them as part of our enrichment program.”
Both eagle rays at SEA LIFE are juveniles, with wingspans of approximately 2 feet, but they have the potential for a wingspan of up to 8 feet. Spotted eagle rays are found throughout the world’s oceans in shallow, inshore waters around reefs and estuaries. They prefer hard shelled prey such as snails, clams, lobster and crabs, but have been known to eat octopuses and fish. Eagle rays are large and can be dangerous predators, and in the wild, they are fed on by only the largest coral reef predators such as tiger, bull, lemon and hammerhead sharks.
The eagle rays are just one of the species trained as part of SEA LIFE Carlsbad’s enrichment program where SEA LIFE Aquarists create an exciting environment so animals begin to show natural behaviors and improve their well-being. Animals are given “toys” to play with, similar to encountering a new object or obstacle in the wild and are target trained to allow staff to record and monitor each creature’s food intake and overall health. The program has been so successful that other SEA LIFE centers world-wide (there are 30 in all) are duplicating it.
The eagle rays, which have very flexible rostrums, or noses, are being trained to recognize a small orange traffic cone in the water. They touch the cone with their nose and are rewarded with food. Such training allows aquarists one-on-one time with each creature to check health and distribute vitamins. To simulate the animals natural eating patterns, the staff offer the eagle rays live clam to maintain the function of their jaws and teeth. The rays crush the clams open with ease and get the meat inside, with a trail of broken shells dropping from their mouths.
Other creatures in the enrichment program include the giant pacific octopus, which interacts with toys and puzzles to simulate the hunting skills he would use in his natural environment; and two female zebra sharks who have been target trained to a point that they actually eat out of the aquarist’s hands. Though creatures would not be handled out in the wild, it is important for Aquarists to be able to handle them in an Aquarium environment for veterinary procedures and overall health maintenance.
SEA LIFE Carlsbad is located next to LEGOLAND® California. For more information visit www.sealifeus.com.
LEGOLAND® WATER PARK Now Open!
LEGOLAND® Water Park, the world’s first LEGO® themed Water Park is now open at LEGOLAND California. The 5.5 acre Water Park promises splash-filled, interactive fun for the entire family. LEGOLAND Water Park features Build-A-Raft River, where everyone floats on their own custom-built LEGO raft; a four-person raft slide, single-person tube slides and hands-on toddler areas. LEGOLAND Water Park is an upgrade from the standard LEGOLAND California admission: $12 for ages 3 and up; $3 for children 1 to 3. LEGOLAND tickets: Kids 3–12, Seniors 60+ $67; Adults $77. General Parking $12. Information: (760) 918-LEGO or www.LEGOLAND.com.
