There’s always something new happening at Newport Aquarium, whether it’s special visitors like Scuba Santa or the Mermaids, or permanent exhibits like the Seahorses or Stingray Hideaway. This March, the Aquarium added a new exhibit to the mix: Ring of Fire: World of the Octopus. This exhibit explores the volatile, fire-meets-water ecosystem of the Giant Pacific Octopus, and is educational and visually stunning.
Ring of Fire at Newport Aquarium is now open – and would make a perfect spring break or summer vacation outing!
The exhibit highlights the mysterious creatures that live along the Pacific Rim’s Ring of Fire, where volcanoes and deep ocean trenches converge to create one of the world’s most intriguing ecosystems. Kids can get an up-close look at some of the most fascinating creatures that reside in the “Ring of Fire” – the Giant Pacific Octopus, Moon Jellyfish and Japanese Spider Crabs.
Simon the Giant Pacific Octopus is the star of the show, and he’s quite a sight to behold! This type of octopus is the world’s largest, and can literally change color and texture to match their surroundings.
While the octopus is quite impressive, the spider crabs and moon jellyfish are equally fascinating. My three year old was entranced by the jellyfish, which floated around the water in a hypnotic and beautiful way. They didn’t look real! And the Japanese Spider Crabs were my favorite — they are huge! It’s hard to believe that creatures like this really exist in the world. Getting to see the ocean like this – through the most amazing creatures – gives you a newfound respect for how big and awesome the world really is.
As with all of the Aquarium’s exhibits, Ring of Fire is immersive and really makes you feel like you’re there. (And by “there,” I mean in the ocean with these awesome creatures!) The exhibit room is dark and the aquariums are nice and low, so your kids will have an up-close-and-personal experience with the sea creatures.
Newport Aquarium is always changing the way we see the ocean – and this spring’s Ring of Fire is no exception! Open just in time for spring break, definitely check out this brand-new exhibit with your kids!
