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PASSAGES OF THE DEEP
Very few people have truly experienced the Oregon coast.
Sure, people have walked along its pristine beaches, but only a select few have
seen what lies beneath the ocean waves. By this Memorial Day weekend, the Oregon
Coast Aquarium invites you to immerse yourself and take a walk beneath the
waves in a new undersea adventure entitled Passages of the Deep. The 1.32-million-gallon Passages of the Deep exhibit
features three large ocean habitats connected by a 200-foot underwater tunnel,
showcasing the diverse marine life found off the Oregon coast, including
seldom-seen cold-water sharks. "Soon our visitors will stroll straight into the
deep, cold sea without getting wet," said Phyllis Bell, Aquarium
president. "Our acrylic tunnel will be one of a kind because it will be
suspended through the middle, allowing marine life to pass both above and
below. There will be nothing like it anywhere in the world." Completely
surrounded by seawater, you'll experience an immense ocean habitat as you
travel through the clear acrylic tunnel, coming face to face with sharks, rays
and other unusual creatures.
"What I find exciting is the mystery of what we may
discover in the open sea," says Bell. "The ocean is so vast that while
we have an idea of what we might find, we could come up with something entirely
different. You never really know what you're going to see until you're out
there." Upon entering the walk-through tunnel, you'll first
experience a southern Oregon reef in the 200,000-gallon Orford Reef exhibit.
Waves surge, causing a forest of kelp to gently sway back and forth in the
current. A rocky reef will loom in the middle distance, with colorful sea stars
and giant green anemones visible on the boulders. Large wolf-eels, cabezon, sea
perch, striped bass and greenlings will be seen swimming within the many rock outcroppings.
Further along, the tunnel's opaque floor will give way to a window underfoot.
Here you'll look straight down to the simulated ocean floor. The big tunnel
will then veer off into the second section.
After another transition, which will announce the Open Sea
section of the exhibit, the background will recede into darkness. The tunnel
itself, though, will be well lit and you'll spot large sharks swimming slowly
by. Like deep-sea explorers, you'll watch thousands of large and small fishes
swimming on all sides. A school of spiny dogfish sharks will be seen all
around. An interpretive brochure will identify the other shark species that
swim above and below.
As you leave the tunnel you'll encounter interpretive
panels, which relate to what you have just experienced. Adjacent to the gallery
will be an elegant banquet space with a large viewing window that looks back
into the spectacular exhibit, plus a viewing deck overlooking picturesque
Yaquina Bay, and restroom facilities. A gift shop showcasing products that
relate to the open ocean and environmental stewardship will also be featured. In addition to the new Passages of the Deep exhibit, you
can come face to tentacles with jellyfish in the new Jellies: Jewels of the Sea
exhibit. Having the distinction of being the largest jellyfish display in the
world, the exhibit also highlights the exquisite handblown glasswork of
renowned artist Chris Hawthorne. Hawthorne has created a number of beautiful
custom pieces inspired by these mysterious creatures. You'll experience the
fluid forms of hot glass next to cool jellies, as each display creates a visual
connection between Mother Nature's living art and Hawthorne's collection of fine
art. Impressive handblown glass jellyfish over six feet in length, coupled with
various sized jelly sculptures, convey the luminescent colors, symmetry and
graceful movement of these magnificent creatures. The Aquarium's new Ocean Exploration Station also features
a jellyfish theme. The new station demonstrates the difficulty in caring for
jellyfish through a crystal clear tank, allowing you to see how the unique life-support
system works. It also features an interactive touch screen that reveals
little-known facts about these cryptic creatures, plus you can check out the
similarities of anemones to jellyfish in a colorful anemone tank highlighting
beautiful green and strawberry anemones. You can even compare the water content
of a jellyfish compared to that of a persons, and see what remains of a
jellyfish once the water has been removed. In coming years, the Aquarium will continue to expand,
both indoors and out, taking advantage of the entire 39-acre site in order to
comfortably accommodate growing attendance, while providing more variety and
services. Educational programs will continue to be the number one priority for children
and adults alike in the Aquarium's expanded theater and classrooms, designed to
present dynamic demonstrations and school programs. The Aquarium's future expansion calls for larger
classrooms, a new auditorium and new exhibits on freshwater streams, estuaries
and upland forests of the central Oregon coast. A component of this expansion
was completed last spring with the opening of a 35,000-gallon saltwater salmon and
sturgeon exhibit. Located just south of Newport's Yaquina Bay Bridge, the
Oregon Coast Aquarium is rated one of the top 10 aquariums in the nation by
Parade magazine. Rugged cliffs, caves and pools showcase the many unique fish
and invertebrates of Oregon's coastal shores. Outdoors you'll discover curious seals,
sea lions and Aialik the sea otter. A giant Pacific octopus lurks in an
undersea coastal cave, and cartoon-like tufted puffins and other seabirds make
their homes in one of the largest walk-through aviaries in North America. The Oregon Coast Aquarium is a private, nonprofit
educational facility that offers people a fun way to understand Oregon's unique
coastal resources, so that they and future generations will cherish and
conserve them. The facility is designed to be accessible to learners of all
ages, ability levels and learning styles, serving nearly 40,000 schoolchildren
annually, opening doors to new interests and introducing science in a
meaningful way. Its marine education specialists have developed a curriculum of
30 classes and programs for traditional schools on various marine topics for
students from pre-school through twelfth grade. Self-guiding school materials
are also available. The Aquarium has added an outreach program to deliver
marine science educational opportunities to students and teachers in Oregon and
southwest Washington. Additional educational activities and downloadable lessons
can be found on the Aquarium's Web site. Essential Information:
The Aquarium is open every day except December 25. Summer hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Winter hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For additional information, please call 541-867-3474 Edited by Kerry Cohen Tunnel photo courtesy of the Oregon Coast Aquarium |
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TM
Oregon Coast Aquarium Unveils New Undersea Adventure Memorial
Day Weekend
All along the tunnel there will be large viewing windows
incorporated into the floor, giving you a 360-degree view. Suspended eight feet
below the water's surface and eight feet above the simulated ocean bottom, the
tunnel will give you the feeling of walking beneath the sea.
Here, you'll experience a dramatic 275,000-gallon
exhibit called Halibut Flats. Walking above the sandy bottom, you'll notice a
variety of fishes on the ocean floor, including California bat rays, Pacific
halibut, big skates and other animals gracefully gliding nearby. Sturgeon,
Pacific cod, rockfishes, skilfish and schooling sablefish will swim above and
below the tunnel. A sunken ship will rest on the bottom, with the ever-present rockfish
hanging out around it. The shipwreck will give you the feeling of what it might
have been like to be an early diver exploring just offshore.
Soupfin, leopard, six-gill and seven-gill sharks will
give you a sense of the many unusual creatures found in the open sea. Predators
like mackerel, coaststriped bass, and coho and chinook salmon will be just some
of the animals featured here. You'll linger to admire the efficient movements
of the many fishes and will be astonished by the sharks' ancient, otherworldly appearance.
Near the exit, you'll realize that this third section has been the largest of
the three--the striking lighting and receding walls will give the illusion of
an endless ocean environment.