Spend an Afternoon Under the Sea with Ripley’s Aquarium
By Michelle Cantey
Since 1997, Ripley's Aquarium has entertained and educated more than 10 million visitors curious to see what life's really like under the sea. In 2008, TripAdvisor.com ranked Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach as the fourth-most-popular aquarium in the U.S. (Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies ranked number one). Once visitors walk through Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach, it's easy to see why many return year after year.
Ripley's Aquarium features both fresh water and saltwater species in tanks that mimic their natural habitats.
Rainbow Rock gives an amazing look at thousands of brilliantly colored fish while the Living Gallery features various sea anemones, living corals, jellies and sea dragons.
Traveling through Dangerous Reef on a moving sidewalk, visitors are surrounded on all sides by giant sharks in a 750,000-gallon tank.
Ray Bay features a variety of rays which can be seen from several levels, including Friendship Flats, where guests can touch the rays.
Before leaving Ripley's Aquarium, guests can stop by the Sea-For-Yourself Discovery Center to hold a horseshoe crab or have puffer fish swim around them in the 'pop-up" tank. Children enjoy the angler fish slide.
Ripley's Aquarium features dive shows (held in Ray Bay and Rainbow Rock) and marine science classes hourly (just follow the digital signs throughout the aquarium).
Each year, Ripley's Aquarium tries to offer a new, educational and interactive exhibit. Its 2009 exhibit offers something new daily with the Babies Exhibit, featuring more than 30 interactive and live displays. The Babies Exhibit discusses the history of an incubator for premature infants to the marvels of Mother Nature. Whether it's chicks or sharks, visitors can witness the babies hatching as well as watch tadpoles, baby jellyfish and baby seahorses swimming in their tanks. This exhibit only runs through 2009.
Adventures at Ripley's
Stingray Experience - For those visitors who want to get up close and personal with the sea life, Ripley's Aquarium offers a few adventures for consideration. With the two-hour Stingray Experience, visitors can choose to swim, snorkel or dive with the stingrays, plus they get a behind-the-scenes tour and photo CD of their experience. The stingray adventure is supervised by a Ripley's diver chaperone and is not part of general admission. There is an additional fee for each adventure, and reservations are recommended.
Sleep with the Sharks - Children enjoy a night at Ripley's Aquarium all to themselves. Open to children, ages 6-14, participants enjoy music, dancing, karaoke, scavenger hunts, pizza and adventures throughout the night. When exhaustion finally sets in, Ripley's will set up camp in the tunnel for the participants to "Sleep with the Sharks." Scheduled July 10-August 19, Sleep with the Sharks is held each Wednesday night from 7 p.m. until 8 a.m. Thursday. Call for pricing details and reservations.
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Upcoming Events
The world-famous mermaids of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in Florida, known for their grace and beauty for the past 62 years, will appear at Ripley's Aquarium in July 2009.
Scheduled for July 24, 25 and 26, the mermaids will perform three shows daily (nine shows total) and will be available to meet and greet guests following each show. Last year's overwhelmingly successful show at Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach was the first time they had performed away from their home waters. The stage at Ripley's Aquarium will be Stingray Bay, a 15-foot-deep, 85,000 gallon saltwater tank, populated with five species of sharks and four species of stingrays.
Special photo opportunities and several interactive programs will be offered in conjunction with the mermaids' visit, including a Mermaid Splash, where guests can join a mermaid in the water and splash, pet and frolic with the friendly stingrays.
The mermaid shows are free with paid admission to the aquarium but the interactive programs, available for an additional fee, require a reservation.
For a complete list of upcoming events at Ripley's Aquarium, visit www.ripleysaquarium.com.
Summer Camps at Ripley's Aquarium
Ripley's Aquarium offers a variety of Marine Science Camps which are interactive, innovative, and entertaining. While attending the camp, participants can enjoy the thrill of swimming with sharks and rays, learning to scuba dive, traveling and exploring marine life in the open ocean, local parks and wetlands, as well as other adventures. All camps require reservations. For more information or to make reservations, contact Mary Clarke at Ripley's Aquarium.
General Admission Pricing
General Admission Prices* include dive shows, marine science presentations and 2009 Babies Exhibit:
- Adults (12 years and older) - $18.99
- Children (Ages 6-11) - $9.99
- Children (Ages 2-5) - $3.99
*Prices do not include sales tax and are subject to change.
http://www.mbsun.com/assets_c/2009/06/Ripleys Box-thumb-250x250.jpgRipley's Aquarium offers discounts to the following groups (appropriate ID required): US Military (all branches), SC Troopers Association, AAA, Seniors, and to all North Carolina and South Carolina teachers (school ID required).
Discount combo packages are also available for all of Ripley's Entertainment attractions in Myrtle Beach. Ripley's Entertainment has several attractions along Ocean Boulevard including Ripley's Moving Theater, Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum, Ripley's Haunted Adventure, and Ripley's Marvelous Mirror Maze.
Season passes are also available. For more information about group rates and catering, call Ripley's Aquarium at (800) 734-8888.
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