SEA LIFE Orlando Reaches Important Landmark
SEA LIFE® Orlando Aquarium reached a new construction milestone today as aquarists started to fill the Aquarium’s Atlantic Ocean habitat with more than 192,000 gallons of water. The aquarium attraction opens on May 4, 2015 and this was an important step towards opening day.
It will take approximately two days to fill up the Atlantic habitat. After completion, aquarists will then work to fill more than 30 additional habitats. The water will go through a customized filtration system where salt will be added. Afterward, the salt water becomes acclimated to safely hold the aquarium’s sea animals, which will begin to arrive in the next few weeks.
Fun facts:
- 45,000 pounds of sand have been placed inside the aquariums
- More than 90,000 pounds of salt will be used to create the saltwater
- SEALIFE Orlando will have temperate habitats which will help create a more diverse ecosystem to house colorful and vibrant animals
- The 360-degree tunnel, weighs eight tons and has a buoyancy of 60,000 pounds lifting it like a bubble
- The animals that will call SEA LIFE Orlando home include: Sand Bar sharks, Pacific Black Tip sharks, Grey Reef sharks and Bowmouth Guitarfish sharks
- The aquarium’s windows are approximately four inches thick
- More than 40,000 gallons of water are held in an underground reservoir beneath the aquarium
When SEA LIFE Orlando opens it will be a fully immersive, one-of-kind aquarium experience that allows marine life enthusiasts to experience the magical world beneath the oceans of the world with interactive touch pools, bubble aquariums, floor-to-ceiling displays, and 360-degree and 180-degree ocean tunnels featuring more than 5,000 sea creatures. The 25,000-square foot aquarium attraction will be home to colorful fish, sharks, sea horses, sting rays, jellies, sea turtles and much more.
SEA LIFE provides a glimpse of the diversity of marine life, while also playing an active role in animal and environmental conservation. Visitors will see strong evidence of the Breed, Rescue and Protect program with activities around the world, and new projects developed locally, as well as educational initiatives, including guest lectures and talks.
SEA LIFE is the world’s largest aquarium chain and SEA LIFE Orlando is the 50th location aquarium launched in the world and the 8th in the U.S. SEA LIFE Orlando is located at 8337 International Drive in Orlando, Florida, inside I-Drive 360, the entertainment and dining complex which is the home of the 400-foot Orlando Eye observation wheel and celebrity wax attraction Madame Tussauds Orlando.
For more information, go to www.visitsealife.com/orlando.
More photos at www.FloridaLeisurePhotography.com
