Greetings fellow Zoochatters and former disco hippo enjoyers! I present to thee my latest zoological facility trip report, review, and species list. This time, we'll be looking at the Adventure Aquarium (formerly known as the New Jersey State Aquarium, a name I wish they kept so I could claim another "state" aquarium under my belt; oh well). This is a mid-large aquarium located in Camden, New Jersey as part of the Wiggins Waterfront Park. The park and aquarium sit right on the lower Delaware River, directly across from Philadelphia, PA. The park and aquarium provide nice views of the river and downtown skyline. This aquarium was originally conceived to revitalize the Camden waterfront and first opened in 1992. Despite initial high attendance, the aquarium quickly developed a negative reputation for its bland and boring design, presentation, and lack of variety of its collection. Attendance quickly plummeted, and the aquarium would immediately go to work on renovations and expansions in an attempt to turn itself around. Despite some well-received additions, such as the Ocean Realm exhibit, the aquarium would see itself stagnate again by the end of the 1990s, and a complete makeover was in order. The aquarium underwent a massive overhaul in 2004 which saw the existing building (known as the South Building) be completely renovated and the addition of a brand new expansion, the North Building. The aquarium would then open its current form in 2005 and, by all accounts, this massive undertaking seems to have been a success. Interestingly enough, this aquarium is operated by Herschend Family Entertainment, an Atlanta-based entertainment company that also operate the Newport and Vancouver aquariums, as well as several notable theme parks such as Dollywood in Tennessee and Silver Dollar City in Missouri. This aquarium appears to be somewhat polarizing on this site, and I've seen opinions go either way. While I definitely have some criticisms for this place, I was also pleasantly surprised by what this aquarium had to offer and I enjoyed my visit overall. I did initially have muted expectations for this place going in, and while it fell short in some areas, they were exceeded in others. I even think this aquarium might be slightly underrated, as I would definitely put it in the upper half of aquariums I have visited (although it will never come close to scratching the likes of Georgia or Tennessee; no aquarium will ever top Tennessee in my heart). The aquarium consists of 5 zones, A-E. Zones A-D feature the exhibits, while Zone E is mainly shopping and dining. This will make it easy for me to split up my review, as I can dedicate a post to each zone. As usual, I have also created a species list on iNaturalist which you can view here -> [VISIT] Adventure Aquarium Species List - 2024/04/13. Please note that english names may differ from what you see at the aquarium, but the scientific names should match up. Without further ado, let's DIVE in. Up Next: Zone A
Looking forward to your review. I really enjoyed my visit to Adventure Aquarium and I found the hippo exhibit to be much better than I was expecting (although my expectations were very low). Also enjoyed the shark exhibits and seeing a Great Hammerhead. Are you visiting the nearby Philadelphia Zoo? You could of paired the aquarium and zoo, along with other activities, at a discounted rate by buying a Philly city pass. Since you're in the area will you be heading to NYC for a visit to Bronx?
Part 1 - Zone A For my visit, I initially visited the 4 zones in alphabetical order. Zones A-C are located in the aquarium's original South Building, while the newer North Building consists entirely of Zone D. This first part will cover Zone A. Zone A is mainly centered around the large Ocean Realm exhibit, one of two "mega tanks" in the aquarium. This zone also contains a mix of native and exotic species; it's also the only zone to feature both native freshwater animals and non-aquatic birds. Zone A consists of the following exhibits: Piranha Falls Little Blue Beach Pirates Passage Ocean Realm (includes Sea Turtle Cove) Touch-a-Shark Piranha Falls Assuming you're going through the exhibits in the "intended" order, this is your very first stop. This exhibit focuses mainly of freshwater wildlife and is centered around the eponymous tank, a waterfall-feed open-topped tank backed by towered rocky cliffs that span 2 floors and plants. Nearby are a random assortment of turtles and parrots. The main tank itself is actually quite decent, being pretty deep and well-furnished. It may not be the most authentic-looking from a naturalism standpoint, but I still dug the design. The species mix was also nice, as I don't see red-bellied piranhas mixed with other fish very often. Then the aquarium had to ruin it by placing these floating glowing orbs that are incredibly distracting. I mean, look at the picture above. I have no idea what the occasion was, but they had no reason to be there. The turtle exhibits are decent; they're not the biggest, but they are well-furnished. The parrot exhibit is pretty weak, as it's awfully small. That said, the aquarium uses a fine netting for both this and their Kookaburra exhibit that is practically invisible from a distance, which is a plus. Banded Leporinus (Leporinus fasciatus) Common Pleco (Hypostomus plecostomus) (Signed as Plecostomus) Ocellate River Stingray (Potamotrygon motoro) (Not seen) Pink-tailed Chalceus (Chalceus macrolepidotus) Red-bellied Pacu (Piaractus brachypomus) Redbelly Piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri) Royal Panaque (Panaque nigrolineatus) (Signed as Royal Pleco) Silver Prochilodus (Semaprochilodus taeniurus) Tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) (Signed as Black Pacu) Eastern Snake-necked Turtle (Chelodina longicollis) Lake Kutubu Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia lacustris) Red Rainbowfish (Glossolepis incisa) Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna) (Rotational) Red-fronted Macaw (Ara rubrogenys) (Rotational) Red-lored Parrot (Amazona autumnalis) (Rotational) Yellow-naped Parrot (Amazona auropalliata) (Rotational, observed) Little Blue Beach Our next stop takes us down under to a small gallery focusing on 2 species of Australian bird. Like the parrot exhibit before, the Kookaburra exhibit uses a fine mesh barrier that is invisible unless you are right up against it. The theming is decent, but if it weren't for the fact that this is my first time seeing the rare Little Blue Penguin (and also seeing the Kookaburra signed with the correct scientific name), this would have been an otherwise forgettable exhibit. The penguin enclosure is decently-sized but kind of bland in terms of aesthetics. It could really use some additional landscaping. The kookaburra exhibit is well-furnished but like the parrot exhibit, it's on the small side. Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) Little Blue Penguin (Eudyptula minor) Pirates Passage This takes us to our first marine life exhibit. This gallery is themed around pirates and shipwrecks and features a variety of mixed-species tanks focusing on coastal and reef fish native to the western Atlantic. This exhibit exemplifies two of my main criticisms with the facility; the theming and the signage. This gallery is loaded with tacky pirate theming that seems to draw more from romanticized pirate fiction than it does actual historicity. That being said, the theming is mainly restricted to the visitor portions, as the exhibits themselves are actually well landscaped. The signage is also an issue, with plenty of instances where signed species are not present and vice versa. I tried my best to ID what was missing and present, but I cannot guarantee 100% accuracy (that said, unsigned species are usually signed elsewhere and missing ones are present elsewhere, so overall this wasn't too much of an issue, I hope). Atlantic Blue Tang (Acanthurus coeruleus) Atlantic Sergeant Major (Abudefduf saxatilis) Atlantic Spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber) Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) Blackblotch Foxface (Siganus unimaculatus) (Unsigned) Bluestriped Grunt (Haemulon sciurus) Brazilian Ocean Surgeonfish (Acanthurus bahianus) Cottonwick (Haemulon melanurum) French Grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) Graysby (Cephalopholis cruentata) Lane Snapper (Lutjanus synagris) Longspine Squirrelfish (Holocentrus rufus) Longspined Porcupinefish (Diodon holocanthus) Queen Angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris) Queen Triggerfish (Balistes vetula) Rooster Hogfish (Lachnolaimus maximus) Schoolmaster Snapper (Lutjanus apodus) Tomtate (Haemulon aurolineatum) White Grunt (Haemulon plumierii) Atlantic Blue Tang (Acanthurus coeruleus) (Unsigned) Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto) (Unsigned) Atlantic Moonfish (Selene setapinnis) (Unsigned) Atlantic Sergeant Major (Abudefduf saxatilis) Caribbean Bluehead Wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum) Caribbean Ocean Surgeonfish (Acanthurus tractus) French Angelfish (Pomacanthus paru) Highhat (Pareques acuminatus) Porkfish (Anisotremus virginicus) Princess Parrotfish (Scarus taeniopterus) Puddingwife Wrasse (Halichoeres radiatus) Slippery Dick (Halichoeres bivittatus) (Unsigned) Spanish Hogfish (Bodianus rufus) Tobaccofish (Serranus tabacarius) (Unsigned) Tomtate (Haemulon aurolineatum) Atlantic Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus) (Unsigned) Longsnout Seahorse (Hippocampus reidi) Northern Seahorse (Hippocampus erectus) Red Cushion Sea Star (Oreaster reticulatus) Short-tailed Pipefish (Microphis brachyurus) (Unsigned) Butter Hamlet (Hypoplectrus unicolor) (Unsigned) Caribbean Sharpnose Puffer (Canthigaster rostrata) Four-eyed Butterflyfish (Chaetodon capistratus) French Angelfish (Pomacanthus paru) (Unsigned) Gulf Toadfish (Opsanus beta) (Unsigned) Honeycomb Cowfish (Acanthostracion polygonium) Scrawled Cowfish (Acanthostracion quadricornis) Spotted Trunkfish (Lactophrys bicaudalis) Western Atlantic Trumpetfish (Aulostomus maculatus) Whitespotted Filefish (Cantherhines macrocerus) Atlantic Blue Tang (Acanthurus coeruleus) Black Triggerfish (Melichthys niger) Blackbar Soldierfish (Myripristis jacobus) Doctorfish (Acanthurus chirurgus) Harlequin Bass (Serranus tigrinus) Puddingwife Wrasse (Halichoeres radiatus) Rock Beauty (Holacanthus tricolor) Smallmouth Grunt (Brachygenys chrysargyrea) Spotfin Butterflyfish (Chaetodon ocellatus) Spotfin Hogfish (Bodianus pulchellus) Spotted Porcupinefish (Diodon hystrix) Yellow Goatfish (Mulloidichthys martinicus) Green Moray (Gymnothorax funebris) (Not Seen) Longspine Squirrelfish (Holocentrus rufus) Neon Goby (Elacatinus oceanops) (Not Seen) Purplemouth Moray (Gymnothorax vicinus) (Not Seen) Spotted Moray (Gymnothorax moringa) Caribbean Sharpnose Puffer (Canthigaster rostrata) Caribbean Upsidedown Jelly (Cassiopea frondosa) Dusky Damselfish (Stegastes adustus) Princess Parrotfish (Scarus taeniopterus) Saddled Blenny (Malacoctenus triangulatus) Blue Chromis (Azurina cyanea) Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus) French Angelfish (Pomacanthus paru) (Unsigned) Queen Angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris) Spotfin Hogfish (Bodianus pulchellus) Blackcap Basslet (Gramma melacara) Chalk Bass (Serranus tortugarum) Cherubfish (Centropyge argi) Creole Wrasse (Bodianus parrae) Glassy Sweeper (Pempheris schomburgkii) Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto) Common Lionfish (Pterois volitans) Longspined Porcupinefish (Diodon holocanthus) (Unsigned) Yellow Stingray (Urobatis jamaicensis) (Unsigned) Ocean Realm Immediately after Pirates Passage, we come upon one of the aquarium's 2 ocean tank exhibits and probably one of its best - Ocean Realm. This large tank contains multiple viewing windows, including a small theater with a tall winder and a wider window on the other end. This tank harbors one of the aquarium's most notable specimens; a Great Hammerhead, which I have only seen at Georgia. This exhibit also contains Sea Turtle Cove, which features 3 round windows for viewing. This is one of the strongest exhibits at the aquarium. The tank is very large and open, yet very well furnished and landscaped. It also contains a great mix of animals, from small tangs and surgeonfishes to large hammerheads and some of the biggest sea turtles I've ever seen. The viewing is great and the theming is not as invasive as it is in Pirates Passage. That said, signage is slightly lacking here. Bowmouth Guitarfish are still signed, but are definitely not present in the collection. I was aware of this via the news thread, but I still confirmed with a keeper. Bermuda Chub (Kyphosus sectatrix) (Unsigned) Black Triggerfish (Melichthys niger) (Unsigned) Blackbar Soldierfish (Myripristis jacobus) Blackspotted Rubberlip (Plectorhinchus gaterinus) (Unsigned) Bluespine Unicornfish (Naso unicornis) Bluestriped Snapper (Lutjanus kasmira) Bonnethead Shark (Sphyrna tiburo) (Not seen) Common Blacktip Shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) (Unsigned) Cownose Ray (Rhinoptera bonasus) Giant Grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) Golden Trevally (Gnathanodon speciosus) Great Hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) Halfmoon Angelfish (Pomacanthus maculosus) (Unsigned) Hawaiian Hogfish (Bodianus albotaeniatus) Honeycomb Whipray (Himantura undulata) Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) Orangeblotch Surgeonfish (Acanthurus olivaceus) Pacific Orange-spine Unicornfish (Naso lituratus) Palette Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus) (Unsigned) Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon) (Unsigned) Princess Parrotfish (Scarus taeniopterus) Raccoon Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula) (Unsigned) Saddle Wrasse (Thalassoma duperrey) Silky Shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) Smallmouth Grunt (Brachygenys chrysargyrea) (Unsigned) Southern Stingray (Hypanus americanus) Striped Surgeonfish (Acanthurus lineatus) (Unsigned) Common Moon Jelly (Aurelia aurita) (Unsigned) Touch-a-Shark This is a touch tank home to 3 species of bamboo shark Nothing really special or worth noting otherwise. Brown-banded Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllium punctatum) Epaulette Shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum) Humpback Grouper (Chromileptes altivelis) (Unsigned) Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon) (Unsigned) White-spotted Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) Coming Up Next: Zone B
Philadelphia is definitely on my radar and might even be my next facility (although I might hit up Lehigh or Elmwood Park first depending on my mood and the weather; waiting for a warm weekend). I am currently in eastern PA until the end of June, so Bronx is also on my to-do list.
Part 2 - Zone B Zone B follows next and, like Zone A, it's entirely located on the "2nd" floor (the first floor simply contains the aquarium entrance and information kiosk). Zone B consists of just 2 exhibits, and is the smallest zone in terms of species count. It's also contains the aquarium's only outdoor exhibit. Zone B consists of the following exhibits; Stingray Beach Club Penguin Island Stingray Beach Club This is another touch tank, only this time we got rays, as the name implies. This is the largest touch tank in the aquarium. The room is themed to a tropical island, complete with appropriate ambience. Again, nothing really special here in terms of interest. The theming is a bit tacky, with the fake trees and clouds overhead looking like something out of Super Mario Bros. Although I would lying if I said I didn't vibe with the ambient music. Banjo Ray (Trygonorrhina fasciata) Cownose Ray (Rhinoptera bonasus) Porkfish (Anisotremus virginicus) Southern Stingray (Hypanus americanus) Penguin Island This is the aquarium's only outdoor animal exhibit. Home to a colony of African Penguins, the exhibit replicates the coast of South Africa and is complete with both above- and underwater viewing. The outdoor area also features a play area for children. From what I read, the play area sits on the site of what used to be a pinniped exhibit. As far as penguin exhibits go, this one is above average. This exhibit was renovated back in 2017 to make it more naturalist, and I'd say they did a good job. The exhibit is decently-sized and well furnished, even if it doesn't really hold up to the better penguin exhibits I've seen. African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus) Coming Up Next - Zone C
Part 3 - Zone C Up next, we enter Zone C. Unlike the other zones, this one is set on the 3rd floor, which can be accessed from elevators and stairs located both in the Piranha Falls gallery and at the end of Zone B near the 3D Movie Theater. The upper floor provides a great view of the Delaware River and the Philadelphia skyline. Zone C consists of the following exhibits; Kid Zone Frogs: Nature's Messenger The Grotto Creature Feature Kid Zone This is a small gallery that is mainly geared towards kids and features interactive activities and music instruments for kids to flex their rad skillz. But I am mainly here for that crocodilian credit for the 2024 North America ZooChat Challenge. Nothing really worth noting here. Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) Bucktooth Tetra (Exodon paradoxus) (Unsigned) Frogs: Nature's Messenger This exhibit gallery is dedicated to frogs and the important roles they play in nature. As the name implies, this exhibit focuses mainly on frogs and consists entirely of exotic species. A salamander and a freshwater turtle accompany our croaking friends. This is a pretty good exhibit and the species lineup is pretty interesting, although this gallery was clearly designed more for children in mind as the terrariums are pretty low to the ground and require bending over to see into. Some of them also feel rather small. Amazon Milk Frog (Trachycephalus resinifictrix) Emperor Newt (Tylototriton shanjing) Vietnamese Mossy Frog (Theloderma corticale) Argentine Horned Frog (Ceratophrys ornata) Strawberry Poison Dart Frog (Oophaga pumilio) Reticulated Poison Frog (Ranitomeya ventrimaculata) Dyeing Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius) Green-and-black Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates auratus) Golden Poison Dart Frog (Phyllobates terribilis) Yellow-headed Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates leucomelas) Australian Green Tree Frog (Ranoidea caerulea) Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) Amazonian Mata Mata (Chelus fimbriata) Suriname Toad (Pipa pipa) The Grotto This gallery mainly focuses on coral reefs and features multiple mixed-species tanks with both fish and coral. Most of the tanks feature 360 viewing and one even features a crawl-up bubble. Sure, this exhibit is still aimed primarily a younger visitors, but I do appreciate seeing a variety of reef fish as they make for colorful displays. That said, this is still probably the most gimmicky exhibit in the aquarium in terms of presentation. Also, and a word of warning here, this exhibit is the worst in the aquarium when it comes to accurate signage. Like, Greensboro-levels of bad. I saw multiple species that were not signed, and vice versa. I listed what I saw as well as what was signed. I tried my best to list what was signed and not seen, vs what was unsigned, but observed. Also, I may have mixed a few fish up in terms of what exhibit they are grouped in (but rest assured, everything listed here is either signed and/or exhibited here). Sorry, but I did not take super precise notes. Also, for reasons that completely escape me, the aquarium decided to forgo scientific names for this gallery, so I spent a lot of time trying to match everything up. Hopefully, I did not commit a Greensboro-level blunder, but please let me know if you see any errors. Atlantic Long-spined Sea Urchin (Diadema antillarum) Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) Corkscrew Anemone (Heteractis doreensis) (Signed as Macrodactyla doreensis) Hammer Coral (Fimbriaphyllia ancora) Jointed Razorfish (Aeoliscus strigatus) (Signed as Shrimpfish) Bicolor Damselfish (Stegastes partitus) (Unsigned) Bluering Angelfish (Pomacanthus annularis) Bluespot Butterflyfish (Chaetodon plebeius) (Unsigned) Clark's Anemonefish (Amphiprion clarkii) (Not Seen) Coral Grouper (Cephalopholis miniata) (Not Seen) Epaulette Shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum) (Not Seen) Golden Damselfish (Amblyglyphidodon aureus) (Unsigned) Gilded Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus) (Unsigned) Harlequin Sweetlips (Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides) (Unsigned) Hawaiian Bristletooth (Ctenochaetus hawaiiensis) (Signed as Chevron Tang) Lagoon Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus aculeatus) (Not Seen) Lamarck's Angelfish (Genicanthus lamarck) (Not Seen) Longfin Bannerfish (Heniochus macrolepidotus) Lyretail Anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis) Mimic Surgeonfish (Acanthurus pyroferus) (Unsigned) Moorish Idol (Zanclus cornutus) Oblique-banded Sweetlips (Plectorhinchus lineatus) Oriental Sweetlips (Plectorhinchus vittatus) Palette Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus) (Unsigned) Pyramid Butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys polylepis) Queen Coris (Coris formosa) (Unsigned) Red-tailed Butterflyfish (Chaetodon collare) Sailfin Snapper (Symphorichthys spilurus) (Unsigned) Sohal Surgeonfish (Acanthurus sohal) Teardrop Butterflyfish (Chaetodon unimaculatus) (Unsigned) Atlantic Long-spined Sea Urchin (Diadema antillarum) Branching Hammer Coral (Fimbriaphyllia paraancora) Cabbage Coral (Montipora foliosa) Green Button Polyp (Palythoa mutuki) Goldring Surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus strigosus) (Signed as Kole Tang) Golden Damselfish (Amblyglyphidodon aureus) Ice Blue Tort (Acropora spp.) Ocellaris Anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris) Plating Montipora (Montipora capricornis) Ribbon Eel (Rhinomuraena quaesita) (Not Seen) Violet Goby (Gobioides broussonnetii) (Not Seen) Unspecified Button Polyp (Palythoa spp.) Unspecified Lunckia Starfish (Linckia spp.) Bali Slimer Coral (Acropora yongei) Blue-spotted Jawfish (Opistognathus rosenblatti) (Not Seen) Cats Paw Coral (Stylophora spp.) Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) Green Cup Coral (Turbinaria spp.) Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) (Not Seen) Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon) (Unsigned) Acropora valida (Acropora valida) Bubble-tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor) Carpet Anemone (Stichodactyla haddoni) Idaho Grape Montipora (Montipora spp.) Ocellaris Anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris) Palette Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus) (Unsigned) Pink Skunk Anemonefish (Amphiprion perideraion) Reverse Sunset Coral (Montipora spp.) Creature Feature This is basically a continuation of the previous exhibit, and is mainly centered around a touch tank home to horseshoe crabs and sea stars. Blue-green Chromis (Chromis viridis) Orangeblotch Surgeonfish (Acanthurus olivaceus) Threadfin Butterflyfish (Chaetodon auriga) Whitecheek Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigricans) (Not Seen) Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) Banded Pipefish (Dunckerocampus dactyliophorus) Double-end Pipehorse (Syngnathoides biaculeatus) Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) (Not Seen) Reeftop Pipefish (Corythoichthys haematopterus) White's Seahorse (Hippocampus whitei) Black Triggerfish (Melichthys niger) (Unsigned) Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) Elegant Unicornfish (Naso elegans) Emperor Angelfish (Pomacanthus imperator) (Unsigned) Flame Hawkfish (Neocirrhites armatus) Goldlined Rabbitfish (Siganus lineatus) (Unsigned) Horn-nose Boxfish (Ostracion rhinorhynchos) Orange-tip Bristletooth (Ctenochaetus tominiensis) Bicolour Parrotfish (Cetoscarus bicolor) (Not Seen) Blackheaded Filefish (Pervagor melanocephalus) (Not Seen) Longnose Hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus) Regal Angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus) Zebra Barred Dartfish (Ptereleotris zebra) (Not Seen) Atlantic Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus) (Unsigned) Forbes's Sea Star (Asterias forbesi) (Unsigned) Coming Up Next - Zone D
Part 4 - Zone D This is it folks! The moment you've all been waiting for! We come up to the last zone and enter what may be one of the most bizarre exhibits in an American aquarium. The last of the exhibits take place in Zone D, which comprises the entirety of the North Building, which did not come to be until after the major 2004-2005 overhaul. This Zone is accessed from Zone E, via a ramp right in the middle of the main dining hall. This gallery comprises a large loop that eventually ends with the aquarium's gift shop. Zone D consists of the following exhibits; Hippo Heaven Shark Realm Hippo Heaven And here we have it folks, the meme exhibit. This is probably one of the strangest exhibits in an American aquarium and also the biggest reason anyone on here talks about this place. Hippo Heaven consists of a large (entirely) indoor exhibit home to 2 female Hippopotamus Button and Genny. Notice that I didn't say Pygmy Hippopotamus; no, we're talking about the full package here. The full 2+ ton package, that is. Also and yes, this exhibit is entirely indoors; the hippos have no outdoor access. I believe this is the only entirely-indoor exhibit for this species in the country and that would make the Hippo the largest non-cetacean mammal (haha) to be housed entirely indoors in North America. The exhibit consists of a land area with a sand pit and a large and deep pool. The hippos can be seen both above and below water. The water contains various fish, and there are 2 reptile terrariums along the path as well. This exhibit also housed free-roaming birds in the past, but that is no longer the case as the birds have been removed. This was due to them not mixing well with the hippos, who would try to chase and play with them. This exhibit is very polarizing here, and it's not hard to see why, what with an aquarium housing such a large mammal indoors with zero outdoor access (and this becomes funnier when you remember what the Hippo's closest living relatives are...). Here are my thoughts. I do think that, yes, this exhibit really comes up short from an animal welfare standpoint. I do feel that it's simply too small, and this was really apparent when I saw in person just how huge these animals are. It just feels kind of cramped in parts. I also felt like they could have built larger skylights, like maybe a greenhouse-style glass roof to allow maximum sunlight, because the small ones they do have feel insufficient. The lack of free-flying birds also hurts the exhibit, because it's very clear the exhibit was designed for them in mind. This is similar to how I felt about the Virginia Living Museum's Appalachian Cove and Cypress Swamp exhibits. The lack of birds results in a ton of wasted space and can make the exhibit feel empty. The exhibit could also use some greenery and plants. That being said, those are really the only major complaints I have about the exhibit. I feel the enclosure itself isn't actually bad at all. They just chose to exhibit an animal that's too big for the space. Even just swapping them out for Pygmy Hippos would improve this exhibit immensely and even probably allow them to re-add birds. I know I put emphasis on this exhibit being entirely indoors, but that's actually not the problem. All-indoor exhibits are not inherently bad, and they can be great when the right decisions are made. Anyway, those are my thoughts, so onto the species. Do note that the fish are unsigned, but one of their keepers was extremely helpful in IDing the fish for me. Dwarf Shield-Tailed Agama (Xenagama taylori) Tropical Girdled Lizard (Cordylus tropidosternum) Crevice Tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri) Moroccan Spiny-tailed Lizard (Uromastyx nigriventris) Common Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) Red Empress (Protomelas taeniolatus) Red Fin Hap (Copadichromis borleyi) Six-banded Distichodus (Distichodus sexfasciatus) Victoria Tilapia (Oreochromis variabilis) Shark Realm The other major exhibit in Zone D, this zone takes us back to the sea and focuses mainly on sharks. While this isn't the only shark exhibit in the aquarium, this one definitely places more of an emphasis on them. This exhibit also presents the other major ocean tank exhibit, and features an underwater tunnel and a rope bridge suspended over the tank. This exhibit also includes what is (or used to be) called the Jules Verne Gallery. This immediately follows the Hippo underwater viewing and contains a variety of marine creatures as well as displays on prehistoric sea animals, including the famed Megalodon. It doesn't seem like the aquarium treats it as a separate exhibit, so I am including it here. This is another exhibit that I really like. From the immensity of the tank to the absolutely crazy amount of sharks housed in here (it's not overcrowded at all), to the great viewing opportunities. The underwater tunnel was nothing special, but still pretty decent. The Shark Bridge was a nice bonus, and it's not often we get to see above these large tanks without a behind-the-scenes tour. Even the theming is better, as this exhibit feels more modern than the Ocean Realm, even if the theming still gets a bit sensational in spots. Pacific Sea Nettle (Chrysaora fuscescens) Common Moon Jelly (Aurelia aurita) Californian Strawberry Anemone (Corynactis californica) Canary Rockfish (Sebastes pinniger) (Unsigned) Fish-eating Anemone (Urticina piscivora) Plumose Anemone (Metridium senile) Wolf Eel (Anarrhichthys ocellatus) Bat Star (Patiria miniata) Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) Giant Plumose Anemone (Metridium farcimen) Ochre Sea Star (Pisaster ochraceus) American Lobster (Homarus americanus) Forbes's Sea Star (Asterias forbesi) Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) Plumose Anemone (Metridium senile) Atlantic Blue Tang (Acanthurus coeruleus) Atlantic Crevalle Jack (Caranx hippos) Atlantic Menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) Atlantic Sergeant Major (Abudefduf saxatilis) Bermuda Chub (Kyphosus sectatrix) Blue Angelfish (Holacanthus bermudensis) Bluestriped Grunt (Haemulon sciurus) Common Blacktip Shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) Gag grouper (Mycteroperca microlepis) Graysby (Cephalopholis cruentata) Porkfish (Anisotremus virginicus) Princess Parrotfish (Scarus taeniopterus) Red Grouper (Epinephelus morio) Rooster Hogfish (Lachnolaimus maximus) Roughtail Stingray (Bathytoshia centroura) Lane Snapper (Lutjanus synagris) Nurse Shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) Sand Tiger Shark (Carcharias taurus) Sandbar Shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus) Southern Stingray (Hypanus americanus) Tomtate (Haemulon aurolineatum) Yellowtail Snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus) And so that concludes the animal exhibits. Next post will be some miscellaneous commentary, conclusion, and closing remarks.
Part 5 - Conclusion and Closing Remarks Before I wrap this review up, I realized I made a small error that I cannot fix; the Blackblotch Foxface (Siganus unimaculatus) I listed back in Zone A was actually observed in Zone C. It was unsigned either way. Now that we have concluded the exhibit overviews, here is the final tally for the species counts. Total Species - 238 Fish - 159 Butterflyfishes, Angelfishes, and Allies (Acanthuriformes) - 59 Perch-like Fishes (Perciformes) - 28 Cichlids, Damselfishes, and Allies (Cichliformes) - 15 Puffers and Filefishes (Tetraodontiformes) - 13 Pipefishes and Allies (Syngnathiformes) - 11 Characins (Order Characiformes) - 8 True Eels (Anguilliformes) - 4 Barracudas, Jacks, Remoras, Flounders, Billfishes, and Allies (Carangiformes) - 3 Freshwater Sunfishes, Grunters, and Allies (Centrarchiformes) - 3 Gobies and Allies (Gobiiformes) - 3 Silversides (Atheriniformes) - 2 Squirrelfishes and Soldierfishes (Holocentriformes) - 2 Catfishes (Order Siluriformes) - 2 Oceanic Basses (Order Acropomatiformes) - 1 Toadfishes (Batrachoidiformes) - 1 Blennies (Blenniiformes) - 1 Herrings (Clupeiformes) - 1 Tarpons and Tenpounders (Order Elopiformes) - 1 Cardinalfishes, Nurseryfishes, and Sanddivers (Kurtiformes) - 1 Sharks and Rays - 17 Sea Anemones and Corals - 17 Amphibians - 13 Reptiles - 11 Birds - 7 (although only 4 will be on exhibit at any given time) Sea Stars and Brittle Stars - 5 Jellyfish - 3 Crustaceans - 2 Mollusks - 1 Mammals - 1 Horseshoe Crabs - 1 Sea Urchins and Sea Cucumbers - 1 No point of commenting on fish being the dominate taxon by a nautical mile. But what actually did strike me as odd was the near total lack of mollusks and crustaceans, considering the aquarium is not far from a major estuary and the huge focus on coastal ecosystems. It's also bizarre that horseshoe crabs are not given more attention considering Delaware Bay is home to the world's largest population of this species. This aquarium is also notable for lacking both otters and pinnipeds, which are staples at the aquariums I have been to. Now that we gone through all the exhibits, I wanted to provide some additional remarks and then conclude this review. But there is one thing I wanted to mention and something to give the aquarium credit for. The Adventure Aquarium has a surprisingly good dining experience compared to what I've seen in other aquariums. Granted, I visited this aquarium on a Saturday, so I am unsure how much that factored in, but the service and options was leaps and bounds above what I am used to. Kudos to the Adventure Aquarium for that. The gift shop was also noticeably a cut above others. And thus ends my review of the Adventure Aquarium. Overall, I actually consider it to be a good aquarium and a very enjoyable experience even with its flaws, such as issues with signage, tacky theming, and some gimmicky presentation. But another flaw I noticed that became apparent as I was typing out this species list is that the aquarium lacks focus. There aren't really any exhibits dedicated to native wildlife, and with a few exceptions, most of the exhibits only focus on ecosystems in a very broad sense. I personally prefer more focused exhibits that put the spot light on regions rather than entire ecosystems. Nevertheless, I spent the entire day here and enjoyed my visit. I know this aquarium gets mixed remarks here, but I actually think it might be somewhat underrated and slept on. Some have called it generic, but can you really call an aquarium generic when it has Little Blue Penguins, Hippopotamus, Great Hammerheads, Silky Sharks, and TWO mega tanks? I do think it stacks up to some of the other mid-tier aquariums I have visited, such as the Florida or Virginia Aquariums. That said, it definitely does not hold a candle to the elites such as Georgia and Tennessee. Especially with the latter, where it never stands a chance. The Adventure Aquarium is definitely a facility that has come a long way since its troubled beginnings and definitely worth checking out in my opinion. It's up in the air if one thinks this is worth planning a trip around, but it's definitely easy to work into any trip when you got Philadelphia and the country's oldest zoo just across the river. That's all, folks. Thank you for reading my review. I hope you enjoyed it and found it helpful. Peace.
Thanks for your highly detailed review. I agree that Adventure Aquarium is underrated and I gave the facility a lot of praise when I reviewed it on my Snowleopard's 2012 Road Trip thread (on page 8). I remember loving Shark Realm, which is a superb area and arguably the best part of the entire aquarium. Who doesn't love loads of sharks? KidZone had just opened when I was there and I liked it a lot, especially as I was with two young children at the time. The West African River Experience (now 'Hippo Heaven') didn't even have a sandpit back then, although I saw African Crested Porcupines in with the two hippos and 7 bird species flying around. Ocean Realm, Caribbean Currents and other zones were mainly all impressive, and my least favourite areas were the ones with African Penguins and a single Harbour Seal. Overall, there's clearly been some changes and I enjoyed reading about them in your review. Great work!
Thanks for a highly comprehensive review/species list! If you're interested, I have a couple pointers/musings about some of the exhibits from my research : Originally, Piranha Falls was meant to be a coral reef tank that never came to fruition. When it became an Amazon tank, piranhas were displayed in Zone C, while the main highlight was arapaima. The little blue penguin exhibit was originally constructed for Orinoco crocodiles and bucktooth tetras—it would appear the tetras were moved in with Cuvier's dwarf caimans! Regardless, I think the retheming to little blue penguins worked fairly well, although the pool could be a lot deeper, and bigger skylights could be installed. Maybe some diving ducks could be in with the penguins? (Freckled ducks, wood ducks, etc.) The Pirates Passage exhibit was originally themed after the RMS Rhone, an actual shipwreck off the coast of the Caribbean. I visited back when it was themed as the RMS Rhone and when it was themed as a pirate ship. I initially thought the "pirate" theming was part of a temporary exhibit as they did have walkaround pirates for one season (kind of like how aquariums also have mermaids). Still, it turns out it's seemingly permanent, though the graphics appear easily removable. I heard from an attendant that the aquarium apparently had plans to bring seals back, but then COVID-19 happened. I am curious if that is something they'll consider in the future! Hippo Haven. From my visit, it's a LOT bigger than pictures on ZooChat'll have you think, and Button/Genny are really active and utilize the space well. I do see where you're coming from as far as welfare coming up short, in the sense that I believe hippos do need grazing space in addition to a sizable water space, but that said, since hippos do spend most of their time underwater during the day, the water space does truly shine. Agreed about the skylights - would love to see the roof replaced with an ETFE dome.
I have discovered that I made an error; the Common Blacktip Sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) I have listed in the Ocean Realm exhibit in Zone A should actually be Blacktip Reef Sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus). The Blacktip Reefs are unsigned in Ocean Realm. In the Shark Realm exhibit, they actually do have signage for Carcharhinus limbatus (I updated a picture in the gallery). I cannot say for sure if the Shark Realm signage is actually in error because there is no way they could have confused the two species (the signage's range map includes the western Atlantic, where Blacktip Reefs are absent, and the fun fact even explains the scientific name). I only remember seeing Sand Tigers, Sandbars, and Nurse Sharks, and I don't have any pictures of a shark that I could positively id as a Blacktip. Thus, I have no idea if this is an actual signage error or if they indeed have both species. To be on the safe side, I am simply going to add the Blacktip Reef Shark without removing the Blacktip, bringing the total species count to 239.
Just saying but if I remember correctly back in the 2000s the hippos used to live with crested porcupine and I barely remember the free flying birds and i also remember the Jules Verne gallery having leafy sea dragons.
Just found another error; the Uromastyx in Hippo Heaven should be Sudan Mastigure (Uromastyx dispar), and this one was 100% my fault; I failed to take a proper picture of the signage and iNaturalist ID'd my picture as a different species. Thank you for the kind words. Yes, Shark Realm is definitely one of the aquarium's best exhibits and I really enjoyed both the viewing opportunities and the impressive number of sharks they house there. Hippp Haven no longer has the birds or porcupine; just the 2 hippos and some fish in the water. It's a shame the birds did not work out in the long run, it would have made it a very enriching exhibit. Thank you for the info. I would have loved to see Arapaimas as Piranhas are more common, but oh well. Yeah, the theming in Pirate's Passage appears to be permanent, and I saw no indication there that it was themed around a specific shipwreck. As for seals, it's interesting that they would bring them back after they had already removed their previous pinniped exhibit (where the outdoor kids play zone is today). I wonder where they would put them if they had followed through on those plans. For Hippo Haven, yeah it is definitely bigger than pictures suggest, but I still feel it's on the smaller side for such a large mammal. Like I said, even just switching them out for Pygmy Hippos would improve the exhibit drastically. The water space is pretty good, the lighting is naturalistic, and they do have sand, so they have done a decent job enhancing the exhibit.
Are the procupines gone now? I was so taken aback by them being in with the hippos and never expected such a mixed species combo!
Yes, @Astrotom3000 states that all the birds and the porcupines have left, leaving only the two Common Hippos in that exhibit these days. A real disappointment! Here's the species list when I was there in 2012: Common Hippo, African Crested Porcupine, Piping Hornbill, Black-cheeked Lovebird, Abdim's Stork, Snowy-headed Robin Chat, Taveta Golden Weaver, Cattle Egret and Hamerkop.
To be fair, I remember reading that the aquarium is apparently planning getting another porcupine, it's just a matter of when. As for the exhibit having just the hippos, I'd rather the aquarium highlight the fish that are in alongside the hippos, in terms of how they coexist with the hippos and even eat off the hippos' backs.
I wonder what happened to the porcupines because for me when I was very little it was the best part because it was the first time that I have seen an animal that is not a fish or a bird or a reptile living in the same exhibit with a hippo.
