Aquarium History
Ten Charter Animals
In addition to the animals that are favorites with the Aquarium’s guests, we have more than ten animals that have been with us since we opened 10 years ago.
Sea Otters
Two of our sea otters, Brooke and Charlie, were entrusted to us in early 1998 from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Once they arrived in Southern California, the two were temporarily housed at SeaWorld in San Diego for a few months until we opened in June. Arriving three days prior to our opening, Brooke and Charlie were at first rather overwhelmed by the huge number of people looking at them. But soon curiosity got the best of them, and they now find our guests just as interesting as we find them.
Pinnipeds
Sea lion Miller and harbor seals Shelby and Ellie are also charter animals. Currently outweighing the other animals in the Aquarium’s Seal and Sea Lion Habitat by several hundred pounds, Miller is the most dominant sea lion. He was born in 1981. Ellie, the oldest of the harbor seals, came to us just before the Aquarium’s opening. Despite having lost most of her eyesight, Ellie is still very active and enjoys fetching by using her whiskers to find things. And Shelby, a 12-year-old harbor seal, likes to leap out of the water during her training sessions.
Tufted Puffins
Our four Tufted Puffins were part of the Aquarium’s original Alcid collection. Two of the birds came from the Newport Aquarium in Oregon and two are from the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha. These four birds have paired into two couples: Naia and Monty, and Speedy and Val. Like all the birds in this exhibit, these puffins have strong personalities with very particular likes and dislikes. According to staff member Sean Devereaux, “That whole exhibit is like a soap opera. The aviculturists’ log reads like a classic plot line from a daytime drama.” Three other Tufted Puffins were originally at the Aquarium, but one was the victim of a lover’s spat and two had to be sent to another institution because of these rivalries. There have been some broken hearts, but at the Aquarium of the Pacific true love reigns.
Corals
Most of the Aquarium’s corals in our Live Coral exhibit are original colonies that have been at the Aquarium since opening in 1998. Some came from other aquariums and a few came from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These original corals have since propagated, allowing the Aquarium to exchange them with corals from other aquariums. Corals face many challenges in the wild, such as global warming, destructive fishing methods, and pollution. Reefs are among the most biologically diverse ecosystems on Earth. They provide important sanctuaries for fishes during breeding, and some young or small animals need the refuge of a reef until they become large enough to not need its protection from predators. With so much pressure on coral reefs, it is especially important for the Aquarium of the Pacific to support measures that prevent collection of corals from their natural habitats.
Bat Rays
Most of the bat rays in the Ray Touchpool have been with us from the start. Like some other animals the Aquarium has on display, these original rays were collected off the coast of Long Beach. Bat rays can live up to 23 years. The females can have a wingspan of up to six feet and weigh up to 200 pounds. Males are typically smaller. To hunt for food, they hover above the ocean floor and move their bodies up and down, using their pectoral fins. This movement creates suction, which leaves long and deep grooves in the sand. This exposes the bat ray’s prey, which includes bivalves, mollusks, worms (polychaetes), shrimp, and crabs.
Sea Kraits
The Aquarium’s six original sea kraits in our Tropical Pacific Gallery are all males. Sea kraits have paddle-like tails and can easily move around on land. These black-and-white striped sea snakes are very picky eaters. Their finicky appetite requires us to have live juvenile Atlantic American eels flown in from Florida. Because of the potent venom of sea kraits, a variety of practices and procedures are followed—the exhibit is locked, only two people hold the key, and a tube is used to control the animal’s head during their handling.
Queensland Groupers
The two Queensland groupers in the Tropical Reef exhibit have interesting histories. One came from The Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. The hotel has a 50-foot tank behind the hotel registration desk. Once it was decided that the grouper would have more room at the Aquarium, arrangements were made by our staff for transport. But since the hotel never closes, this had to be done with a crowd of interested onlookers. And driving back to California through the Mojave Desert, the Aquarium staff member was stopped at the border for inspection, where he had to explain why he had this rather large tropical fish in the back of his truck. The other Queensland grouper came from a restaurant in Newport Beach, where he lived in a pool in the restaurant’s floor. This fish was fed table scraps from guests.
Sea Bass
Our two endangered giant sea bass in the Blue Cavern exhibit came from the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla and Hubbs-Sea World in Carlsbad. These 150-pound beauties are quite the happy couple. It could be just a coincidence, but they spawned once after the Taiko drummers performed during our Autumn Festival. Repeated spawning events between the two have resulted in many opportunities for aquarists to learn techniques that may lead to future breeding success.
Topaz
It may be a surprise, but one of the Aquarium’s first animals was a cat. Still with us today, Topaz is an orange tabby that loves to lounge in comfy corners of the Aquarium’s administrative offices. When he was just a kitten, Topaz was found as a stray along the harbor rocks when the Aquarium was in its construction phase. During this time, Topaz was fed by staff and allowed to come and go as he pleased between the construction trailer and his hang out along the rocks. When the Aquarium was finally built, Topaz became an official member of our staff. He has been cared for and loved by many staff members, and the Aquarium’s staff newsletter is named in his honor.
Other Fishes
Many of the black tip reef sharks have been at the Aquarium of the Pacific since opening. In addition, many people may be surprised to know that the Aquarium of the Pacific opened with numerous bony fishes that continue to live with us today. Three of our stonefish we have today are originals. Several of the rockfishes in Northern Pacific Preview are charter animals. The blacksmith in Amber Forest came from the Birch Aquarium and others were collected from San Nicholas Island. In the Tropical Reef habitat modeled after the Blue Corner in Palau, golden and bluefin trevally are among the many original animals.
