Adventure Aquarium

      Tuesday, April 4, 2023: The last time I was here was in 2000 when this place was called the New Jersey State Aquarium. Back then, the exhibits mainly focused on sea life off the NJ Coast. In 2005, those in power renovated and expanded the aquarium. They also renamed it Adventure Aquarium, 1 Riverside Drive, Camden (Camden County), NJ (844-474-3474). While this wasn’t the largest aquarium I’ve ever been to (compare to the one in Baltimore, Maryland), it has been the largest in NJ, and it took me about three hours to see! I arrived in time for an early lunch before I toured this place. (Lunch was expensive, but if you are on a budget, you can get your hand stamped for re-entry and eat elsewhere. Some people brought their own food and ate it in their cars.) After lunch, I entered the newer area that presented one of their main attractions: two hippos. Another popular section in this area displayed one of the largest collections of sharks as well as rays and of course, several fish. Then I walked over to the older part of the aquarium where I saw a simulation of a tropical storm in a South American jungle while the tank underneath exhibited piranhas. Later, it was a more cute experience for me when I was looking at a simulated beach and water tank for the little blue Australian Penguins. The rest of this section showed plenty of different kinds of fish from around the world and reptiles: turtles, an alligator, a caiman, and lizards. In the next zone, I watched stingrays, and just outside, at Penguin Island, I glanced at African Penguins moving about. Upstairs in yet another zone, I noticed different frogs, and in different parts of the aquarium lived some parrots and a few other kinds of birds. Additionally, this aquarium showed 3-D films having to do with marine life, some touch exhibits, and a play area for children, as well as a virtual-reality sea dive (for an extra charge), daily feeding of the animals, and talks by the staff. Meanwhile, Adventure Aquarium provided plenty of text, pictures, and videos helping to explain more about the sea life they presented. Overall, this place proved to be both educational and entertaining.