GO FISH!
Long Island Sound & Beyond
sponsored by Aetna Founation

Explore our important relationship with fish – past, present and future – in “Go Fish! Long Island Sound & Beyond,” a permanent new exhibit featuring live local species and interactive displays, at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

Centerpiece of the exhibit is a new 30,000-gallon tank stocked with cod, striped bass, Atlantic salmon, tautogs, wolffish and spiny dogfish sharks.  Soon to be added to the tank is an enormous 7-foot Atlantic halibut, the largest species of flatfish on our coast.

“Go Fish!” will drive home the connection between the fish displayed in The Maritime Aquarium and the visitors who come to see them. The exhibit will urge visitors to “respect the fish” by understanding the cultural importance of fish and fishing – both recreational and commercial – and by realizing that our actions can overwhelm – or sustain – the oceans’ bounty.

Visitors will be encouraged to pledge to “Respect the Fish” after they go home, by always making informed seafood choices, getting a fishing license and obeying fishing rules, practicing catch-and-release fishing, and helping to clean and protect the environment.

Tell Us Your BIG Fish Stories!

African Penguins

They waddle comically on land but swim gracefully in the water, all while dressed semi-formally in black-and-white attire.

They’re found in surprising places: not just Antarctica but in Africa and also at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, in “African Penguins,” a new special exhibit featuring a small colony of African penguins. They’re stealing hearts daily in an outdoor display on the Aquarium’s riverfront courtyard, with plenty of viewing windows above and below the water line.

Helpful ID signs help you tell who is who. Other displays give info about all 17 species of penguins and their conservation status.

The stars of the “African Penguins” exhibit came to Norwalk from The Great Plains Zoo in Sioux City, S.D. They'll be at The Maritime Aquarium until December 2010.

Like the “African Underwater Safari” exhibit, “African Penguins” is included with admission to The Maritime Aquarium.

Click here to view our Penguins

Listen to what a Penguin sounds like!

Penguin Facts

Penguin Exhibit Search Sheet!

“Dolphins: The Ride”

Simulated Adventure ride-film. Runs daily
This motion-simulator ride film lets you experience the world of dolphins as if you were one yourself. Two Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins swim at your side as you glide effortlessly through the water, then leap high above the surface. Venture downward and explore a colorful coral reef and exotic fish then emerge one last time in a display of spirited acrobatics!

Located outside on the plaza.
Ride-film tickets: $5.50 (Aquarium members save $1) in addition to Aquarium admission. Riders must be at least 36 inches tall to board and in good health.

“African Underwater Safari”
sponsored by Bank of America

Cool fish. Big snakes. Dive in.
Explore aquatic wonders of Africa and be home by dinner. On exhibit from July 1 will be amazing fish and reptiles from the Nile River, Red Sea, lakes of Africa’s Great Rift Valley, and the remarkable ecosystem of Madagascar. Wild habitats include murky lake bottoms and bright coral reefs. Species highlighted include exotic, air-breathing lungfish, catfish that use bioelectricity to sense their surroundings and food, colorful Cichlid fish, knifefish, ropefish, jewel and featherfin fish, elephantnose, giraffe-nosed catfish, baby whales and butterflyfish. Also featured are bright green, giant day geckos, black mud turtles and exotic boa snakes. A hippo play space greets children as they enter.

Interspersed throughout are important messages about animal adaptation, the importance of habitat preservation and conservation, stories that show how fish from the other side of the world face challenges similar to those in Long Island Sound. A great way to “explore” Africa for less than the cost of a tank of gas!