Island
life comes to LB
By Justin Diemert
Summer Online Forty-Niner
 There
is a new exhibit at the aquarium this summer
featuring traditional music, dance and arts
and crafts demonstrations in the spirit
of the Pacific Islands.
Joe Kelly, spokesperson for the aquarium,
said the Pacific Island Summer event will
last through September 1, 2003 and will
allow visitors to view sea life and discover
why the pacific islands are so important.
Hawaii, Tahiti and Fiji are a few of the
many featured islands aquarium visitors
will encounter. There are also exhibits
from arctic northern seas and the warm waters
surrounding New Zealand.
The aquarium will also attempt to draw more
children through their doors this summer
with something they call a Passport to the
Islands. The passport will feature facts
and pictures teaching visitors about the
pacific islands as well as other marine
life at the aquarium.
A fun and interactive way the aquarium is
attempting to keep the children involved
is through different passport stations.
Visitors will be able to walk around the
aquarium and visit different stamping stations
while learning about all the plants and
animals living there.
It was exciting to come back to the aquarium
and see some new animals, Michelle Spalter
said, a CSULB sophomore. I especially liked
Rufus, he reminded me of my dog.
Other ongoing exhibits at the aquarium include
the Shark Lagoon, where visitors can touch
sharks in an open pool and view other more
dangerous sharks through glass or above
the water. The Lorikeet Forest features
birds and animals from across the globe
and allows visitors to purchase bird food
and let the small birds fly down from the
trees and eat right out of their hand. Jellyfish:
Phantoms of the Deep is a dark exhibit with
reflecting light to show how luminescent
the scary, little creatures can be.
All are welcome to visit the new animals
at the Aquarium of the Pacific this summer
and experience a little piece of the islands.
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