Maritime Aquarium

Friday and Saturday Sunset Cruises Offered by Maritime Aquarium

Watch Fireworks on the Water: Cruises Offered by Maritime Aquarium on July 3, 4

Aquarium Car Show on Saturday Features ‘Must-Sea’ Cars: Manta Ray, Marlins, Barracudas, Sting Rays

Web Portal Under Construction to Tell Special-Needs Guests About Area Attractions

‘Maritime With a Twist’ Adults-Only Evening June 21 at Maritime Aquarium

Teens and Adults: Become One of the Crucial Volunteers at the Maritime Aquarium

Maritime Aquarium Reduces Single-Use Plastics with Replacements and Recycling

‘Pandas’ IMAX Movie Opens at Maritime Aquarium

Sleep With the Fishes and More at Maritime Aquarium Friday to Saturday

National Accrediting Group Gives Maritime Aquarium Seal of Aproval

Be a Part of Maritime Aquarium’s Donor Wall of Fish

Maritime Aquarium Holds ‘Fish School’ Open House for Educators on Feb 28

David Dineen of Darien to Serve on Maritime Aquarium Board of Trustees

Is Your Kid Interested in the Olympics? See the Activities at Maritime Aquarium This Weekend

Adults-Only Evening at the Aquarium: ‘Maritime with a Twist’ on Thursday, Jan 11

By David Gurliacci | July 4, 2018

Holidays

By DARIENITE.COM | June 26, 2018

Maritime Aquarium

By DARIENITE.COM | June 13, 2018

Maritime Aquarium

By DARIENITE.COM | June 10, 2018

Maritime Aquarium

By David Gurliacci | June 10, 2018

Maritime Aquarium

By David Gurliacci | May 20, 2018

Maritime Aquarium

By David Gurliacci | May 14, 2018

Film

By David Gurliacci | April 8, 2018

Animals

By Darienite.com Staff | April 4, 2018

Maritime Aquarium

By David Gurliacci | March 28, 2018

Maritime Aquarium

By David Gurliacci | March 10, 2018

Education

By David Gurliacci | February 18, 2018

Maritime Aquarium

By David Gurliacci | February 17, 2018

Maritime Aquarium

By David Gurliacci | February 16, 2018

Maritime Aquarium

By David Gurliacci | December 28, 2017

The idea of a relaxing Friday or Saturday evening out on the water with friends sounds great. But not everyone has a boat. The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk does have a boat, and is happy to do the happy-hour driving for TGIF and Saturday Sunset cruises this summer. “Evening is the prettiest time to be out on the water,” said Dave Sigworth, the Aquarium’s publicist. “These cruises are nothing more than a relaxing, 90-minute trip out to the Norwalk islands, and the best way to wrap up your work week or to kick off a fun Saturday night.”

Food and drink are not available for purchase on the boat, but you may bring food and beverages in a small bag or soft-sided cooler.

Enjoy a special water view of holiday displays in Norwalk, and avoid the crowds and traffic, by coming aboard one of the Fireworks Cruises offered by The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. The Aquarium is offering cruises to two fireworks displays aboard its R/V Spirit of the Sound, the country’s first research vessel with quiet “green” hybrid-electric propulsion. The 64-foot catamaran has two deck levels for optimum viewing enjoyment. Here’s the Aquarium’s patriotic-pyrotechnics plan:

• Tuesday, July 3 – Norwalk’s Calf Pasture Beach display

• Wednesday, July 4 – Rowayton display

Each cruise departs at 7 p.m. from The Maritime Aquarium dock (outside the IMAX Theater). Return is expected by 11 p.m. Food in small soft-sided coolers is allowed aboard the boat, but alcoholic beverages and glass bottles are prohibited.

On Saturday, June 16 — the day before Father’s Day — bring dad to check out some of the finest rides ever named for fish in the Maritime Aquarium Auto Show: “Barracudas, Sting Rays & More Show Cars from the Sea.”

Appropriately, The Maritime Aquarium’s first-ever Auto Show will feature 11 rare and exquisite cars all named for marine animals, including a 1956 Bangert Manta Ray, a 1962 Tiburon (Shark) Roadster, plus classic Marlins, Barracudas, Sting Rays and more. — an announcement from the Maritime Aquarium

“The ocean inspires us all — even car-makers — and we are excited to present examples of the best vehicles named for creatures of the sea,” said Aquarium spokesman Dave Sigworth. “The cars in this exhibit aren’t cars off the street. They’re rare and beautiful show cars, some of which are coming from Florida and New Hampshire just for the day.”

“Must-sea” cars expected to be on hand are:

• a 1956 Bangert Manta Ray, a fiberglass-bodied kit car, one of only four that still exist. • a 1962 Covington Tiburon (Shark) Roadster, another fiberglass-bodied vehicle that has been called “the most streamlined car in the world.” It has an engine and transmission from a 1971 Renault R10.

For a family with a special-needs member, important questions must be answered before visiting a museum, zoo, aquarium or other area attraction. Is it loud? Are there a lot of stairs? Is staff trained to anticipate and respond? Are there any days adjusted for special-needs guests?

Celebrate the summer solstice with sips and samples and sharks and seals during the “Maritime with a Twist” adults-only evening event on Thursday, June 21 at the Maritime Aquarium. Open to anyone age 21 and over, “Maritime with a Twist” features tastes from nearby restaurants in the South Norwalk (or SoNo) neighborhood, as well as refreshments by artisanal distillers and distributors. Sample them all while enjoying the entire Aquarium for one price. Lasting from 6 to 9 p.m., “Maritime with a Twist” offers a fun celebration of summer in a unique setting among seals, sharks, sea turtles, jellies and more. Weather permitting, the event will spill out onto the Aquarium’s riverfront courtyard.

Pursue your interest in marine animals — and share your knowledge and enthusiasm with others — by becoming a member of the volunteer staff at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

Two interview sessions for potential volunteers will be held: on Wednesday, June 6 and Thursday, June 7, each at 5 p.m. You need attend only one. — an announcement from the Maritime Aquarium

Prior knowledge about marine animals isn’t necessary to be a Maritime Aquarium volunteer. That’s what will be taught in a special abbreviated three-day course, which meets from Tuesday, June 26 to Thursday, June 28, from 1 to 5 p.m. each day. Attendance at all three days of training is mandatory.

As a leader in Long Island Sound and ocean conservation, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is doing its part for the environment by significantly reducing its employ of single-use plastics. Gone from the Aquarium’s cafeteria and theater concessions stand are all drinking straws. Guests now have the option of boxed water or beverages in glass and aluminum containers, instead of in plastic bottles. __________

— an announcement from the Maritime Aquarium

__________

Additionally, plastic silverware, coffee lids and food containers have been replaced by biodegradable substitutes. In the Aquarium’s gift shop, plush animals no longer are stuffed with plastic beads, toys no longer have cellophane wrapping, and purchases no longer go into plastic bags.

Take a giant-screen journey to China to watch as a “bear whisperer” from New Hampshire helps a young panda learn to live in the wild in “Pandas,” a new IMAX movie opened Thursday, April 6 at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. Filled with scenes of the adorable black-and-white baby bears, “Pandas” will play at noon and 2 and 4 p.m. daily in Connecticut’s largest IMAX theater, with a screen that’s six stories high. (Times will shift on June 30.)

— an announcement from the Maritime Aquarium

“Pandas” arrives with excellent pedigree, having been made by the same team that created “Born to Be Wild,” one of the most popular movies ever shown at The Maritime Aquarium. (The Aquarium is the fifth-highest-grossing theater in the world for “Born to Be Wild,” a 2011 release that follows efforts to rescue and reintroduce orphaned baby elephants and orangutans back into the wild.)

This new IMAX film travels to Chengdu Panda Base in China, where scientists breed adult giant pandas in order to introduce the cubs into the wild. Those and other efforts have stabilized the panda population, to the point that the International Union for Conservation of Nature changed its listing for giant pandas in 2016 from “Endangered” to “Vulnerable.”

However, the IUCN also notes:

“The optimism engendered by these positive trends is dampened by evidence indicating that some panda populations are decreasing, particularly those found in the smallest and most degraded habitat patches …”

Threats include climate change, habitat loss, population fragmentization, and human intrusion.

You can sleep with the fishes — and the sharks, sea turtles, jellies and other creatures — on Friday, April 6 during a fun “Family Sleepover” at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. This night of special access is open to children age 5 and older with an accompanying parent or caregiver over age 18.

“‘Family Sleepovers’ let parents share with their children a deeper, more immersive Aquarium experience than is available during a typical visit,” said Aquarium spokesman Dave Sigworth. “Plus, it’s a more memorable, more personal experience because we cap capacity at 100 participants, and those 100 people have the whole Aquarium to themselves.”

______________

— an announcement from the Maritime Aquarium

______________

After check-in at 6 p.m. and a tasty dinner, Aquarium educators fill the evening with a fun- and fact-filled behind-the-scenes tour, an IMAX® movie, snacks and more. “Lights out” is at 10:30 p.m. Participants sleep in sleeping bags (BYOSB) throughout the Aquarium galleries.

The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk announced Wednesday that it again has received a prestigious seal of approval from the organization that sets the top standards for animal care and visitor safety at zoos and aquariums.

The Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) granted accreditation to the Aquarium for another five years during a meeting this past weekend in Jacksonville, Fla. ___________

— an announcement from the Maritime Aquarium

___________

“Only the very best zoos and aquariums can meet the ‘gold standards’ set for accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums,” said AZA President and CEO Dan Ashe. “By achieving AZA accreditation, The Maritime Aquarium demonstrates that it is committed to exemplary animal care and welfare, educational and inspiring guest experiences, and AZA’s mission to conserve our world’s wild animals and wild places.”

Of the approximately 2,800 animal exhibitors in North America licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, only 230 — or 8 percent — are currently accredited by the AZA. “It is truly an honor to be recognized by AZA for the hard work and dedication this team shows every day while caring for animals and our guests” said Dr. Brian Davis, president of the Maritime Aquarium. “Accreditation is an arduous process that requires adherence and evaluation of strict animal-care guidelines to fulfill the high standards of a premier, accredited facility.”

The AZA requires zoos and aquariums to successfully complete a rigorous accreditation process every five years in order to be members of the Association.

Secure your place on a new donor wall consisting of shimmering fish in The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk and be part of the school of supporters helping to sustain the popular family attraction through the years ahead. — an announcement from the Maritime Aquarium

The large donor wall will feature fish of different sizes and shapes, with contributors’ names etched on each creature. Titled “Our Sound Future,” the installation will be revealed near the large shark exhibit this summer as part of the aquarium’s 30th-anniversary celebrations. Because donors decide what is written on their fish, the installation offers the chance to declare individual or family support for the Aquarium, or to perhaps honor a relative or friend in memoriam, said Alicia Wettenstein, the aquarium’s director of development. “The donor wall is a great, lasting way to declare your support for the Maritime Aquarium and our efforts for marine education and environmental stewardship,” Wettenstein said.

Educators challenged to fulfill standards for teaching science can explore the exciting resources available at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk during a free after-hours open house on Wednesday, Feb. 28. The event, called “Fish School,” runs from 4 to 7 p.m. Purpose of the free evening is to show teachers and other educators the many ways they can connect their students and curricula with The Maritime Aquarium’s unique educational programs, which help to fulfill state, Common Core and Next Generation Science standards. __________

— an announcement from the Maritime Aquarium

__________

“Our goal is for the Aquarium to be an extension of every classroom in the region,” said Tom Naiman, the Aquarium’s director of education. “We consider teachers and students to be our priority audience, and our catalog of programs is designed to support and extend the school curriculum.”

“Fish School” is open to all working educators, including homeschool parents and those who present educational content at libraries, community centers and other resources apart from schools.

David P. Dineen of Darien, an executive of Bankwell, has been elected to a three-year term on the Board of Trustees of the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. Dineen is executive vice president, head of community banking, at Bankwell. He oversees Bankwell’s deposit lines of business, including retail, commercial and cash management, as well as ebanking, to align, develop and implement the company’s overall deposit growth strategy and new business development opportunities. Dineen was previously senior vice president and national market manager for Capital One Bank. During his 30-year banking career, he has served as executive vice president, branch distribution, at Capital One, where he was responsible for branch and small business banking for the New York metro market, which included more than 300 branches.

Amid the world competition occurring in Pyeongchang, South Korea, there also are medals to be won Feb. 17-19 during “Strive for the Gold Weekend” at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. The aquarium’s special offering for the three-day President’s Day Weekend, “Strive for the Gold” invites guests — especially children — to take part in bonus activities, some of which test their athleticism in comparison to those of aquatic animals. Can you hop farther than a frog? Can you leap as high as a seal?

« August 2022 »

Sample the best of South Norwalk’s restaurants amid pulsing jellyfish and prowling sharks during a fun adults-only evening on Thursday, Jan. 11 in The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. The Jan. 11 event is the Aquarium’s next “Maritime with a Twist,” which are casual affairs offered occasionally to celebrate and connect SoNo’s food and drink with SoNo’s anchor, The Maritime Aquarium. From 6 to 9 p.m., guests 21 and over can explore the entire Aquarium, including the expanded new jellyfish exhibit “Journey with Jellies” and the new “Sea Turtle Nursery” featuring an adorable 4-month-old loggerhead sea turtle.