New York Aquarium: Sharks!
The New York Aquarium is located on the Coney Island boardwalk and is part of a network of New York City zoos in the Bronx, Queens, Central Park and Prospect Park. More than half of the 14-acre aquarium campus was heavily damaged during Hurricane Sandy—about 85 percent of the collection was able to be salvaged, but six years later they are still in the process of rebuilding.
Ocean Wonders: Sharks! has been in the works for years, and the exhibit finally opened in June. The 57,500-square-foot pavilion houses 115 marine species in 784,000 gallons of water, including wobbegongs, sea turtles, skates, dogfish and 18 different kinds of sharks and rays.
The entrance to the Sharks! pavilion puts you inside of a forty-foot tunnel where you can watch zebra and reef sharks float above you (and divers scrubbing the fake coral). The rooftop deck has a bar and a touch pool overlooking the boardwalk, the beach and most fittingly, the ocean. 26 species of sharks live in the waters surrounding New York, so it's about time that Coney Island had a proper showcase for them.
The main restaurant and three exhibit areas—Playquarium, Spineless and SeaChange—are still closed but admission is currently discounted ($14.95 vs. the usual $29.95). In addition to Sharks!, you can see interactive shows at the Aquatheater, Glover's Reef at the Conservation Hall and penguins, sea otters and seals lounging on the outdoor sea cliffs.
We only spent about an hour at the aquarium but the Sharks! exhibition alone merits a visit—just get there right when they open if you want to avoid the crowds (this is a New York City life hack in general, but especially whenever children are involved). I found at least two squished penny machines outside near the sea cliffs, at the same time that we discovered that not one of the five of us had a penny. I scanned the ground and found one just before we were about to leave and while we may not have had good luck seeing the penguins, I'm happy to add their pressed likeness to my ever-growing collection.
New York Aquarium
Surf Avenue & West 8th Street
Brooklyn, New York 11224
