Horses and Dragons - my favorite sea creatures
During the Hot Summer months we love to go visit the Aquarium of the Pacific. Last week when it was almost 100 degrees, I couldn’t bear staying at home. I decided to drive down to the Aquarium in Long Beach for some indoor cool fun. The children had a blast. We had a chance to visit the new Seahorses and Sea Dragons exhibit. The exhibit like the others are very informative and very beautiful to look at. I am always amazed by how these animals comes in all sorts of colors, shapes, and forms.
Do you know the difference between a Sea Horse and a Sea Dragon?
The Sea Dragon is a marine fish in the family Syngnathidae, which also includes the seahorses. It is found along the southern and western coasts of Australia. The name is derived from the appearance, with long leaf-like protrusions coming from all over the body. These protrusions are not used for propulsion; they serve only as camouflage. The way that a Sea Dragon propels itself, it simulates how seaweed would float in water. Male Sea Dragons are also responsible for childbearing but instead of a pouch like the Seahorses, they carry the babies in a spongy brood patch on the underside of the tail where females deposit their bright-pink eggs during mating.
And the Seahorses compose the fish genus Hippocampus within the family Syngnathidae. They are mainly found in shallow tropical and temperate waters throughout the world. They prefer to live in sheltered areas such as seagrass beds, estuaries, coral reefs, or mangroves. Over 50 types of seahorses are found North America, South America, Pacific Coast of Central America and the Mediterranean Sea. The Seahorses unlike the Sea Dragon has a tail that can be used for gripping. Male Seahorses carries the babies in a pouch.
These creatures know how to camouflage. Many times you need to look at it up close to find where they are hiding. It was a fun experience for the kids to do a little scavenger hunt trying to find these little creatures. Can you find the Sea Dragon in this picture?
To learn more about conservation, you can also take your kids to see Piper the Seahorse. This interactive puppet show will help guide and understand how the actions of our consumption and waste are effecting our oceans and what we can do to help. Don't miss it! And don't forget to check out their schedule for the Seahorse Spectacular film that is projected on the walls of the Great Hall.
Other than the Seahorse & Sea Dragon exhibit the kids had some hands-on fun at different animal stations like touching Seastars, Sea anemones and Sea Squirts. It’s like visiting a Tide Pool without having to be in the outside heat. And when you venture to the back area where the Shark Lagoon is, you get a chance to touch some stingrays as well.
My favorite thing about the Aquarium is that not only do they educate us through their exhibits but they bring us closer to help preserve what is endangered as well.
If this Summer you are tired of the heat, head over to visit the Aquarium of the Pacific. Kids really have fun while they learn about all of these amazing creatures and learn how to help maintain and preserve their habitat too.
For more information on the Aquarium please visit there website:
www.aquariumofthepacific.org
Cost:
General Admission: $29.95 for adults (12+), $26.95 for seniors (62+), $17.95 for children (3-11), and free for children under age three and Aquarium members.
Address:
100 Aquarium Way,
Long Beach, CA 90802
