Newport Aquarium’s all-new Coral Reef Tunnel opened this weekend — and provides a new option for Spring Break.
The 60,000-gallon walk-through exhibit surrounds guests in color, with 360-degree views of a thriving coral reef and all of its bright inhabitants.
The new Coral Reef Tunnel features swarms of schooling fish with more than 50 species represented. Among them, the Bluespine unicornfish with its prominent horn-like forehead.
Visitors will also find multiple species of adorable pufferfish and get to watch young angelfish dramatically change color and pattern as they grow up on the reef.
“We’re always proud to bring something new and improved to the region,” said Rebecca Foster, Newport Aquarium’s Executive Director. “This is the spectacular coral reef that the region deserves, and it’s also a great chance for us to educate the community about the importance and plight of coral reefs in the wild.”
Coral Reefs are complicated systems made up of living things.
Most corals today are thousands of years old, and even predate dinosaurs. Pollution, warming waters, and other man-made problems are killing coral off in record time and numbers and harvesting the amount of coral displayed in the exhibit would exhaust any natural habitat.
For this reason, the coral in the exhibit was carefully man-made to replicate the specialized structures that provide the ideal living conditions for the fish.
Capacities are limited, so advance reservations are strongly recommended.
Visitors can also find savings by purchasing their tickets in advance online at https://www.newportaquarium.com/.