Volume 1, No. 9. June 1, 2001
It's a seahorse exhibit!
Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, California,
announces the arrival of "Saving Seahorses" and "Vanishing Wildlife: Saving
Tunas, Turtles and Sharks," May 19, 2001. Measurements: 1,000-square-foot "Seahorse"
gallery (303 meters), 250-square-foot window for "Vanishing" (76 meters) at
a 60-degree angle.
Public Relations Manager Ken Peterson
did not put together any big media splash for the opening of his aquarium's
latest exhibits because of their modest scale. Then the seahorses started having
babies, in big numbers. "That was a sufficient news hook," Peterson said. "And
we had no control over that. We didn't know they were pregnant." Seahorses also
are popular draws in themselves, and despite a low-key publicity campaign, lines
formed on the first day.
Meanwhile, the "Vanishing Wildlife" uses an existing aquarium treasure too long
shut off from the public. The famed million-gallon Outer Bay tank already featured
the largest window on the planet at 54 feet long and 15 feet tall (16 and 5
meters), through which visitors could watch sharks, turtles, and schools of
tuna. Unbeknownst to most visitors, that window extends downstairs, where it
angles in allowing a stunning view up into the tank. Previously set aside for
group events, that ground-floor room has now been filled with interactive exhibits
explaining the threat to sea turtles, tuna and sharks in the wild. Peterson
said the initial popularity of the exhibit is hard to gauge, especially compared
to the enthusiasm generated by the seahorses: "But people seem to like that
window."
©2001, Minton Enterprises LLC
All rights reserved