Camden, New Jersey
March 2015
This is an adventure from a few years ago that I will never forget! I went to Adventure Aquarium with my best friend, Cora, for her 18th birthday. We had an incredible time visiting all of the different exhibits. My favorite aquarium animals were the penguins and the sea turtles! While we enjoyed exploring the aquarium, we were anxious for our time slot to go swimming with the sharks. Finally, the time came and we were given instructions and wetsuits.
We eventually entered the water with our guide and put on our snorkeling masks. I was so incredibly nervous to be in the open water with sharks (yes, there was a guide and a slight barrier). Once we were positioned, we sat on our knees against the barrier and watched as the sharks and fish swam past us. Some of the sharks got close to the barrier and the guide pushed them gently away with a pole. Some of the fish swam past the barrier and right next to us. After awhile, we moved onto the stingray enclosure. The stingray swam all around us, they almost knocked me over a few times. The one large stingray rode up on my body and almost touched my face! We were then able to feed the stingray and pet them, they were extremely curious and playful. I am very thankful that I had this unique opportunity to see these animals up close and personal. This completely pushed me out of my comfort zone but those are my favorite types of experiences!
Unfortunately, I do not think that Adventure Aquarium currently offers this experience (I could be wrong but I did not find any information on their website about it). However, they do have plenty of other unique encounters such as Penguin Pop-In ($59.99 + tax for two guests), Hippo ($145 + tax for two guests), Sea Turtle ($170 + tax for two guests), Wild Things ($60 + tax for two guests), and Behind the Scenes ($60 + tax for two guests). Today you can also find exhibits such as Caribbean Currents, Creature Feature, Hippo Haven, Little Blue Beach, Ocean Realm, Penguin Park, Piranha Falls, Sea Turtle Cove, Shark Bridge, Shark Realm Stingray Beach Club, The Grotto, and Touch A Shark. Tickets for adults are $31.99 + tax and tickets for kids are $21.99 + tax.
Overall, I think that Adventure Aquarium is a worthwhile trip for all ages! There are activities that are suitable for the whole family! If you are willing to pay the price, the encounters add a little something special to make the trip more memorable. However, if your budget does not allow for the extra add-ons, I think that you will still find more than enough fun activities included with the entry ticket price.
Peep our giant stuffed animal sharks that we bought to remember our time swimming with the sharks... Five years later and I still have mine!
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