New York Aquarium

No, that’s not a Wookiee you’re hearing.

Sound on to hear one of our African penguins vocalizing! Penguins call to each other for a number of reasons including contact calls which help identify other penguins, display songs used to communicate with mates, and threat calls to defend territory and warn of predators.

Our giant Pacific octopus training has been going swimmingly! Supervisor Aaron and Senior Keeper Cora have been training this animal to be weighed in a basket using a hanging scale. As you can see, this growing male octopus is acclimating well to this process and has gained around 4 pounds since his last weigh-in at the end of July!

POV: You're sitting front row for Sea Lion Celebration: Sea Lions in the Big City in the Aquatheater learning all about harbor seals.

To learn more about our incredible marine mammals and their training, join us for one of our daily sessions at 11:00am, 1:30pm, 3:30pm, or 5:00pm. Free with admission to the aquarium: https://bit.ly/3ztFHpi

With four daily sessions in the Aquatheater, there’s no excuse for you to miss the Sea Lion Celebration: Sea Lions in the Big City this summer. Learn fascinating facts about California sea lions and how WCS scientists work to protect marine animals and habitats in New York waters and around the world. Join us for a celebration of sea lions at 11 am, 1:30 pm, 3:30 pm, and 5 pm.

In this video, Dr. Hyatt is performing an ultrasound on one of our cownose rays as part of an overall health assessment.

We anesthetize our cownose rays in an anesthesia bath for full medical exams and use a small hose connected to a water pump to pass water through the ray's mouth and over its gills and spiracles to aid in respiration while the exam is being performed. This helps ensure a smooth exam and more rapid recovery. You can visit our cownose rays in the New York Bight exhibit of Ocean Wonders: Sharks!

🎥: Keeper Heily

Everyone loves a frozen treat in the sweltering summer heat! In this video, one of our sandbar sharks samples a fish filled ice treat prepared by keepers to encourage foraging behaviors.

Several of our sandbar sharks, including the one in this video, were rescued from an illegal wildlife trafficking operation. We’re proud to be a part of a network of zoos and aquariums that partner with government agencies to provide homes for rescued wildlife that are deemed non-releasable.

🎥: Keeper Heily

This behind the scenes is brought to you by Keeper Elena. In this video, watch as our juvenile epaulette sharks swim onto a underwater stretcher to receive their daily feedings. These young sharks are trained to use the stretcher so that keepers can monitor each young shark’s food intake and physical development.

📹: Keeper Elena

Keeper Mike has worked with our male and female brown banded bamboo sharks since they were juveniles and has developed a close bond with them while developing their tactile desensitization. These tactile sessions make them more comfortable during routine medical procedures and other interactions.

📹: Keeper Elena

I’ll be watching you 👀 🎶 That feeling when you sense a pair of eyes watching you from across the room. Keeper Alexis captured this great clip of our curious CA sea lion as she was visiting our Sea Change exhibit.

🎥: Keeper Alexis

During these hot summer days, stay cool in Ocean Wonders: Sharks with our roughtail stingrays. Did you know they are one of the largest species of stingrays? They can grow to around 7 feet across the disc and 14 feet long, including their tail.

In this summertime , watch as our southern sea otter, Quint enjoys some shrimp flavored ice treats prepared for him by his keepers. This satisfying treat helps keep our animals cool on warm summer days and serves as a tasty enrichment. During this heat wave, guests can also enjoy air-conditioned indoor exhibit buildings, fountain drinks, and water bottle refill stations located in our Seaside Cafe.

🎥: Supervisor Jenn

Happy to our amazing team of aquarists and trainers at the New York Aquarium! We appreciate your hard work, dedication and passion. Thank you for taking such great care of our animals.

When you see a keeper, aquarist, or trainer at any of our New York City parks, make sure to say “thanks” for their hard work and dedication.

DYK that chain catsharks are one of the few shark species that exhibit biofluorescence? In this video you can see this incredible adaptation under a blacklight, captured by Keeper Elena. Scientists believe that fluorescence makes catsharks more visible to neighbors of the same species at the depths that they live and may aid in communication between them. And get this: catsharks can adjust the contrast of their glowing pattern when deep underwater.

Currently, five groups of elasmobranch species have been determined to fluoresce from three distantly related families: American round stingrays, wobbegong sharks, and catsharks.

🎥: Keeper Elena

We’re all about sharks at the aquarium this July, and we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the captain! Our one and only zebra shark, Captain Spaulding, can be seen target training in this video, and according to Keeper Elena, he’s doing a great job!

Targeting is at the heart of our training repertoire and provides stimulation. Asking an animal to “target” means we want it to use its mouth, jaws, nose or paw to touch an object, such as a geometric shape or a short pole. Target training allows keepers to build trust with the animals and inspect each animal up close.

🎥: Keeper Elena

We love and sharing insights into this compelling shark species. Wobbegong sharks are ambush predators. They hide among rocks near the ocean floor and wait for prey. The barbels or “whiskers” around their mouths, which you can see in this clip, are multi-purpose. Together with their mottled coloring and flattened body, they help to conceal the shark on the ocean floor. Wobbegongs have poor eyesight, and the barbels help the shark to sense its environment, especially at night when they hunt. They also help lure prey as they imitate the movement of small fish and invertebrates.

🎥: Keeper Elena

Enjoy these incredible from our Oceans Wonders: Sharks! exhibit in honor of Shark and Ray Awareness Day.

With over 1,200 diverse species, knowledge about sharks and rays ranges from commonly misunderstood to entirely unknown. Our understanding of sharks and rays is ever-evolving. New species are being discovered and described all the time. But there is still much to be learned. Here at New York Aquarium, we have 18 different kinds of shark and ray species in our care, including sand tiger sharks, blacktip reef sharks, cownose rays, a zebra shark, and some lesser known species like horn sharks and dusky smooth hounds.