When
I was told on the first day of my communications internship at Save The Bay
that I would participate in the different aspects of
Save The Bay’s programs, including volunteering at the Exploration Center and
Aquarium for a day, I was ecstatic. I had no idea what to expect, but as
someone with a love for all things ocean related, I was excited about the chance
to experience working at the aquarium. I had never been to the
Exploration Center and was delighted to learn that it has three touch
tanks where I would get to help guests learn about and safely interact
with the many critters that inhabit the tanks.
I
began my day at the Exploration Center before it opened by meeting all of the
interns and volunteers who work there. I spent the time before opening walking
around to the different exhibits to familiarize myself with all of the
creatures in the aquarium. I was amazed at how many different species of marine
life are in the aquarium and shocked to discover that creatures like sea
horses, little skates and dogfish sharks reside right off the coast of our
little ocean state in Narragansett Bay.
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| Chain catshark eggs resemble "mermaid's purses" often seen washed up on beaches. |
An aquarist intern showed me the little skate
and horseshoe crab touch tank where I would be stationed for the first part of
the day. I was fascinated to learn that baby skates come from “mermaid’s
purses” and that the aquarium has eggs growing in a nearby tank along with
recently hatched baby skates and chain dogfish. Seeing the life cycle of little
skates and chain dogfish right there in the Exploration Center was so amazing!
The skate and horseshoe crab touch tank was one of the most popular
exhibits, fascinating kids and parents alike. Children were always eager
to reach in and touch one of the little skates resting on a ledge near the edge
of the tank, and their eyes lit up when I lifted up a horseshoe crab so they
could see all of its little legs on the underside of its hard outer shell.
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| Recently hatched "mermaid's purses" reveal these juvenile little skates and chain catsharks. |
The
parents were just as interested as I had been when I told them that the
mermaid’s purses carried little skate eggs and showed them the tank where they,
and their chain dogfish cousins, are visible growing inside of their eggs.
Visitors of every age were fascinated with some aspect of these creatures, and
I realized that the Exploration Center is not just a place for children to come
explore, but an experience for the whole family.
Next
I was off to the shark touch tank, inhabited by chain dogfish and a smooth
dogfish shark. The smooth dogfish shark was in constant motion, dancing around
the tank, swimming in a circular motion and bobbing up and down with its head
out of the water. One bright-eyed and energetic toddler in particular loved
this station as much as I did and kept returning to stand with me and watch the
dogfish swim around and around. After eagerly reaching forward in the sharks
direction time and again only to jump back when it swam near, he eventually
worked up the courage to reach in and gently touch its back as it danced past.
The energetic boy’s eyes lit up with excitement, so proud that he’d finally done it! He even took to grabbing my hand and bringing me back and
forth with him between the three touch tanks, eager to interact with all of the
critters. Interacting with the guests, particularly the children who were
having such a blast exploring everything in sight, was my favorite part of the experience.
I had just as much fun as they did and felt like I was learning and exploring
with them.
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| The touch tanks at the Exploration Center and Aquarium captivate visitors of all ages. |
Last I moved to the tide pool touch tank, where
children were especially interested in the many different critters they could
uncover. Some young children excitedly pointed to shells and starfish in the
tank, exclaiming how they’d seen the same creatures at the beach before. Kids
would stand peering down into the water inquisitively as I instructed them to
touch the backs of the starfish stuck to the wall of the tank and hold the
shells that rest on the bottom of the tank. A few young children were
courageous enough to hold a hermit crab that I gently placed in their hands and
carefully touched the back of a spider crab.
The wonder and excitement of the
kids visiting the Exploration Center was contagious, and getting to show them
all the different critters in the Aquarium was an incredible experience. As
someone who has always loved marine life and has worked with children for many
years, I felt this experience truly combined some of my favorite things, and I
had such a great time that I’ve decided to continue volunteering at Save The
Bay’s Exploration Center and Aquarium even after my internship is over.
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