OdySea Aquarium in Scottsdale, Arizona, has launched two online initiatives to help keep guests entertained and engaged with the aquarium during its enforced closure.
The first, called 'Your Oceanic Adventure… From Home', is an e-learning series, available on the aquarium's website, that offers educational content about the aquatic life at the aquarium with fun activities relating to the species discussed that kids can do at home. Species explored will include sharks, penguins, sea lions and jellyfish.
For its Facebook and Instagram pages, the aquarium has launched #AQUArantine – a series that promises to be 'the highlight of fans' days'. Designed to provide a lighthearted distraction from the current situation, #AQUArantine will focus on 'cute and cuddly' animal posts and will feature a mix of pre-produced stories and posts, as well as new and live content. Viewers will also be encouraged to submit their animal-related content for OdySea's animal care specialists to answer.
"We know our community is looking for calm in these unsettling times and we have heard time and again of the incredible peaceful effect our aquatic life brings to people," said Greg Charbeneau, general manager of the Odysea Aquarium.
"We also know that families who are spending more time at home are looking for ways to escape back into the fun and educational opportunities OdySea Aquarium provides. We invite everyone to say connected to us virtually as we ride out this uncertain tumultuous time together with Your Oceanic Adventure… From Home and #AQUArantine."
OdySea has also encouraged visitors wanting to support the aquarium throughout its closure to join its 2 Tickets-To-Go programme, by pre-purchasing two general admissions tickets for the aquarium once it reopens. Visitors will have a year within the aquarium's reopening to use their tickets.
"The investment in two tickets right now helps sustain the aquarium’s Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accreditation commitment of providing gold standards of animal care and helps acquire supplies such as speciality foods for the more delicate species, salt for man-made seawater, and materials for water quality analysis while it gives guests something tangible in-hand to look forward to in the near future," said a spokesperson for the aquarium in a release.
Prospective visitors can also support the aquarium by pre-purchase purchasing annual passes and special animal encounters and experiences - including sloth, penguin, shark and Behind-the-Scenes and Sea TREK advents – which are all still available to purchase online, to be used at a later date upon reopening.
