Explore The Aquarium — Exhibits & Galleries

Cold Water Quest

From Oregon to Japan, from South Australia to South Africa, cold ocean waters teem with fish and marine mammals. Beneath the waves curious animals such as Australian weedy sea dragons, garibaldi damselfish and Japanese spider crabs hang among rocky ledges and kelp forests.

Two juvenile beluga whales, Grayson and Qinu, join adult beluga whales, Maris and Beethoven, in the Georgia-Pacific Cold Water Quest gallery. The two whales, which were born at SeaWorld San Antonio, are smaller than Maris and Beethoven. Qinu (pronounced Kee-nu), a two-year-old female, and Grayson, a three-year-old male, are light gray in color, a trait seen in this species before they mature into adults.

The African penguin exhibit features more than 25 nesting areas integrated into naturalistic rockwork and comes equipped with a state-of-the-art lighting system that mimics the natural light cycle from twilight to moonlight. Acrylic tunnels and pop-up windows, built into the exhibit, allow guests to come face-to-face with their feathered favorites.

The gallery's Southern sea otter exhibit has doubled in size and has been modified to include additional deck space for trainer-animal interactions. New to the exhibit, a sneak peek window has been added, giving guests a look into the behind-the-scenes area for the sea otters.

FIRST-EVER BELUGA WHALE CALF BORN AT GEORGIA AQUARIUM
At 10:32 p.m. on Friday, May 18, Maris, one of Georgia Aquarium’s resident beluga whales, successfully gave birth to her first calf. Shortly after birth, the calf took its first breath with the assistance of two divers, and then attempted to swim with its mother. The calf showed signs that it was not strong enough to navigate on its own, so Aquarium animal care and veterinary experts made the decision to intervene in order to provide the best care possible for the calf. The calf is under 24-hour care, and Aquarium experts currently list it in critical condition.

First-time pregnancies in beluga whales are often unsuccessful in both their natural ranges as well as in a zoological setting. For this reason, Georgia Aquarium was prepared for many contingencies.

“Since the moment of birth, our animal care and veterinary teams have been giving around-the-clock care to Maris and her calf, taking every measure possible to ensure that the calf thrives,” said Dr. Gregory Bossart, senior vice president & chief veterinary officer. “We became concerned when the calf didn’t demonstrate that it could swim alongside its mother. She appeared to be weak, and her tail flukes hadn’t hardened. Based on our knowledge regarding healthy calves, we knew we needed to intervene. Without our response, this calf would not have survived.”

Dr. Bossart and his team conducted a physical examination on the calf. During the physical, Aquarium animal care and veterinary staff determined the calf to be a female weighing only 82 pounds, well below that of an average beluga whale calf.

Because of the calf’s compromised condition, she is not yet capable of nursing. With this knowledge, the Aquarium team collected colostrum, which contains rich antibodies and minerals that provide newborns with immunities to infections, from Maris to be given to the calf.

While first-time pregnancies in beluga whales have low success rates, odds for survival increase with each of the mother’s consecutive pregnancies.

“Given that this is Maris’ first pregnancy, we are certainly pleased to see the development of her maternal behavior. There are many milestones over the next several days and weeks that this calf must surpass that will be extremely critical to its survival,” said William Hurley, senior vice president & chief zoological officer. “Our experienced and dedicated team is providing the best care available to both calf and mom and will continue to provide 24-hour care as long as is required. Animal care is the top priority at Georgia Aquarium, and our expert team of veterinarians and animal care specialists continue to fulfill our commitment to do whatever it takes to provide the finest care for our collection. We are hoping for the best, but the reality of the situation is that we have a long way to go.”

Georgia Aquarium is one of seven accredited North American aquariums and zoos committed to educational public display and conservation of beluga whales, and will continue to share the vital knowledge gained through this pregnancy and birth with the marine mammal community. Because of the extraordinary, long-term care beluga whales receive at accredited zoological organizations like the Georgia Aquarium, this birth is significant as it’s the first calf to be born from parents who were born in human care. Maris was born at the New York Aquarium in 1994, and the father, Beethoven, was born at SeaWorld San Antonio in 1992.

To allow our animal care and veterinary staff to focus completely on the comfort and well-being of Maris and calf, the beluga exhibit will be temporarily closed until further notice. Updates about Maris and the calf can be found at www.georgiaaquariumblog.org. To be among the first to receive announcements about the calf and other information from the Georgia Aquarium, sign up for e-newsletters at www.georgiaaquarium.org.

GEORGIA AQUARIUM WELCOMES FIRST AFRICAN PENGUIN CHICKS
The world’s largest aquarium is thrilled to announce the birth of two African penguin chicks. The young sea birds hatched within two weeks of each other in early January and have been hand-reared behind-the-scenes by Aquarium animal training and veterinary staff members since hatching. African penguins are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. To learn more about the chicks and their progress, follow the Georgia Aquarium Blog.

Watch this video from Georgia-Pacific about how the Cold Water Quest exhibit provides a safe, indoor ecosystem for endangered African penguins. Georgia Aquarium's Scott Higley and Erin Morlang discuss the unique features of the newly renovated habitat such as a lighting system that mimics sunrise and sunset, handmade huts and special areas for visitors to get a face-to-beak view of the species.

Visiting Georgia Aquarium?
Don't miss this gallery when you visit the Georgia Aquarium. Touchpools with sea anemones, curious creatures and new exhibits are just some of the things you can look forward to!

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