Happy Birthday, Annik! 🐳
Annik turns five today! He can be identified by a white half-moon marking in front of his blowhole. He can often be seen interacting with enrichment items like a string of buoys, which he’ll push and pull with his mouth, flukes or pectoral flippers and rub against his body.
Join us in wishing Annik a happy birthday! 🥳
Me and who?
Next week is Shark Week, and we have some fun content planned that we can’t wait to share! Stay tuned to learn more about these misunderstood yet crucial animals. 🦈
Tag the biggest shark fan you know in the comments below!
📷: Leopard shark (left) and starry flounder (right)
We call this photo series Otter Munching. 🦦
Sea otters can eat 25% of their body weight daily and occasionally dive up to 250 feet deep to dig for clams or search for crustaceans in crevices. The sea otters at Shedd eat a plethora of sustainably sourced, restaurant-quality seafood, including clams, shrimp and crab.
That Friday float feeling. 🐧
Magellanic penguins are built for swimming. Powerful flippers, webbed feet and a streamlined body allow them to swim up to 15 mph or just leisurely float at the surface.
We embrace and lift up the beautiful and dynamic diversity of our shared blue planet every day at Shedd. Today, we feature Roy G. Biv, the Brazilian rainbow boa, in celebration of Pride Month, showcasing the vibrant brilliance of our world. 🏳🌈🏳️⚧️
Anybody hungry for crab? 🦀
Equipped with dexterous paws and strong jaws, sea otters can expertly crack open crab shells to access the meat inside. This enrichment activity stimulates their expert problem-solving skills and is excellent exercise.
Give Suri and Seldovia some crabs to crack in the comments!🦀🦀
Take a moment to breathe while watching the moon jellies. 🪼
Instead of a brain, a jelly has a nerve net. A simple system of nerves and muscles lets a jelly pulse its bell to swim up or down as well as drift with the current.
Bowmouth guitarfish inhabit muddy environments by the Indo-Pacific Ocean floor at depths of around 65 feet. This environment is where they can find their preferred prey, floor-dwelling crustaceans and mollusks, including shrimp, crabs and clams.
Try to spot them in Wild Reef during your next visit!
Today, Shedd Aquarium proudly recognizes the emancipation of Black Americans – an important moment in our country's history. We embrace the message of equality that this day represents and celebrate the hope it brings for a better tomorrow.
Artie is an engagement animal at Shedd. Engagement animals have a special role at the aquarium. Despite residing behind the scenes, these animals spend part of their time roaming the aquarium with animal care staff to demonstrate their natural behaviors and traits to visiting guests.
Artie’s presence helps us share information about how a bird can impact aquatic environments and play an invaluable role in ecosystem health – even those they may not be directly connected to.
