Aquarium of the Pacific relaunches animal encounters

LONG BEACH—With new Covid safety measures in place, the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach has opened two animal encounter programs one with sharks and rays and the other with seals and sea lions.

The Shark and Ray Encounter is a private twenty-five to thirty-minute session where participants will get to feed the sharks and  step into the touch pools to interact with the rays while learning about the animals with the aquarium’s staff. This encounter is offered Thursdays and Fridays at 8:30 a.m.

The Seal and Sea Lion Encounter is thirty-minute behind-the-scenes look at the Seals and Sea Lions Habitat. This encounter offers the opportunity to learn from the Aquarium’s staff members about how they care for these animals. Participants also get the chance to offer the seal or sea lion their afternoon meal. This encounter is offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 1 p.m.

For both encounter experiences, participants must be age 7 or older. Those under age 16 must be accompanied by a paid adult. Encounters require a minimum of two people and a maximum of four, all from the same household, to participate. Encounters must be booked at least 24 hours in advance. Participants must wear facial coverings and social distance from Aquarium staff members at all times and will have their temperatures taken prior to entering the Aquarium. For more information visit aquariumofpacific.org.