The National Aquarium is located in the heart of Baltimore City looking over the Inner Harbor. They have various exhibits and wildlife to experience and experts who know the answers to every question you could ever have.
John Giovingo is a conservation educator at the National Aquarium and has been working there since 2018. He does a lot of behind-the-scenes tours and anytime a guest comes up to interact with the animals he is the middleman they go to if they have questions. Giovingo explained why students should take advantage of the aquarium.
“The National Aquarium is one of the best spots, historically, in Baltimore. If you love the city, if you’re a fan of history, and learning how the aquarium came to be, it’s a great place to come and explore,” Giovingo said.
The National Aquarium has thirteen award-winning exhibits with various animals to see and learn about. You can see creatures from northern Australia and the Indo-Pacific reef. Giovingo had some opinions about what he thinks the best exhibit is.
“Oh, it would have to be a tie between Blacktip Reef, the one right in the middle, because of the variety of animals that live in one exhibit and biodiversity and how they coexist is just amazing. I am also a sucker for the rainforest and jungles of the world. It feels like a real rainforest because of all the biodiversity,” he said.
Blacktip Reef has 630 animals and 69 distinct species. Some species include the blacktip reef shark, emperor angelfish, spotted unicornfish, and the zebra shark. The Amazon River Forest has over 50 species. Some animals include giant waxy free frog, emerald tree boa, and the giant South American river turtle. Giovingo also explained the best days and times to go and explore the aquarium.
“Definitely take advantage of the afternoons during the week. You miss all the school tours and can take your time going around the exhibits,” he said.
Alex Amanatidies ‘24 took advantage of the half-price tickets on Friday nights.
“It was nice just to get off campus and go explore Baltimore, I have not been to the Aquarium since freshman year so it was fun to come back,” he said.
Amanatidie’s favorite exhibit was Blacktip Reef since his favorite animal is sharks.
“The sharks were awesome, they are my favorite part of the Aquarium by far. They have so many different species,” he said.
Whether you are going on a day trip with your roommates, your family is in town, or going on a date, the aquarium has so many exhibits and activities to reach everyone’s needs. There are also shows available that take place throughout the day that you can purchase to see for five dollars extra on their website.
The National Aquarium is open Monday through Thursday 10am-5pm, Fridays 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.. It is located at 501 E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21202. Take advantage of their half-price tickets on Friday nights after 5 p.m.. Find out more by visiting their website.
