For Educators

AQUARIUM TOUR

Welcome to the Atlantic City Aquarium! During your visit, students will learn about the various sea creatures found throughout our facility, beginning with our Mid-Atlantic Ocean tank. They will tour our 750 gallon hands-on Touch Tank. Here, students will have a unique opportunity to interact with crabs, sea stars, sea urchins, and many other smaller inhabitants of the ocean, touching a variety of local invertebrates as well as other beach residents.

On the second floor, students will enter the world of sharks and rays. In our 900 gallon shark and ray touch tank, they will meet two types of rays, cownose and southern, along with bamboo sharks, and we are sure that these friendly creatures will captivate them! At the conclusion of their guided tour, students will view additional exhibits inside the aquarium, including twelve aquarium tanks containing local and tropical fish species, live coral, moon jellies, sea horses, and moray eels. They will see habitats featuring Diamondback Terrapins, various species found in the Mullica River, bearded dragons, and one of the newest exhibits highlighting the exotic animals featured in our Live Interactive Exotic Animal Show on Saturdays. These animals include the boa constrictor, emperor scorpions, hedgehog, and diamond doves.

The third level of the aquarium is the observation area which provides a panoramic view of the salt marsh, Absecon Inlet, the Atlantic Ocean, and the islands of Brigantine and Atlantic City. It also features a collection of antique dive helmets from around the world.

SALT MARSH ECOSYSTEM TOUR

Students will visit a local salt marsh for hands-on study. During this program students will learn about the world of fiddler crabs and other life in the Salt Marsh including bird identification and the life of a diamondback terrapin. The tour finishes with students using dip nets, buckets and shovels to search a small section of the marsh for specimen collection and discussion.

BEACH ECOLOGY TOUR

Students will travel to the beach for a hands on lesson in Beach Ecology. They will learn the importance of sand dunes while identifying plant life that grows in the dunes. This program includes information on the wrack line and how it forms and allows students the opportunity to look for hidden treasures collected in the wrack line. The tour concludes with a shell collecting expedition and discussion on shells collected including what animals came from the shell and what animals will make the empty shell their home.

ECOLOGY CRUISE AND AQUARIUM TOUR

Classroom on the Ocean: Choose a one-hour educational cruise of the back bays, highlighting our barrier island ecosystem, local and migratory birds and New Jersey’s only Wind Farm. Or choose a one hours cruise along the skyline of Atlantic City featuring New Jersey’s tallest lighthouse, Absecon Lighthouse the famous skyline an piers of Atlantic City and a chance to observe the resident Atlantic Bottlenosed Dolphin, in season. Both cruises highlight the local species of fish swimming below as well as maritime history of Atlantic City and Absecon Inlet.

ECO TOUR

Available April, Early May, September, October and November

Students arrive at the Atlantic City Aquarium and board a 50-food pontoon boat on which they will travel into the Inter-Coastal waterway. They will pass several marsh islands and see nesting shorebirds. The students will assist in the casting out and reeling in an otter trawl net while learning about the animals collected. Students will visit a local salt marsh. They will have an interactive lesson which includes learning about what lives in a salt marsh, birds of the marsh and beach ecology. At the conclusion of their Eco Tour students will have a guided tour of the Atlantic City Aquarium learning about the animals that live in our Mid Atlantic Ocean tank. They will come up close with the invertebrates in the touch tank and interact with the bamboo sharks and cow nose rays in the Shark and Ray Touch Tank.

ATLANTIC CITY AQUARIUM AND ABSECON LIGHTHOUSE GROUP TOUR

Students will have a guided tour of the Atlantic City Aquarium as outlined along with a guided tour of the grounds, museum and climb to the top of the tower of the Absecon Lighthouse.

SAILORS, SEAFOOD & LIFESAVING GROUP TOUR WITH THE ABSECON LIGHTHOUSE

This one of a kind program addresses NJ Core Curriculum Standards in comprehensive, hands on way. Includes in service training for teachers, all curriculum and kit materials and field trip to the Atlantic City Aquarium and Absecon Lighthouse.

OUTREACH PROGRAM – OCEAN IN MOTION

Welcome to a unique, interactive experience for your students and you! If you can’t come to us, let the Atlantic City Aquarium come to you! With “Ocean in Motion,” your students can:

Enter the world of crabs, sea stars and
sea urchins without having to leave the school.

Participate in a lesson on the local
invertebrates and beach residents.

Interact with all the sea creatures
found in our 150 gallon mobile touch tank.

So, invite us in, and "Reach for the Stars"!

	Groups Under 20	Groups Over 20	*ADULTS
AQUARIUM TOUR	$5.00 per student	$4.50 per student	$8.00
SALT MARSH TOUR	$9.50 per student	$9.00 per student	$11.00
BEACH ECOLOGY	$9.50 per student	$9.00 per student	$11.00
BEACH ECO & MARSH	$10.50 per student	$10.00 per student	$12.00
ECOLOGY CRUISE	$13.00 per student	$12.50 per student	$16.50
ECO TOUR	$20.00 per student	$19.50 per student	$22.00
ABSECON LIGHTHOUSE & AQUARIUM TOUR	$9.00 per student	$8.50 per student	$14.00
SAILOR, SEAFOOD & LIFESAVING	$11.00 per student	$10.50 per student	$14.00
OCEAN IN MOTION	CALL FOR RATES	CALL FOR RATES	CALL FOR RATES

Group rates by pre-registration only, free parking on site, picnic area and gift shop

To Schedule Your Visit Contact

Lisa at 609-348-2880 ext. 17 or [email protected]

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For Educators