Shedd Aquarium

Please join us in our collaborative celebrations with our partners, Seldovia Village Tribe and Alaska SeaLife Center for Seldovia’s inspirational one-year anniversary at Shedd! “Seldovia’s story is a reminder of the critical role we all play in protecting and preserving wildlife and now serves as an ambassador of our region of Alaska as well.” - Stephen Payton, Seldovia Village Tribe environmental program coordinator who assisted in the sea otter pup’s rescue. Today, Seldovia continues to serve as an ambassador for his species, forming connections with guests and encouraging them to take action to protect sea otters in the wild. Guests can support Shedd’s mission and rescue work by becoming a member, donating to the aquarium or planning a visit to see Seldovia soon! 🦦

Yasmin Quintana, Ph.D., has been recognized by Crain's Chicago Business as one of their 2024 Notable Latino Leaders—a distinction that underscores the global impact of her work at Shedd Aquarium. Yasmín leads Shedd’s Center for Species Survival: Freshwater – an internationally recognized conservation partnership and the first in the world focused solely on freshwater environments. Her work, rooted in collaboration with partners across Central America, is helping to protect some of the world’s most essential and fragile freshwater habitats. This recognition from Crain’s shines a spotlight on Yasmín’s remarkable contributions to biodiversity conservation and highlights the vital role of freshwater ecosystems in sustaining life on our planet. Thank you, Yasmín, for your leadership, vision and passion for advancing Shedd’s mission to protect and preserve aquatic life for generations to come. Read more — https://lnkd.in/gHfQRhfq.

Dive into our enhanced entry experience! 🌊 New enhancements include ... 🐟 A dynamic hanging sculpture featuring 1,600 porcelain fish representing native species found in Lake Michigan, crafted by David Franklin. 🧭 Improved physical accessibility, offering guests multiple ways to begin their aquatic adventure. 👋 A welcoming information desk and Member Services Suite. 🛍️ A new Shedd store. 🖌️ Detailed aquatic murals. Experience it for yourself; we can't wait to welcome you! Get tickets — https://bit.ly/3OksYsU.

As we conclude Vet Tech Week, we invite you to join us in extending a huge thank you to our incredible veterinary technicians! 🩺 Shelley Lexi Emma Della Richard Their dedication, compassion and expertise keep the animals healthy and happy every day. We appreciate all that you do!

Shedd Aquarium recognizes and honors Indigenous Peoples as the first stewards of the land and water here in our Great Lakes region. We encourage others to love, understand and protect our natural spaces as they still do today. This dedication to our shared blue planet resonates with our own mission to spark compassion, curiosity and conservation for the aquatic animal world.

As we conclude Mes de la Herecia Hispana, Doctora Yasmín Quintana shares about our work as an IUCN Species Survival Commission Center for Species Survival: Freshwater in Central America inspiring the next generation of scientists to take an active role in freshwater conservation. Learn more about this work — https://bit.ly/486CHMP.

We are entering our Amazon Rising era, bringing guests eye-to-eye with an array of animals that inhabit this biodiversity hotspot. Tune into the sounds of the Amazon rainforest, from rumbling thunder and bird calls to the sharp clap of an arapaima’s bony tongue crushing its prey. View the world through the eyes of the green anaconda’s thermal vision. Experience the pulse of electric eels' high and low voltage electrical charges in the water. Trace the richly detailed scales of the dwarf caiman and discover the lifelike textures of 12 new tactile models, each inviting you to become hands-on with nature. Uncover new ways to become better stewards of our shared blue planet. Experience it for yourself, get tickets — https://bit.ly/3NbTLHo.

Dive beneath the turquoise waves of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary for an impromptu underwater view captured during our fieldwork. These stunning images feature green sea turtles, loggerhead sea turtles, eagle rays, bonnethead sharks and other animals as they pass by, stopping to graze on seagrass or eat queen conch. These images were captured during an ongoing research project to collect data to determine common predators of young queen conch and better describe their natural mortality in queen conch nursery areas, vital habitats for these threatened snails and other organisms. We are conducting this audio and visual research in partnership with scientists from the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Florida Atlantic University and University of Texas Marine Science Institute. Photo Credit: Shedd Aquarium, Florida Atlantic University and University of Texas

BIG beluga news! We are joyously welcoming the newest member of the beluga whale pod at Shedd, born shortly after 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 24, to mother, Naya. Mom and calf are doing well behind the scenes, with round-the-clock care from our veterinary and animal care teams. The calf is estimated to be 5 feet long and close to 105 pounds. The first few months of a beluga calf’s life are vital, and Shedd’s animal care team remains cautiously optimistic. For the next few weeks, caretakers will be watching day and night, observing the calf for important milestones, like regular nursing of mom’s fat-rich milk, rapid weight gain, bonding and swimming with mom – also called slipstreaming. To allow time and space for these vital milestones and observations, Shedd’s Secluded Bay habitat will stay temporarily closed. Beluga whale births are rarely seen in the wild. Observing them here at Shedd helps us collect data on the biology and behaviors associated with beluga whale pregnancy, birth and infancy. These invaluable insights help us to make well-informed, science-driven recommendations to safeguard some of the world’s most vulnerable beluga whale subpopulations in the wild. Stay tuned for more updates on calf and mom in the days to come, including when guests might get a peek at the new baby! We are thrilled to take you on this journey with us.

Today, alongside our partners at the Aquarium Conservation Partnership, we are celebrating a huge win for our shared blue planet, and what better time to announce it than during Plastic Free July? The Biden-Harris administration released the first-ever federal report outlining a comprehensive U.S. approach to addressing plastic pollution – one of the largest challenges facing aquatic animals, environments and the communities that depend on them. We all have a role to play in turning the tide on plastic pollution, and today’s announcement demonstrates a big step forward toward healthier, blue futures for us all. Learn more about this plan to eliminate single-use plastics — https://bit.ly/3SgtBGi