South Carolina Aquarium
The South Carolina Aquarium located on Charleston Harbor is a fascinating place to visit if you love animals and enjoy learning about nature. There are over 10,000 animals residing at the Charleston Aquarium, and exhibits include much more than aquatic creatures.
You’ll see reptiles as well as birds and mammals at the South Carolina Aquarium in an array of beautiful exhibits. From your entrance at the Great Hall all the way through to the end of your tour, you will be impressed with the beauty and natural appeal of the Aquarium itself as well as its animals and exhibits.
Mountain Forest Aviary exhibit
The Mountain Forest Aviary exhibit at the South Carolina Aquarium explores habitats located throughout the Blue Ridge Mountain areas of the state. This is an incredibly scenic and vibrant exhibit featuring cascading waterfalls, rock gorges, and Eastern Hemlock trees. Brook trout, bright cardinals, and playful river otters are all featured in this stunning exhibit.
Saltmarsh Aviary exhibit
A second aviary is also located at the South Carolina Aquarium. The Saltmarsh Aviary houses coastal birds such as herons as well as predatory birds, including a barred owl and red-tailed hawk. Coastal plants and marine animals including terrapins, crabs, and fish are also on display in this incredible 2,500-square-foot immersion exhibit.
Coastal Plain Gallery exhibit
The Coastal Plain Gallery is another scenic and intriguing exhibit at the Aquarium. Visitors see a variety of fish as well as reptiles, amphibians, and plants native to the state’s Coastal Plain region. There are several wetland habitats represented in the Coastal Plain Gallery, including swamps and freshwater marshes. Some of the interesting animals you can view here include alligators, rattlesnakes, gar, and turtles.
Ocean Gallery exhibit
If you like big Ocean-dwelling animals, you will love touring the South Carolina Aquarium’s Ocean Gallery. This popular exhibit takes visitors on a tour of the various aquatic habitats found off the coast of South Carolina. The 385,000-gallon Great Ocean Tank spans two stories and houses hundreds of marine animals. You’ll see loggerhead sea turtles that weigh hundreds of pounds and their popular tank mates, the ferocious sharks. In other tanks included in the Ocean Gallery exhibit, visitors can observe graceful jellyfish and study the habits of colorful and interesting reef-dwelling aquatic creatures.
Coast Gallery exhibit
There are many other fascinating animals to view and even touch in additional exhibits at the South Carolina Aquarium. You can observe seahorses and octopuses at the Coast Gallery exhibit. Interesting invertebrates native to the South Carolina Coast such as starfish and horseshoe crabs may be handled at the Touch Tank.
Special demonstrations and live animal programs are held in South Carolina daily. You can watch the otters enjoy breakfast, spot dolphins in the Charleston Harbor, and participate in fun interactive activities at various times throughout the day.
After a long day at the aquarium, your family is going to need a place to rest and relax. Hotels can provide you with a number of options including those with swimming pools, spas, and all the other amenities you desire out of a hotel.