In the Corpus Christi Bay waters you can find interesting fish, dolphin and other underwater creatures. But above sea level, along the Corpus Christi Bay, you can get an up-close view of these and many other water and underwater creatures at the Texas State Aquarium.
The Aquarium is located on Corpus Christi Bay, next door to the USS Lexington Battleship. It houses many indoor and outdoor exhibits, as well as a splash park, café and gift shop. Although every exhibit is noteworthy, I’m going to talk about just a few of my favorites.
One exhibit that is very unique to the Texas State Aquarium is the Islands of Steel exhibit. In the Gulf of Mexico, many oilrigs have been constructed over the years. During the life of the rigs, there is an underwater habitat that forms around the platforms. In the past, once the drilling was completed, the oil companies would then remove the rigs as well as the platforms in the water. Through education and programs such as “Rigs to Reefs”, we have learned that these underwater habitats, while not naturally in the Gulf of Mexico since the beginning of time, are still very important to the survival of the creatures below that begin to depend on them. Because of the knowledge gathered regarding these platform habitats, the oil companies are now only dismantling the rigs themselves once the work is completed, and they are leaving the platforms behind to continue to be used as an underwater habitat. The Islands of Steel exhibit gives visitors a look at these oilrig platform habitats and their residents.
Jellyfish have always intrigued me, and at the Aquarium you can get an up-close look at a variety of jellies and nettles without fear of being stung! When walking through the Floating Phantoms exhibit, beautiful glowing creatures surround you. Some look like they could be straight out of a sci-fi movie. Others will strike you with their amazing vibrant colors. And all have the smoothest rhythmic motion, which each varietal dancing to the beat of their own drummers.
My favorite exhibit of all is the Tortuga Cay area that houses the sea turtles at the Aquarium. These turtles were each taken in at the Aquarium for rehabilitation. They have all made a recovery, but the Aquarium believes they are non-releasable. These animals are very interactive, swimming up to the glass to say hello and give you a look at their interesting markings and structure. Every once in a while one will peek it’s head out of the top of the water as well. No matter which exhibit you like the best, you will surely find lots to entertain you at the Texas State Aquarium!