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 Marine
Gardens
This gallery of 21 jewel
tanks provides intimate and stunning views of hundreds of marine species
in their unique habitats. Watch closely as these marine creatures
exhibit behaviors you would have a hard time seeing in the wild. Try to
spot the superbly camouflaged scorpion fish and peacock flounder. Watch
delicate jawfish “standing” vertically in their burrows, constantly
redecorating their homes by removing bits of shell and placing these
bits in more preferred locations. They use their mouths to dig burrows
in the sand. Males also use their mouths to carry eggs until they hatch.
Marvel at exotic looking fish like trunk fish, burr fish and porcupine
fish that are shaped for defense. Don’t be frightened by the moray eels.
These eels constantly open and close their mouths in order to breathe by
moving water over their gills, giving them a fearsome look. See a school
of big-eyed soldierfish and squirrelfish suspended in the safety of the
cave tank while huge lobsters clamber on the rocks. Want to see a Sea
Lion upclose? - You won't want to miss our daily Sea Lion presentations
in the Marine Gardens.
Undersea Observatory Tower
The only one of its kind
in the Caribbean, our air conditioned Undersea Observatory Tower stands
100 feet offshore. Descend 15 feet beneath the sea to the Undersea
Observatory and view the ever changing life on a natural coral reef. At
mid-level, visit the Deep Reef Tank and, from the top level enjoy
spectacular views of the St. Thomas shoreline and neighboring islands.
From the Undersea Observatory, you have a unique opportunity to stay dry
and watch totally non-captive fish and other marine creatures as they go
about their daily activities on the reef completely unaware of your
presence. The scene changes frequently because the marine life here is
free to come and go at will. You never know what might swim by – today a
barracuda, tomorrow a turtle. Watch large schools of horse-eye jacks
suspended in the current. Sometimes the tower is surrounded by huge
schools of silversides. Watch hundreds of fish engulf our diver outside
the observation windows during the daily feedings. View a coral nursery
demonstration site and learn how coral nurseries can work to help
recover threatened Staghorn and Elkhorn coral species. Or perhaps you
would like to turn things around and be out there with the fish looking
in. Then sign up for Sea Trek, the ultimate helmet dive. You can make
your reservation at the kiosk on the top level of the Tower. The
Predator Tank at mid-level contains a variety of schooling fish, sharks,
tarpon and other large fish found in deeper waters. The top level of the
Tower is home to our reservations desk for all the Activities at Coral
World. In addition to spectacular island views at this level, from
December through March, you may get lucky and see a humpback whale and
her calf breaching or tail or flipper slapping in the passage between
the Tower and Thatch Cay. Humpback whales migrate to the Caribbean in
the fall to breed and calve. In the winter, they begin their migration
back to colder waters where they will gorge themselves during the
summer..
Caribbean Reef Encounter
This 80,000 gallon coral reef
aquarium encircles you as you enter the air-conditioned Caribbean Reef
Encounter. The aquarium is open to the elements, which means the
hundreds of reef animals that are housed here receive natural day and
moonlight and experience rain just like a natural reef would. Coral
World's marine operations staff has reconstructed this natural living
coral reef with an amazing array of local corals, sponges, fish, sea
anemones, lobsters, conchs, stingrays and other marine creatures.
Recreating a coral reef on land is a difficult task because corals are
among the most sensitive organisms on our planet. Because the Caribbean
Reef Encounter receives unfiltered sea water directly from the ocean
around the Undersea Observatory Tower, we are able to satisfy the
requirements of corals for relatively constant temperatures and salinity
and to provide nutrition to the corals. Watch the fish go into a feeding
frenzy as a diver hand feeds in the tank during the twice daily narrated
feedings. See Feeding Schedule. If you would like to walk through a
coral reef instead of just being a spectator, try Sea Trek, the ultimate
helmet dive, or Snuba, a cross between diving and snorkeling - both
bring you face to face with many of the animals you see in the Caribbean
Reef Encounter.
Touch Pool
Get your hands wet while
you gently handle starfish, pet a sea cucumber, meet a hermit crab and
other touchable sea creatures. An aquarist is never far to answer your
questions.
Turtle Pool
Rescued as hatchlings in
October 1997, our green sea turtles were first introduced to water at
Coral World. Smaller than the palm of an adult hand at that time, today
each weighs well over one hundred pounds. Watch in awe at these
magnificent creatures and learn about their eating and nesting habits
during the daily feeding presentations. See Feeding Schedule. If you
would like to get really close to the turtles by entering their pool and
having a personal introduction with one of our marine operations staff,
sign up for the Turtle Encounter. Call today to make your reservations.
In addition to caring for our own non-releasable turtles, Coral World
serves as a rehabilitation center for sick or injured turtles. Over the
years, Government agencies and private citizens have brought hundreds of
turtles -- large ones with serious propeller-related injuries and tiny
hatchlings who seem to be in unsafe circumstances - to Coral World for
TLC before release back to the wild.
Stingray Lagoon
See if you can find all
the stingrays that live in our Stingray Lagoon. Masters of disguise, the
Southern Stingrays bury themselves in the sand for camouflage. Look for
the hint of an eye or tip of a tail showing in the sand to discover
them. Watch as these gentle, graceful creatures glide around the pool
seeming to fly through the water. They often slap their “wings” against
the wall of the pool hoping for a handout of fish. At feeding time, one
of our marine operations staff will supply some small fish and show you
how to hand feed the rays. You are welcome at any time to stroke the
rays carefully and feel the silkiness of their skin. Part of the
Stingray Lagoon is dedicated to a small red mangrove forest. Its seeds
or propagules are unusual in that they germinate while still on the
tree, sprouting seedlings that grow up to 30 cm (12 in) long. The
seedlings are cigar-shaped and heavier at the root end than at the leafy
end. Upon falling, they tend to plant themselves in the mud below the
parent tree. Mangroves protect shorelines from damaging storm and
hurricane winds, waves, and floods. Mangroves also help prevent erosion
by stabilizing sediments with their tangled root systems. They maintain
water quality and clarity, filtering pollutants and trapping sediments
originating from land. Mangroves are also very valuable nursery areas
for a wide variety of fish and invertebrates. Their destruction has an
adverse effect on fisheries. Many have been dredged because people have
considered them swampy areas not worthy of protection. Coral World’s
marine operations staff has participated in mangrove restoration efforts
with propagules from our man-made lagoon. Check out the daily feedings
at the Stingray Lagoon. You will be amazed how the stingrays take food
right out their trainers hand. You will also get a chance to help feed
them or pet them.
Critter Corners
Spend some time with our
native iguanas in Iguana Alley, our native ducks and tortoises on the
Nature Trail, and our not so native but very lovable Rainbow Lorikeets
in the Lorikeet Garden. Lorikeet Garden The inhabitants of this
walk-through aviary houses Australian Rainbow Lorikeets and one Blue
Streak Lorikeet. They were all born in captivity and arrived here from
Florida. These beautifully colored and very sociable birds give our
guests an opportunity to watch their amusing antics up close. If you
care to hand feed them, just purchase a cup of nectar. One of our marine
operations staff gives a daily talk about the birds. Iguana Alley You
can find iguanas everywhere on the Virgin Islands, but dozens have made
their home in the small area above the Turtle Pool just opposite the
Lorikeet Garden. Look up into the sea grape trees and spot them resting
on branches or look for them on the rocks. At feeding time, you will
find these somewhat prehistoric looking creatures in great number on the
ramp leading to the rear of the park. Nature Trail The Nature trail
contains many important Virgin Islands trees and plants, like the lignum
vitae tree whose wood was commonly used in all ship's propeller
stern-tube bearings because of its self-lubricating qualities. Our ducks
and red-footed tortoises live on the lower Nature Trail.
Shark Shallows
One of our most popular
exhibits, this large pool is home to our juvenile sharks. View a variety
of sharks from above and below through a large underwater viewing window
as they gracefully circle the pool or rest among the rocks. The
inhabitants of the Shark Shallows may include nurse, lemon, blacktip and
reef sharks. Our friendly and knowledgeable marine operations staff will
tell you about the current inhabitants at the twice daily feedings and
talks. This is a unique opportunity to learn about these amazing and
very misunderstood animals and pet a baby nurse shark with the
assistance of one of our aquarists. Or perhaps you would like to take a
closer look at these sleek predators. We offer a Shark Encounter program
during which you will have a personal briefing with a staff member and
then actually enter the Shark Shallows. Coral World collects the sharks
in its exhibits from local waters. The Shark Shallows serves as a head
start program for sharks - When the juvenile sharks reach a certain size
and are less likely to be prey for larger predators, our marine
operations staff will release them to the sea. Because of the importance
of sharks to ocean ecology and the threats to their survival, Coral
World is engaged in a Shark Tagging Program. Ever wanted to pet a shark?
You can at the daily feedings. After the presentaion you will get a
chance to pet one of the baby nurse sharks.
Source: official site of
Coral World Ocean
Park (2013)
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