Valentine’s Feeding Time for Couples at the Maritime Aquarium
Forget flowers. Skip the candy. Dismiss the nice dinner. Instead, for Valentine’s Day, give your sweetheart the special chance to feed turtles, sharks and rays.
On Valentine’s Weekend, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is putting a special twist on its popular “Feeding Time” program by opening the Feb. 13 session only to couples age 18 and older. “Feeding Time” gives participants special access to some of their favorite Maritime Aquarium animals by letting them join educators and the animal-husbandry staff during morning feedings.
Feel the vacuuming power on your palm of a ray at the Shark & Ray Touch Pool. Hand-feed a horseshoe crab and diamondback terrapin. And go above the Aquarium’s 110,000-gallon Ocean Beyond the Sound exhibit to watch as Aquarium staff feeds the 7-foot sharks prowling just below your feet. Toss in some bonus food for the sharks, as well as the exhibit’s rays and other fish. Plus, attend a private seal feeding open only to “Feeding Time” couples.
“Feeding Time” starts at 8 a.m. with a light breakfast for participants in the Aquarium café. And, for this Valentine’s-weekend session, each couple goes home at 10 a.m. with a box of specialty chocolates from the Chocolate Rain Shop in Norwalk.
Cost of the “Valentine’s Feeding Time” on Sat., Feb. 13 is $125 per couple ($110 for Aquarium members).
The Maritime Aquarium’s “Feeding Time” programs normally are open to families and individuals. (Children must be at least 5 years old.) Upcoming dates include Sat., Feb. 27 and Sat., March 19. Cost is $50 for adults and $25 for ages 5-12 ($45 and $20 for members).
“Feeding Time” Programs in February at The Maritime Aquarium Aquarium admission at 10 a.m. is included for all “Feeding Time” participants. Advance registration is required for all “Feeding Time” programs. Call (203) 852-0700, ext. 2206, or register online at maritimeaquarium.org at Public Programs under the “Fun & Learning” tab.
The Maritime Aquarium is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to educate visitors about – and to create stewards for – Long Island Sound. It accomplishes this by allowing visitors to get close to more than 250 species native to the Sound and its watershed, including sharks, seals, sea turtles, river otters, jellyfish and other animals. One of the top places for family fun in Connecticut, the Aquarium also features hands-on educational programs and displays, public study cruises out onto the Sound, and Connecticut's largest IMAX movie theater, with a screen that's six stories high. TripAdvisor.com reviewers rate The Maritime Aquarium as one of the Top 25 aquariums in the U.S. and the best aquarium in New England.