THE RESIDENTS OF THE AQUARIUM.
>> THE SUNRISE BECKONS AND EARLY MORNING WAKE-UP CALL OVER BOSTON HARBOR.
BUT INSIDE ONE CENTRAL WHARF, LIFE IS ALREADY DANCING IN A CAPTIVATING CHOREOGRAPHY OF SEA LIFE.
>> THE MISSION OF THE AQUARIUM IS TO SUSTAIN OCEAN HABITATS.
I WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL AS PASSIONATELY ABOUT THIS AS WE DO.
>> SHE SAYS THAT HAS HELD TRUE SINCE THE NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM FIRST OPENED ITS DOORS.
IT WOULD SOON FILL A $100,000 -- 100,000 GALLON TANK.
>> IT IS DESIGNED INTENTIONALLY SO THAT FAMILIES CAN HAVE PERSONAL INTERACTIONS IN EACH WINDOW.
>> FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, THE NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM HAS BEEN HONORING OCEAN LIFE, BRINGING PEOPLE HERE TO ENJOY AND LEARN FROM THE ANIMALS.
THIS GIANT TANK WHEN IT WAS BUILT WAS A MARVEL TO BEHOLD.
A MESMERIZING VIEW INTO A UNIQUE WORLD OF EDUCATION.
>> OUR JOB IS TO START BRINGING THE CORAL REEF TO BOSTON.
>> MIKE IS THE SUPERVISOR OF THE GIANT OCEAN TANK.
>> IT’S OUR LARGEST EXHIBIT.
IT HAS ABOUT 1000 ANIMALS IN IT.
OUR JOB IS TO TAKE CARE OF ANYTHING THE NEED.
SEA TURTLES, SHARKS, STINGRAYS, THE NEEDS CAN VARY BASED ON THE CREATURE.
>> HE KNOWS THE 1000 ANIMALS THAT LIVE IN ITS DEPTHS BETTER THAN MOST.
IT HAS A SIX-STORY FILTRATION SYSTEM.
>> THE FILTRATION SYSTEM TURNS OVER THE ENTIRE VOLUME OF WATER ROUGHLY EVERY 90 MINUTES, AND THAT’S WHAT KEEPS THE CHEMISTRY IN THE WATER IDEAL FOR THE ANIMALS.
>> THAT’S 200,000 GALLONS IN THE TIME IT MIGHT TAKE TO GRAB LUNCH WITH A FRIEND.
SPEAKING OF LUNCH, AS THE AQUARIUS’S PREPARED TO TAKE A DEEP DIVE, VOLUNTEERS PREPARE THE 35 POUNDS OF FOOD PER DAY THAT IT TAKES TO SUSTAIN THE GIANT OCEAN TANK.
>> WE HAVE TWO KINDS OF FEEDING, SCATTERED AND TARGETED.
>> 15 VOLUNTEERS HELP THE AQUARIUM AND ITS ANIMALS FLOURISH.
>> IT’S A LABOR OF LOVE.
>> THE AQUARIUM ADHERES TO A STRICT FEEDING SCHEDULE.
BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO ATE AND WHO DIDN’T?
SOME OF THE FISH ARE TARGETED USING BOXES.
OTHERS ARE TRAINED.
WE DON’T RECOMMEND TRYING THIS AT HOME, BUT YES, YOU CAN TRAIN A FISH.
WEIGHING IN AT 515 POUNDS, THE MATRIARCH OF THE TANK IS MYRTLE THE TURTLE.
>> SHE IS PROBABLY 70 YEA OLD, PROBABLY MORE TOWARDS 90.
>> SHE IS AN AVID EXPLORER OF THE WORLD AROUND HER.
>> MOST OF THE THINGS THAT GO ON IN THE EXHIBIT SHE WANTS TO GET A CLOSER LOOK AT.
>> YOU GET TO FEED PENGUINS FOR A LIVING.
>> I DO.
>> WHAT’S THAT LIKE?
>> FRIEND AND MIGHT HAVE ONE OF THE COOLEST JOBS AROUND -- BRANDON MIGHT HAVE ONE OF THE COOLEST JOBS AROUND.
THERE ARE TWO SPECIES OF PENGUIN AT THE AQUARIUM, AFRICAN AND RAW COPPERS WITH ROCK HOPPING FEATHERED USE -- FEATHER DUES -- DO’S.
HE RECOGNIZES ALL OF THEM, KEEPS TRACK OF THEIR DIET AND THE OPTIMAL SPACE TO MONITOR THEIR HEALTH.
>> WE DO FEED THEM FIVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FISH THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, MAKING SURE WE ARE NOT TAKING TOO MUCH FROM ONE FISH SOURCE.
HEADFIRST IF YOU WANT TO DIP IT IN THE WATER.
>> JUST WASH YOUR HANDS.
>> INTRODUCING VISITORS TO ONE OF THE NEWEST ADDITIONS.
THE AQUARIUM VETERAN HAS BEEN OFFERING GUIDANCE HERE FOR MORE THAN 31 YEARS.
THERE IS NO END TO THE STREAM OF CURIOSITY UNLEASHED BY AN UP CLOSE LOOK AT CREATURES OF THE SEA.
A SUPERVISOR OF VISITOR EXPERIENCE, HE MAKES SURE NO ONE LEAVES WITHOUT AN ANSWER.
>> THERE IS NO SUCH THING A NO HERE.
>> FROM VOLUNTEERS TO FULL-TIME STAFF, THERE IS A RECOGNITION OF THE SPECIAL PLACE THEY HOLD IN SHARING STORIES ABOUT THESE ANIMALS.
>> PEOPLE ARE INSPIRED BY WHAT THEY LEARN ABOUT AND HOPEFULLY BECOME GOOD STEWARDS AND CONSERVATIONISTS IN TERMS OF PROTECTING ECOSYSTEMS.
>> THE AQUARIUM IS CURRENTLY CLOSED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CITIES COVID-19 ORDERS.
THE STAFF SAID MANY HAVE FAVORITES WHEN IT COMES TO MEALTIME.
MYRTLE LOVES TO EAT LETTUCE, CABBAGE, BRUSSELS SPROUTS.
THE CORAL REEF IS NOT REAL, THOUGH IT LOOKS IT.
IT IS HANDMADE AND WAS PAINTED BY AQUARIUM ART