Endangered Creatures Now Call South Jersey Home

CAMDEN, NJ — The "Ocean Realm" exhibit at Adventure Aquarium got five new occupants over Memorial Day Weekend.

A group of Spotted Eagle Rays now call the facility home, making "Adventure" the only aquarium in the Northeast to have such creatures.

"The Spotted Eagle Rays are one of the most beautiful stingrays you'll see, both in terms of their coloration and their movement," Marc Kind, Director of Aquarium Operations, told Patch. "They glide/swim so gracefully in the water that it is often described as 'flying'."

They are also known for their white-spotted patterns and wing-like fins.

It took months of behind-the-scenes preparation, expert care, and constant monitoring by biologists and veterinary professionals to get the rays ready to "move in."

To Kind and his team, it was all immediately worth it.

"We get to showcase nature's beauty to guests who might not ever get the chance to see them in their natural habitat (the Indo-Pacific)," he added, "and generate awareness needed to help protect this magnificent species."

Each ray is around two to three feet in width and weighs between 25 and 33 pounds, according to the Aquarium.

Over time, they can grow to five-foot wingspans and several hundred pounds.

In the 760,000-gallon "Ocean Realm" area of the attraction, the spotted rays can swim through long stretches as they would in nature, Kind said, and get adequate enrichment through the mixed-species environment.

Spotted Eagle Rays (Aetobatus ocellatus) are on the IUCN Red List as an endangered species due to overfishing, habitat loss, and other threats.

Through their participation in the AZA SAFE Shark and Ray program, Adventure Aquarium collaborates with other entities to protect and restore shark and ray populations worldwide through awareness, research, and conservation action.

Additional information on the "Ocean Realm" exhibit and more on aquarium hours and tickets can be found on the Adventure Aquarium website.

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