Long Island Aquarium: A Dive into Marine Conservation & Family Fun

It’s no wonder that the Long Island Aquarium is a top attraction on the East End. This awe-inspiring aquarium explores the wonders of ocean life, aquatic animals, sea creatures, insects, butterflies and more. It is filled with interactive experiences, houses more than 100 exhibits, offers lectures, live shows, thrill seeking adventures and a 90-minute boat tour on the Peconic.

Located in Riverhead, the aquarium opened in 2000 and changed its name in 2011 from Atlantis Marine World.  “We decided to change the name when they did a large expansion including the Butterflies, Bugs & Bees habitat, the Sea Star Ballroom as well as the addition of the Hyatt Place Hotel just next door,” explains Darlene Puntillo, director of marketing at the aquarium.  “We moved away from ‘Atlantis’ so as not to confuse people with the Bahamas property as well as to help visitors understand where we are and that we’re a large facility. Most of the larger zoos and aquariums are named for their location and we thought it would help in highlighting our location.”

According to Puntillo, the aquarium spans seven acres, including the entire indoor and outdoor space, the Hyatt Place Hotel next door where visitors can stay, and the Treasure Cove Resort Marina. The aquarium, which was even featured in the 5th season of The Apprentice, Project Runway Allstars and Sesame Street’s Elmo’s World, welcomes some 300,000 visitors a year.

Upon entering the aquarium, one of the first exhibits encountered is the stingrays swimming in a large pond. Visitors can lean over the ledge of the pond and pet the stingrays as they swim by. There is an elevated area so small children can reach down and touch them without a problem.

Moving along inside, there is a butterfly and insect exhibit amid a lavish tropical garden setting. Dozens of colorful winged butterflies fly freely around, and some are surprisingly large.  The variety of insects displayed includes ants, a venomous black widow, tarantula, cockroaches, beetles, grasshoppers, termites, scorpions and praying mantises. Thay average around 50 different species at a single time. Young visitors may be amazed to see these insects eating fresh fruits and vegetables. For an additional fee, guests can partake in a Bug Encounter and go into the lab to see and hold some of these interesting insects up close.

A honeybee structure showcases a colony of queen bees, worker bees and drones. Visitors can watch all the bees swarming in hives and combs.

In another section, they have 280 species of fish, not including invertebrates. Some of the fish showcased in their underwater habitat are puffer fish, clownfish, angle fish and flounder. An electric eel, giant Pacific octopus, sea horses and turtles, North American river otters and a touch tank showcasing clams, whelks, hermit crabs and horseshow crabs and a giant talking catfish can also be seen. Amphibian Alley houses green and black poison dart frogs, toads, salamanders and caecilians. And sharks can be viewed inside a 120,000-gallon tank,

Outdoors there is plenty more to explore. The penguin pavilion attracts a crowd of onlookers, and little kids can crawl into the observation bubble to get a close-up view of the penguins.

Young and old alike can take off their shoes and socks, roll up their pants and wade in the water alongside horseshoe crabs and spider crabs in the Salt Marsh. It is okay to pick up and touch the crabs, if they are kept under water.

To make the memories last, visitors ages 7 and older can take a selfie with a sea lion. Kids under 7 years old must be photographed with an adult.  It should be booked upon arrival or in advance online, and the photo is taken by a staff member with the visitor’s personal cell phone. Also available is the opportunity to say cheese with a penguin—again, with the use of your own cell phone.

A live show with seals strutting their stuff is presented a few times a day. A mammal trainer directs the sea lions to do tricks and entertain the audience.

Want a break? There is a restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, an ice cream shop, an arcade with games and a climbing structure and playground for 8-year-olds and up.

What makes the Long Island Aquarium unique are all the extra adventures offered.  There’s an educational 90-minute boat tour down the scenic Peconic River, led by an aquatic specialist. Snorkeling around unusual and beautiful tropical fish is open to adults and children, but 7-year-olds and under need to be accompanied by an adult. Either bring your own snorkel gear and bathing suit, or it’s available to be purchased on site. On Mondays and Fridays, the Snorkel Adventure turns it up a notch when the aquarium’s pod of mermaids visit for a Mermaid Swim. This adventure is just like the Snorkel Adventure, but is enhanced with the magic of Spoonful of Sugar Entertainment’s interactive mermaids. Both adventures run through Labor Day.

Other adventures offered include a 1 ½-hour kayak adventure tour; Poseidon’s Peak Rock Wall which allows scaling up a 25-foot rock climbing wall; and for the ultimate thrill seeker, the Shark Dive that puts you inside a steel cage with sharks swimming alongside the cage. Guests can also get up close with the aquarium’s Penguin Encounter, Seal, Sea Lion or Porcupine Encounter adventures.

There is an additional charge for each of these adventures.

The aquarium also hosts private Sleepovers for scouts, schools or other groups, birthday parties for kids, private guided group tours and educational programs, is open year-round — only the Salt Marsh and tour boat close for the winter.  But no matter what season visitors come to explore the underworld sea life, the Long Island Aquarium promises they will leave both entertained and enlightened.

Long Island Aquarium is located at 431 East Main Street, Riverhead. General admission: ages 3–12 $35, ages 13–61 $49, ages 62 and up $36, ages 2 and under are free. The extra experiences vary in price. It is free admission for anyone whose birthday is within seven days — before or after the actual birthday. ID is required. Call 631-208-9200 or visit longislandaquarium.com for more info.