Many of the recent renovations have been for two of our venues – the rainforest and the aquarium.

Many of the recent renovations have been for two of our venues – the rainforest and the aquarium. Café Maya, just completed in 2004 is the newest addition, which provides a fantastic view overlooking the Maya exhibit. Hummingbirds, tanagers, eagles and many species of birds can be seen from this level, and weather permitting, the outdoor patio overlooks the South Africa/Madagascar displays.

The Endangered Species Gallery connects to Mundo Maya and allows for larger groups or it can be used as a separate venue, with access independent of Mundo Maya. For those members that attended the Hummingbird Lecture last year, you have seen this unique room that is surrounded with the Andy Warhol’s Endangered Species series.

The Tribal Gallery (theater) opened in 1997 as part of the Orinoco-Secrets of the River exhibit. The "face-lift" late last year included the moving of the freshwater tank from its original location to an outside wall, adding more useable space. It has become a favorite spot for weddings, with the ceremony often taking place in front of the colorful Rainbow fish tank. This area now has the convenience of a built-in beverage bar. New lighting adds to the ambience of the room with more lighting options available for the occasion. Adjoining the theater, and also part of the rainforest venue, is the River exhibit which has also been the site of smaller, more intimate weddings in front of the floor-to-ceiling, 40-foot wide freshwater display. This area also has a beverage bar that has been incorporated into the rock work and a new tile floor has just been completed.

The oldest venue is the Port Hole (2nd floor aquarium) that opened in 1992 with the opening of the aquarium. Providing a view of downtown, the recently renovated room now also has a window looking into the rainforest. Some of the support beams for the room have been readjusted and realigned and the storage rooms removed, giving more open space for events. The ceiling height has been raised and new lighting and ceiling fans have been installed. The beverage bar has been relocated to the back of the room, near a new kitchen located in former office space. Due to popular demand, the Port Hole will now be available for day-time birthday parties. Many smaller events are often on the lower aquarium level (Reef Room), with guests being entertained with the activity in the many saltwater exhibits on this level.

The facility changes at night, with descriptions ranging from "serene" to "spooky". The nocturnal animals are often more active and the sounds in both Mundo Maya and the Rainforest are quite different than during the day. For those of you who have been part of the aquarium for some time, you are probably aware that Daryl's By Design, the in-house catering company, plays a large role in the overall success of the facility. In addition to off-premise catering, over the years we have hosted everything from birthday parties, proms, weddings, bat/bar mitzah, corporate functions for several hundred guests, a Super Bowl Ring presentation, to a two-person "will you marry me" very private dinner.

You may be surprised during your next visit to The Dallas World Aquarium to see the new Eagles on display.

You may be surprised during your next visit to The Dallas World Aquarium to see the new Eagles on display. These however, are not eagles that fly in the air, but underwater! In mid-April we introduced a number of Spotted eagle rays into the Shark Cenote exhibit. These beautiful winged creatures can reach sizes of over nine feet across and can weigh over 500 pounds when full grown. Despite its large size, the Spotted eagle ray glides quite gracefully throughout its new home.

The Eagle rays are considered as a "near threatened" species by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) which is a global union of states, governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations in partnership to assess the conservation status of a species. They are native to tropical waters around the world, and most commonly found near coral reefs. They feed on invertebrates such as clams, shrimp and squid. They are also known to eat small fish. Their shovel-shaped snout and duck-like bill are excellent adaptations for feeding from the bottom.

In addition to the Eagle rays, your next trip through the shark tunnel may bring you face to face with several large Goliath groupers. These large Caribbean predators arrived at the same time as the Eagle rays from the Florida Keys and both are here with permission from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The Goliath grouper, which is a popular game fish, has been protected by Federal law since 1990, and is considered "critically endangered" by the IUCN. Recent studies have reported an increase in their population in Florida waters, but complete recovery may take another 10-15 years or more to achieve.

Goliath groupers are the largest members of the sea bass family in the Atlantic Ocean. They can reach lengths of over eight feet and can weigh as much as 800 pounds. Goliath groupers feed on crustaceans and fish. Groupers are ambush predators and often lay quietly in rocks or crevices and await their prey, then swallow it whole.

The Spotted eagle rays and Goliath groupers are fed daily for the public. Look for them to greet you on your next visit to The Dallas World Aquarium.

The first Seadragon Husbandry Symposium was held at The Dallas World Aquarium April 8-10, 2008.

The first Seadragon Husbandry Symposium was held at The Dallas World Aquarium April 8-10, 2008. The three-day event was attended by 40 participants from sixteen states (CA, CT, FL, GA, HI, IL, LA, MA, MD, MN, NM, OK, SC, TN, TX and WA). Representatives from Australia, Singapore, Portugal and Hong Kong were also present.

Leafy, Weedy and Ribbon seadragons were topics of the conference, with particular emphasis on such areas as: long term availability from their natural habitat, exhibit design, water quality/temperature/circulation, filtration, food, longevity and diseases/treatments. Although Leafy seadragons have been displayed for many years in several institutions, they have not reproduced. The successful reproduction of Weedy seadragons (Aquarium of the Pacific) and Ribbon seadragons (The Dallas World Aquarium) was presented and discussed in an effort to unravel the mystery of the Leafy seadragon in captivity. Pang Quong (Australia) shared never-before-seen videos of Leafy and Weedy seadragons in their natural environments.

At The Dallas World Aquarium we are documenting and collecting data in multiple areas from breeding and feeding behaviors to coloration and growth rates. In addition to collaborations with other institutions, we are working with graduate students at the Jones Lab at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas who will be conducting research studies on the genetics of the Ribbon seadragons.

Peru, the third largest country in South America, is often divided into four main geographical regions from west to east.

Peru, the third largest country in South America, is often divided into four main geographical regions from west to east. Unlike other equatorial countries, Peru does not experience an exclusively tropical climate. Temperatures range from that found in dry deserts to snow capped mountains of the high Andes. These contrasting geographical features and multiple climates, have produced a rich diversity of animal and plant life in Peru.

The four baby manatees in Iquitos became orphaned when their mothers were killed for food by native tribesmen. They are currently being held in temporary pools built by the DWA. Our director was recently joined by Dr. Murphy (Veterinarian at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, FL), Dr. Rodrigo Pinho Lopez (Veterinarian at Sao Paulo Zoo) and Tony Mignucci (Director at Puerto Rico Manatee Center) to assess the animals first-hand. Dr. Murphy is one of the foremost authorities on manatees in the US and works extensively with the US Fish and Wildlife Service in the management of the Floridian manatee stranding program.

In addition to the temporary pools, we are also providing medical supplies/equipment and educational materials that are being used to educate school groups and the public about the threatened manatee. Although classrooms may not be at the same standards of those in our country, the eagerness to learn and the excitement of the children make up for what may be lacking in the physical conditions of the building.

Peru not only possesses the greatest diversity of butterflies in the world, it also has the most species (more than 3,700). The Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm involves watching over the life cycle of butterflies from eggs to adults before they are released into the wild. Pilpintuwasi showcases the life cycle of more than 40 species of the most colorful butterflies. "Pilpintuwasi" means butterfly house in Quechua (a Native American language of South America). Although the tour of the Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm was quite educational, it was the Amazon Animal Orphanage that was of particular interest. The species found there include such animals as snakes, Jaguars, tapirs, anteaters, sloths and monkeys. In addition to a cooperative project involving the study of orphaned Red uakaris currently under their care, The Dallas World Aquarium will be installing enclosures to help handle the large number of orphaned animals at the Amazon Animal Orphanage. The work of Gudrun Sperrer and Roblar Moreno is truly an exemplary experience of in situ conservation for wildlife programs in South America. To learn more about this facility, visit their web-site www.amazonanimalorphanage.org.

Both entrances have always been great photo ops for our guests, but these areas have recently been beaten out by our "Frog Mobile."

Both entrances have always been great photo ops for our guests, but these areas have recently been beaten out by our "Frog Mobile." Normally parked in the #1 spot at 1801 N. Griffin, the vehicle is a favorite of not only kids, but adults as well. With the increasing price of fuel, it was initially an investment for hauling small loads, but with the colorful tree frog wrap, it has become quite a conversation piece, both on and off the road!

On February 29th, nine species were on exhibit in their regular habitats at the DWA. Six additional species were stationed at the River exhibit for the enjoyment of our guests. One area showed the development from eggs, to tadpoles and on to froglets.

While some of the children were learning how to make an origami leaping frog, others were posing by "Noah" the plump, large Marine toad who wore his best grin for the many photos taken as he was carefully held by his keeper, Lisa Goodwin. Guests and staff members sported brightly colored frog tattoos for the day and were given frog pencils and bookmarks.

Of the seventeen species of frogs/toads at The Dallas World Aquarium, twelve are currently on display.

"Treasures of Texas" is a beautiful, table-top book filled with images of the state.

"Treasures of Texas" is a beautiful, table-top book filled with images of the state. Author William Faubion describes the book – "Sit back and take a journey with us from The Dallas World Aquarium to the breath-taking River Walk, to the excitement of the Alamo, to the splendor of the Rio Grand River which makes its way along the border of Texas".

The book is divided alphabetically into 15 categories ranging from Accommodations & Resorts to Wineries and is also indexed by cities. Two full pages give a brief description of The Dallas World Aquarium, accompanied by seven images of the facility and some of its colorful animals.

An excellent gift for your out-of-state friends or relatives, the 235-page book is available in the Book Store for $39.95 plus tax – remember that all members get a 10% discount!!