At Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, you have a chance to interact with some of the sea animals! This is a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the most exotic life forms in the world. Here are 5 sea animals you can interact with at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies:

1. Jellyfish

While a jellyfish is one of the last things you might want to see while swimming in the ocean, Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies provides a safe opportunity to interact with these unusual animals! You not only have the chance to view the jellyfish up close, but you can touch the jellies in the Aquarium’s Discovery Center! While visiting the Discovery Center, you will also learn more about these unusual animals from the friendly staff. An interesting fact about jellyfish is they really are not fish at all, but aquatic animals called cnidarians.

2. Horseshoe Crabs

Horseshoe crabs are another fascinating animal you can see up close in the Discovery Center at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. You will learn horseshoe crabs are really not crabs, despite having a hard shell and numerous appendages with claws. They actually belong to the arthropod phylum along with crabs, insects, and other invertebrates with jointed legs. In fact, the closest living relatives to horseshoe crabs are spiders and scorpions!

3. Rays

One of the most popular sections of Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is the Touch a Ray Bay! In this shallow lagoon, you can reach out to touch the rays as they gracefully glide past you. Since their skin is so smooth, you don’t have to worry about getting hurt or hurting the rays. They do have strong grinding plates in their mouths so be sure to limit the touching to their top sides. The Touch a Ray Bay has educators on hand to assure the safety of both the guests and the rays, and they can answer any questions you might have about these animals.

4. Penguins

The most adorable animals in Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies are most certainly the penguins! These playful animals have a state-of-the-art habitat and are always showing off to the public! The aquarium offers a special Penguin Encounter for an additional fee where you can pet a penguin and get a souvenir photo to take home with you! You will also learn all about the penguins from an expert on the aquarium staff.

5. Sharks

No visit to Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is complete without a trip through the famous Shark Lagoon! This exhibit allows you to go underwater without getting wet with an amazing tunnel that is built under the tank! As you travel along a moving, 340-foot-long glide path, you will come face to face with Sally the sea turtle, tarpons, snappers, squirrelfish, stingrays, sawfish, and very large sharks!

No matter if you’re a kid or an adult, you’ll love interacting with these unique sea creatures! Check out our coupons for Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies today to experience an up close encounter with these amazing sea animals.