Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is home to a variety of exhibits where you can get up close to some of the most incredible sea creatures in the world! Whether you want to touch a stingray or come eye-to-eye with a shark, you can do it all within this amazing aquarium! Here are 4 fascinating sea creatures that you can see up close while visiting Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies:

1. Sharks

Enjoy a unique opportunity to see the world’s most famous deep sea predators up close at the Shark Lagoon! As you travel through an underwater tunnel on a moving walkway, you will come to face-to-face with a green sea turtle, snappers, tarpons, sawfish and huge sharks. You will actually feel as if you are exploring the depths of the ocean and can practically touch the amazing sea life! This tunnel offers the only way to experience being underwater without getting wet and is sure to be a highlight of your vacation in Gatlinburg!

2. Stingrays

You can actually touch real live stingrays when visiting Stingray Bay at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies! When stingrays are in the wild, they spend most of their time buried in the sand to hide from predators and divers. However, they love being in the spotlight at Ripley’s Aquarium and enjoy being touched by visitors! The shallow end of the Stingray Bay tank is the perfect place to reach out to feel the soft skin of these beautiful animals. While visiting the tank, you can also learn more about stingrays from the professional aquarium staff.

3. Penguins

Experience the world’s best penguin exhibit at the Penguin Playhouse, a huge indoor and outdoor penguin habitat! While some folks may not think of penguins as a sea creature, they actually spend as much as 75 percent of their life at sea. Penguins are considered specialized marine birds who have adapted to living at sea and they only come ashore for breeding and molting. Although their wings might look like they are useful for flying, they are actually used for swimming, which you will see plenty of in the Penguin Playhouse!

4. Clownfish

If you are a fan of Disney’s “Finding Nemo,” you will love seeing the Clownfish in the Coral Reef exhibit at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies! These brightly colored fish are found in the coral reefs off the coasts of Australia and Southeast Asia as far north as southern Japan. They can mostly be found around certain species of anemones, creatures that anchor themselves to the bottom of the ocean and use tentacles to attract food. After the prey has been stung by the anemone’s tentacles, the anemone then eats the fish and the clownfish eats the remains! Other interesting fish in the Coral Reef exhibit include the Clown Triggerfish, Regal Blue Tang, Foxface Rabbitfish, Sohal Tang and the Butterflyfish.

Check out our coupons to Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies today to enjoy a discounted day of exploring the most fascinating sea creatures in the world!