Florida Aquarium Adds New Immersive Experience, More Exhibits Coming Soon

A huge 4,000-gallon cold-water touch tank is coming to The Florida Aquarium next month! Called The Tide Pool, this new addition celebrates the facility's 30th anniversary with a $45 million upgrade, and the Tide Pool is just the beginning!

The 60-foot tank will house 200 amazing creatures from Pacific Northwest waters. Guests can touch starfish, watch squat lobsters move around, and find purple sea urchins among flowing predatory anemones. The display includes modern wave technology and surrounding ocean sounds through 16 speakers.

Tampa artist Curtis Stokes created an amazing 70-foot UV-reactive mural that changes throughout the day with shifting light. Visitors can see this eye-catching display on the second-floor mezzanine.

"Now 30 years later... we have welcomed more than twenty million guests... served as catalyst for multibillion-dollar revitalization... boosted our economy... improved our quality of life... saved marine life," said Roger Germann to That's So Tampa.

The project received major support from Tampa's Community Redevelopment Area program, which gave $15 million. This is the biggest expansion since the aquarium opened in 1995.

In the future, the aquarium will add puffins, African penguins, and California sea lions. These sea lions will be the largest marine mammals ever housed at the Tampa location.

The facility brings $60 million yearly to Tampa's economy. Two million students have discovered marine life here, while total visitors have reached 20 million.