Being landlocked doesn’t mean you have to miss out on water wonders

For desert dwellers, life under the sea can seem foreign and far away. Lucky for us, the ABQ BioPark Aquarium can help us become a little more familiar with species that inhabit our own Rio Grande, as well as ocean species such as sea turtles.

The photos on this page were taken at one of the aquarium’s annual events, Sea Turtle Awareness Day, earlier this year.

“Sea turtles are wonderful ambassadors for ocean conservation,” said Tallie Segal, the aquarium’s education coordinator. “When guests see the challenges sea turtles face, they realize how environmental changes affect the entire ocean ecosystem and all aquatic wildlife.”

The aquarium is located at 2601 Central NW and is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours in the summer.

Daily activities visitors can watch include divers in the Coral Reef Tank at 11:30 a.m., and at 2 p.m. in the Shark Tank.

The aquarium also has two touch pools – the Invertebrate Touchpool and the Shark & Ray Encounter – which may be open any day of the week between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Times vary, and depend on volunteer schedules.

More information is available at cabq.gov/culturalservices/biopark.