National Aquarium

How do we train animals while giving them the agency to make their own choices? 🐍 Nora Salzberg, assistant animal trainer, walks us through it: “Brutus is one of our ambassador animals who goes on Animal Encounters in the Harbor Overlook. Here, he is demonstrating his agency during various activities, such as programs and play/exploration time. Brutus knows that if he climbs down the stick and into his transport bin, his program or exploration time on his tree ends, and he will go back to his habitat. We work to give our animals as much choice, control, and agency as possible, often through training behaviors like this one, which can help provide the best care possible and ensure that our animals thrive,” Nora says. Learn how our Behavioral Husbandry and Animal Programs teams work together to train animals through enrichment: https://bit.ly/3YdvZ4o Thank you to our incredible staff for sharing their videos and photos with our audience!

As an aquarium, we’re known for our fish, but we also have many feathered friends who call our building home! 🦜 Just like our other residents, the birds here at the Aquarium require mental stimulation, consistent monitoring and engaging routines. Gianni, a blue-headed pionus who hatched at the Aquarium in 2019, “assists” aviculturist Elena with her daily record keeping in the Upland Tropical Rain Forest. Thank you to our incredible staff for sharing their videos and photos with our audience.

Staff takeover? Animal Care Professionals Appreciation Week? We asked our staff to send in their photos and videos to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the ins and outs of working at the Aquarium. Stay tuned for a weeklong takeover, where our staff will show you their work, favorite Aquarium spots and more! 😮 The staff members dedicated to the welfare of the animals at the Aquarium act as researchers, advocates and educators while making sure every animal thrives. Let’s give them a round of applause in the comments! 👏 👏 👏

Can you tell a dolphin from a porpoise? 🐬 One thing that sets these cetaceans apart is the shape of their dorsal fin—porpoises have a more triangular dorsal fin, while dolphins have a hooked dorsal fin. Not only does this fin set dolphins and porpoises apart, but as cetaceans age, the condition of their dorsal fins can even set apart individuals! Learn more: https://bit.ly/4cBdR94

As #PlasticFreeJuly rounds out its third week, we're looking at how our staff and volunteers clean up and maintain Fort McHenry National Monument throughout the year. 🌿 Read more about our work here and other critical habitat around Maryland: https://bit.ly/4f4YYh2

This #TattooDay, we asked staff to share the unique stories behind their nature-inspired ink. 🦀🖋️ Guest Engagement Volunteer Manager Sue Engelbert told us the story behind her blue crab tattoo: "Growing up, my dad used to tell us kids stories of Chester. He was a blue crab that lived under our dock and went on adventures with his animal friends. My love of storytelling started with my dad and Chester. This Chester the Crab tattoo is in loving memory of my dad, who passed away in April 2020. My favorite part of working at the Aquarium is sharing our conservation and animal stories with guests and seeing it light the spark of passion in them like my dad did with me." Artist credit: Rosemary Shackleford IG: @Rosemaryjane This is the first installment of our running tattoo series, inspired by the Seattle Aquarium social series of the same name! Be sure to check back for more ink-credible tattoos.

It's Shark and Ray Awareness Day! Did you know that over 1,200 species of sharks and rays are in our ocean, all of which help shape and manage their respective ecosystems? 🦈 Learn more about how we work with Lady Ray, a reticulated whiptail ray, in our Blacktip Reef Exhibit.

Gwynns Falls is one of four subwatersheds within Baltimore, along with Baltimore Harbor, Jones Falls and Back River. Together, these four areas encompass 194 square miles of land, 454 miles of streams and more than a million residents. Explore the history behind Gwynn's Falls, from its early days as the birthplace of industry to its ties to environmental activism: https://bit.ly/4eN14BP

How can you tell a shark’s age? 🤔 The lengths, weights and growth rates of the sand tiger sharks in our Shark Alley exhibit allow our aquarists to estimate their age. For sharks that have resided at the Aquarium for many years, veterinary staff use ultrasound to look for abnormal masses or digestive tract changes that affect nutrient uptake. 🦈 Learn how our staff takes care of aging animals here at the Aquarium: https://bit.ly/3W6O2YT

There are many ways that individuals can help protect our ocean, from beach cleanups to plant-based diets. However, local, state and national governments can make larger-scale policy changes, like supporting renewable energy and limiting single-use plastic production. As #OceanMonth comes to a close and elections happen across the country, please consider using your voting power to elect officials who support conservation policies. Learn how to cast your vote for the ocean: https://bit.ly/4c6ZxEX