The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, formerly known as the Virginia Marine Science Museum, is an aquarium and marine science museum located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, just south of Rudee Inlet. The exhibits at the museum are contained in over 800,000 US gallons of fresh and saltwater displays. History On November 21st, 2009, the Virginia Aquarium opened a 12,000 square feet series of exhibits called "Restless Planet". The $25 million renovation designed by Chermayeff & Poole of Boston includes four habitats: Malaysian Peat Swamp, Coastal Sahara Desert, Red Sea, and Indonesia's Flores Island and doubled the number of species displayed by the aquarium. Some of the new animals include Komodo dragons, tomistomas, spotted eagle rays, and cuttlefish. Exhibits The two main exhibit buildings of the aquarium are the Bay and Ocean Pavilion and the Marsh Pavilion. The two are connected by a one-third mile outdoor nature trail running alongside Owls Creek Salt Marsh. Together the two buildings are home to more than 12,000 animals representing over 700 species. Bay and Ocean Pavilion The Bay and Ocean Pavilion houses displays intended to show the journey of water from the rivers of Virginia, through the Chesapeake Bay, and out into the ocean. The Restless Planet part of the displays are intended to show the forces that shaped Virginia. Chesapeake Bay Aquarium The Chesapeake Bay Aquarium starts with a touch pool where visitors can touch horseshoe crabs, Forbes’ sea stars, and whelk. The rest of the exhibit showcases species that live in the shallow waters around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel including hermit crabs, spider crabs, and feather blennies. Chesapeake Light Tower Aquarium The 70,000-US-gallon Chesapeake Light Tower Aquarium replicates the underwater environment of up to about 15 miles off the coast of Virginia, and is home to loggerhead, green, and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles along with many fish including Atlantic spadefish, a large Goliath grouper, triple tail, cobia, lookdown fish, and permits. Restless Planet Restless planet includes four immersive displays, and new hands-on exhibits intended to show the forces that shaped the Virginia landscape into what it is today. Some of the animals in these exhibits include Komodo dragons, tomistomas, spotted eagle rays, and cuttlefish.

Wildlife isn't the first thing that usually comes to mind when thinking of Virginia Beach, but get in a boat and head out to sea, and all of that changes. The Virginia Aquarium offers wildlife boat tours that leave from Rudee Inlet year round, with humpback whales spotted from December through March, and dolphins plentiful the rest of the year. The tour is great for adults and kids alike, as volunteers and staff are on board to explain the marine and marsh ecosystems and answer any questions. By Brianna Simmons, AFAR Local Expert