Hands on fun at the Ocean Explorium

"Mom, I think the little ray likes me..."
And that was it, a budding friendship between Boog and the littlest Cow Nose Ray was emerging.  We must have visited the tank 4 times throughout our visit.  Every time, the littlest ray would come under Boog's still and flat hand and just nudge it as if it were a cat being stroked.  It was very cute.

At New Bedford's Ocean Explorium, located in the old Institution for Savings Bank on Union Street, there is a lot of learning to be done.  Besides the Shark and Ray Tank, there is a Community Touch Tank in which you can hold crabs, whelks, and other sea creatures.  Boog has never had any inhibition when it comes to handling creatures, so this was old hat.  Mudge just preferred to observe, and occasionally do a one fingered stroke of the shell.

There were some smaller observation tanks to look at local fish as well as a jelly fish circulating tank.

Hands on learning continued at the theme stations.  This month: Outer Space.  So the boys each took their turns playing shell memory, exploring how craters formed, and just doing some spacey crafts.

  

There is the Discovery Bay Activity Center geared towards toddlers where they could play in a water table, do some dramatic play, and enjoy some crafts.  

Science on the Sphere is a staff narrated program, given throughout the day, during which you get to see the world a whole new way, on a globe projection screen.

Boog really wants to go back and visit his new friend, Ray.  And for the $25 Groupon family pass that I scored, we'll head down there for sure.  Plus, it's only a few minutes from my grandfather's beach cottage, so we can explore for the things we discovered at the Explorium in their own habitats.  I only hope we don't find the sharks, I'm all set with that...