'Changing Tides' aquarium exhibits

GULFPORT, Miss.- Changing Tides is getting ready to open Aug. 25 here at the Mississippi Aquarium. 

Aquarium President/CEO Kurt Allen said the building "has been transformed into 25 new exhibits" that include everything from Octopus to seahorses to tarantulas. 

“It’s really an adventure into what we call biomes," he explained. 

When entering the building, visitors will cross a rainforest where a two-toed sloth, tortoise and armadillo will call home.

The Aquarium listens to customer feedback and "some of the top ones were Octopus and seahorses" ... which will give it the "chance to bring them out front so we can interact" with visitors, Allen said. 

There is also an Octopus Den and a Coral Reef. Each has tunnels allowing a close-up view. 

“In the Octopus habitat kids can crawl in and get face to face with the octopus. There’s a cute little coral tunnel that they can crawl through," Allen said. 

The building will also have a grab-and-go making it easy for people to avoid long lines.

The aquarium will have a ribbon-cutting for the exhibit on Aug. 24. 

Along with news of the new exhibits the aquarium announced its free Pre-K annual pass is now available online. The pass will allow all kids ages 3-to-5 to be registered for a free annual pass. (WLBT 08/06/23)