The National Aquarium is one huge eye-popping exhibit after another, each more fascinating than the next. First, there’s the revolutionary design of the tank that wraps around the ramps where visitors walk (start at the top and work down) to see the fish swimming around them. The assemblage of 20,000 plus animals is one of the largest collections on the planet. See seahorses (love those little critters), stop by the petting zoo, and visit the seashore without having to drive across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and deal with the traffic. You should learn or relearn that we’re the stewards of our planet.

Reserve ahead for the behind the scenes tour where you learn about the isolation area and other areas, then have a chance to feed the fish with a frozen fish-cicle. You can also ask why the sharks don’t eat the rest of the fish in the tank.

Some really good news came in June, 2016, when the Aquarium announced it would be phasing out its dolphin experience. The dolphins will gradually move the eight Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins from the aquarium (they’ve already stopped the trained dolphin shows) to a one-of-its-kind protected, seaside habitat in Florida. Why does it take so long? First, the compound has to be built, but, more importantly, the dolphins have never lived in the wild, so they will have to be taught how to live with other fish and how to fend for themselves, including how to hunt for food (the trainers have always fed them). Another aspect of the new compound is it will have webcams so you can see the dolphins even when they’ve moved to the Sunshine State.

Check the events calendar for fun and interesting happenings, late Friday nights, sleepovers, and so much more.

Stop by the gift shop for unusual aquatic-themed souvenirs or presents for those who couldn’t join you.

See and save more places to create your own itinerary or modify a Bindu itinerary.