The Aquarium is open today!

11:00 Great Lakes Great Fish

12:30 Creature Feature

2:00 River Otter Snacktime

4:00 Fish Feeding or Animal Encounter (varies daily)

Animal care may require last minute program changes or substitutions.

Visiting on a Wednesday? Click here for the Wednesday schedule.

Large fish are rarely moved. Many of the Aquarium’s staff turned out to observe the event.

Divers get ready to jump into the 50 degree Isle Royale tank.

Divers consult with senior aquarists pre-dive on the plan to remove the sturgeon from the tank.

Divers wrap the fish in a wet towel to get a better grip. It takes six people to lift a writhing 50 lbs. fish out of the water.

Staff gently ease her from a net into a hauling tank. The water in this tank was treated with a mild sedative to minimize stress on the fish.

The fish is transported on wheels two stories down to holding/animal care center.

Husbandry staff examine the sturgeon once in holding.

A second lift moves the fish from the transport tank to a holding tank.

The sturgeon will remain in this tank for two weeks while husbandry staff treat and monitor her.this is 

It was a big job that took nearly half our staff and much care.  Yesterday, Great Lakes Aquarium divers and aquarists moved one of our big lake sturgeon from Isle Royale Tank 1 to holding*. Staff members were concerned about signs of infection in the fish.  She was under observation all night and is now being treated, with medicated food, for a common parasite. Moving a fish of this size is a monumental and unusual undertaking at the Aquarium.  We photographed the journey to give you an insider’s look at this rare event.

(*holding is another term for our animal care center, which is not on exhibit)

A retrospective featuring the works of renowned nature photographer Craig Blacklock is on exhibit at Great Lakes Aquarium in the Merrill Lynch Fine Arts Gallery.

The show runs August 2013.

Craig Blacklock’s Lake Superior features spectacular photography of a variety of natural elements and seasons, including vistas and rock formations, ice, fall colors and summer splendor.

Our river otters, Zhoosh and Anang, made national news for their artistic skills.

Their paintings are available for purchase in our gift shop and you can find them online here.

Stare down a snapping turtle.

Play with puppets.

Ponder time.

Explore the evolution of life and the changing landscape in the Great Lakes Basin.

What is this animal?