Habitats

Habitats aren't just designed to be visually appealing for our guests - they're also meant to give animals a comfortable and secure place to live.

Our exhibits are designed to meet all of our animals’ needs and give them the opportunity to perform a wide variety of important behaviors. All of our exhibits are interpretations of actual habitats throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, and the native environments of the animals on exhibit are carefully researched to replicate natural features – from rocks and tree roots to sand and native plants. The size and complexity of each exhibit meets or exceeds the high standards set by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and takes into account each animal’s individuality and natural history.

These nature-oriented exhibits help allow it opportunities to swim, climb, forage, hide, and exhibit other species-appropriate behavior. Animal staff also take into consideration the other species an animal may share its habitat to allow for positive social groupings.

Water, of course, plays a major role in the Aquarium. Our seawater exhibits are pumped in from the Corpus Christi Bay, and cleaned and filtered before being added to the exhibits. This helps give animals a more natural and sustainable water source. Freshwater exhibits are also filtered and specially-treated to provide animals with a naturalistic aquatic environment.

These naturalistic exhibits not only contribute to overall animal wellness, they give our guests a more immersive and educational experience, opening a “window” into how these creatures might appear in the natural habitats and inspiring others to protect these animals’ counterparts in the wild!

Habitats - In Action

In the Caribbean Journey jungle, animals have nearly every resource they’d have in an actually tropical lowland forest in the Yucatan Peninsula. In fact, this exhibit is modeled directly off of the real-life Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve in Mexico. Live native plants that grow in the Caribbean allow a natural roosting spot for animals, and a large skylight provides natural sunlight year-round, which helps stimulate natural behaviors.

Many animals are given the ability to roam throughout the space, giving them choice and control over their environment. Guests may notice a sloth crawling through overhead branches or snoozing in the nook of a tree, or an iguana sunning itself on rockwork. Several Caribbean birds also fly throughout the jungle’s spacious aviary, and this allows the birds to make use of natural behaviors like resting on a variety of perches, foraging for food and nesting materials, and even building nests in many of the trees, where they’ve hatched and raise baby birds!