Out and About
Oddwater at the Oregon Coast
‘Where it’s okay to be weird’
By Anne Laufe
“They look like aliens,” my 7-year-old son Sam shouts as he gazes at the tiny blue jellies in one of the tanks.
“Oh my gosh, look at this!” calls out another young visitor.
“Oh my god!” exclaims the adult by her side.
We’re surrounded by shouts of wonder and surprise as we enter the new exhibit at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Oddwater, featuring creatures from the deepest, darkest depths of the ocean, really will have the entire family squealing and gawking in amazement.
All of the animals included in the exhibit have adapted to their surroundings in odd, and sometimes unexpected, ways. Take the blue jelly (catostylus mosaicus), for example. These compact creatures have developed a symbiotic relationship with algae; algae living inside the jellies photosynthesize, converting light into energy that the jelly uses.
While kids want to rush from one strange-looking creature to another, it’s worth trying to slow them down to read the short explanations of how and why the organisms developed. Or consider going through the exhibit twice, taking time to read the explanations the second time through.
My son Sam and my 10-year-old daughter, Sadie, were especially taken with the puffer fish in the first room of the exhibit. One species, aptly named a porcupinefish, defends itself by sucking in air or water and puffing up like a big ball when threatened. The long spines covering its body stick out sharply when the fish is inflated. Despite this fierce habit, my kids note that it looks like the puffers are smiling. “They look happy,” concurs my husband. And why shouldn’t they be? With their bodies inflated to three times their normal size, the fish are well-protected against predators.
Tangs and triggerfish
What I like best in this room are the tangs and triggerfish, displayed in a cylindrical tank so you can see them from all sides. This actually turns out to be my favorite exhibit in all of Oddwater. Their colors and patterns and strange adaptations remind me anew how awesome nature can be. A changing screen and names that perfectly describe each fish help me identify the different varieties.
The orange shoulder tang, racoon butterflyfish (with a black mask), clown tang and convict tang (wearing striped prisoner’s garb) are all easy to spot. And nothing else looks like the unicorn tang, an off-white fish with a “horn” growing from its forehead.
Proving that it’s not just adults who find these creatures enchanting, several youngsters point to the striking azure fish in the tank, which turns out to be the magnificent blue tang. The children cry out fondly, “Look, there’s Dory!” (Disney and their blockbuster Finding Nemo may have done more to protect the oceans than Jacques Cousteau ever could.)
The picasso triggerfish is another sight to behold. Known in Hawaiian as “humu humu nuku nuku apua’a”, and popularized in a song from the movie High School Musical 2 (what is it with Disney and tropical fish?), one look at the intricate lines on its sides will explain the first part of its name. The second part comes from its ability to lock its spine into place like a trigger, which it then uses to scratch and cut other fish.
Eye-catching blown art glass, created by local artist Ryan Bledsoe, adds another element to the displays in Oddwater. Some of Bledsoe’s works are for sale in the aquarium gift shop.
Underwater and tactile experiences
In the next room of the exhibit, kids (and agile adults) can crawl through a short tunnel and stand up surrounded by dozens of lookdown fish. This is probably as close to deep-sea diving as most of us will get! So named because the shape and setting of their eyes make it appear that they’re always looking down, these compact silver fish make a grunting sound when disturbed.
We hear more squeals of delight as we near the touch pool in the center of the exhibit. It’s filled with stingrays, skates and two kinds of small sharks, the brown-banded bamboo shark and the Australian marble shark. Once they learn that the animals won’t bite or sting them, even the youngest toddlers reach into the tank to discover how smooth the skates and rays are.
My family also loves the longhorn cowfish. These small yellow fish have appeared on many of the billboards advertising the Oddwater exhibit, and for good reason. They are so odd, they hardly look real. The horns in front and spines on their rear make them difficult for predators to swallow. When they’re stressed they release a deadly toxin, but they’re so cute, with their pursed lips and boxy shape, we all want to take one home with us.
The final tank in the exhibit houses several of the world’s largest crabs. The Japanese spider crab has a leg span of 13 feet and can live to be 100 years old. Though the information card says that they are really docile, gentle creatures, we decide we wouldn’t want to mess with one.
Next to one of the tanks in the exhibit is a quotation by eminent marine biologist Sylvia Earle. It reads, “You have to love it before you are moved to save it.” Your kids, like mine, are sure to fall in love with the beautiful, ingenious and strange creatures of Oddwater, a first step to ensuring their continued survival.
Anne Laufe is a Portland freelance writer and mother.
Beyond Oddwater
Don’t forget the rest of the aquarium
Pack a snack for the kids or plan on dining in the café, because with so much to see you’re sure to spend at least several hours at the Oregon Coast Aquarium.
Once you leave Oddwater, head to the permanent outdoor exhibits. Kids never tire of watching the otters, probably experiencing a sense of kinship as the playful animals turn somersaults, swim and dive. Check at the entrance for feeding time, when it’s especially fun to watch the otters lie on their backs and crack shells in a very human manner.
In the open-air, walk-through aviary, the largest of its kind in North America, you’ll see tufted puffins, rhinocerous auklets, pigeon guillemots, common murres, and black oystercatchers up close. It’s a great way to prepare kids for watching many of these same birds in the wild at nearby Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area.
Other local wildlife that can be seen up close and personal at the aquarium include harbor seals and sea lions.
Across the way from the outdoor exhibits, in a separate building, is Passages of the Deep, featuring three large ocean habitats connected by a 200-foot underwater walkway. Surrounded by creature-filled water on all sides, you really do feel like you’re deep at sea, especially by the time you get to the third tank, where the sharks and rays glide through an austere and silent environment.
If you go:
The Oregon Coast Aquarium is located off Highway 101 at the southern end of Newport, at 2820 SE Ferry Slip Rd.
The Aquarium is open every day of the year except Dec. 25. Summer hours are 9 am to 6 pm through Labor Day weekend.
Admission is $14.25 for adults; $8.75 for ages 3 to 12; ages 2 and under are free. If you think your family will visit the aquarium more than once in a 12-month period, consider buying an annual pass.
For more information, call 541-867-3474 or visit www.aquarium.org.