Sunday, Sept. 23 to Saturday, Sept. 29 

Brooklyn, N.Y. – Sept. 21, 2012- The Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium is hosting a full line-up of educational activities to celebrate Sea Otter Awareness Week on September 22 and 23, and 29 and 30. The festivities will raise awareness about otters, oceans, and other marine wildlife.

Activities include:
Learning the Facts – Visitors will see and feel otter-related materials including real pelts, representations of otter food species, and replicas of otter skulls and flippers.

Otter Games –Visitors of all ages will put their otter knowledge to the test during exciting rounds of otter trivia, hosted by volunteers from the aquarium’s docent programs.

Crafts for Kids – Children will work with aquarium docents to make otter-themed crafts that they can take home as keepsakes from their aquarium trip.

Tazo, the aquarium’s resident sea otter, will also be greeting guests from his exhibit in Sea Cliffs.

Sea otters are native to the northern Pacific Ocean. There are many fragile lands in this region, including Alaska’s shorelines that are plagued by climate change and melting sea ice. WCS has a long-term on-ground presence in Alaska, working to monitor climate change and assess how melting sea ice affects wildlife in this area.

More information about Sea Otter Awareness Week can be found at www.nyaquarium.com. 

Wildlife Conservation Society's New York Aquarium opens every day of the year at 10am, and closing times vary seasonally. Admission is $14.95 for adults, $10.95 for children ages 3-12 and $11.95 for senior citizens (65 and older); children under 3 years of age are admitted free. Fridays after 3pm, admission is by suggested donation. The Aquarium is located on Surf Avenue at West 8th Street in Coney Island. For directions, information on public events and programs, and other Aquarium information, call 718-265-FISH or visit our web site at www.nyaquarium.com. Now is the perfect time to visit and show support for the New York Aquarium, Brooklyn's most heavily attended attraction and a beloved part of the City of New York.

The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide. We do so through science, global conservation, education and the management of the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on Earth.

CONTACT:
Barbara Russo – 718-265-3428; brusso@wcs.org
Max Pulsinelli – 718- 220-5182; mpulsinelli@wcs.org