Exploration Center & Aquarium – Save The Bay

OH HELL YES I WOULD PAY $ 8 TO PET A BABY SHARK!
I obviously feel bad that the shark is in this pool thing… but they’re letting him go soon! It was so cool to me to actually touch a baby shark… and all the other animals like starfish, hermit crab, horseshoe crab .etc I enjoyed it like I was a little kid. Lots of little kids but that’s okay. You literally get to get real close to all the animals which I loved !!! You need just an hour or less and you are golden!!! I can stay all day watching that shark though. just saying!!! The workers are very nice as well!

I wanted to go earlier this week but seeing that hours were posted as closed on here, I called them up and their friendly and delightful staff informed me that they are in fact open every day from 10am-​4pm for the season. A bit bummed their new hours aren’t reflected on Unilocal just yet but so happy I called.

This is a great place for kids and grown-​ups. There is an area where children (and adults) can touch sea urchin, starfish and crabs. You can also touch a shark and a horseshoe crab.
There are fish tanks situated all over the facility with lots of local fish. They also have crayons and coloring books for the kids to color. A real local gem!

Cute! Small, but interesting selection of local sea life. Excellent touch tank opportunities.

Blue lobster
jelly fish
and stinky
The Exploration Center Aquarium is a small place that zillions of people probably pass by without even noticing. That’s because it’s in a great location right on Easton Beach with beautiful views and lots of other cool things to do. The famous Newport Cliff Walk is only a short distance to the west and Sachuest Game Refuge and Norman Bird Sanctuary to the east. Of course great beaches are in both directions so it’s easy to go right by the small round building that holds the Exploration Center.
The Center’s main goal is to educate the public about Narragansett Bay and it’s indigenous critters and of course promote awareness about the fragile environment. They have lots of hand on displays for kids to play with and various tanks populated with local fish, reptiles and invertebrates.
One of the stars of the aquarium is a blue lobster that was found in the area; these guys are very rare with only about one in every million lobster blue. They also have sea horses, various fishes from the bay, and a great jellyfish tank filled with the transparent and ethereal squishy things. Also three turtles, including a very inquisitive and personable stinkpot turtle named appropriately Stinky.
Certainly not the largest aquarium, this is a center for interacting and learning and not just looking. The staff and volunteers are very friendly and knowledgeable and their goal is to educate and make the place fun. The aquarium is open all summer and this year they are going to keep it open on weekends during the off season. The Exploration Center is a cool little place with lots of interesting things to see and do and If you’re not careful you might even learn something.