Moray Eel

Lore & Background

The Ocean Explorer exhibit at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium was designed to bring the world's oceans to Draper, Utah. It features saltwater species from all over the world, including moray eels alongside jellyfish, moray eels, octopus, seahorses, sea turtles, wolf eels, clownfish, lionfish, stingrays, and nine species of shark. The exhibit's centerpiece is a 26,000-pound shark tunnel made from 3.5 inch thick acrylic, which was lifted through the roof of the aquarium with a crane. This tunnel allows guests to walk through a submerged passage while sharks and other saltwater species swim overhead and around them, offering an immersive view of the marine environment that moray eels share with these predators.

In Their Own Story

The Loveland Living Planet Aquarium was founded in 1997 by Brent Andersen, a Utah native and marine biology graduate from the University of California Santa Barbara. The Ocean Explorer exhibit, where moray eels are displayed, represents one of the five main exhibits that house the aquarium's 4,500 animals representing 550 species. The exhibit's shark tunnel, weighing 26,000 pounds and constructed from 3.5 inch thick acrylic, was carefully lifted through the roof of the aquarium with a crane during construction, creating the underwater environment where moray eels and other saltwater species now reside.

Reader's Guide

Guests visiting the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium can find moray eels in the Ocean Explorer exhibit, which features saltwater species from all over the world. The exhibit includes a variety of marine life such as jellyfish, moray eels, octopus, seahorses, sea turtles, wolf eels, clownfish, lionfish, stingrays, and nine species of shark. The shark species present include swellsharks, horn sharks, coral catsharks, epaulette sharks, nurse sharks, zebra sharks, sandbar sharks, blacktip reef sharks, and grey reef sharks. The exhibit's shark tunnel, made from 3.5 inch thick acrylic and weighing 26,000 pounds, provides a unique viewing experience of these animals in their aquatic habitat.

Did You Know?

• The Loveland Living Planet Aquarium houses 4,500 animals representing 550 species across five main exhibits.
• The Ocean Explorer exhibit features saltwater species from all over the world, including moray eels.
• The aquarium was founded in 1997 by Brent Andersen, a Utah native and marine biology graduate from the University of California Santa Barbara.
• The shark tunnel in the Ocean Explorer exhibit weighs 26,000 pounds and is made from 3.5 inch thick acrylic.
• The shark tunnel was lifted through the roof of the aquarium with a crane during construction.