The Florida Aquarium, located in Tampa, is a perfect destination for a field trip. On January 28, students in AICE Travel and Tourism had the assignment to plan a field trip, and they chose to visit the aquarium. They organized a scavenger hunt to make the experience both fun and educational, allowing students to learn about marine life and various animals.

Many students had the opportunity to enjoy the fun and educational adventure of exploring the aquarium, learning about new animals, and interacting with exhibits.

The first habitat the students explored was the Wetlands and Shorelines, where they saw turtles basking in the sun and freshwater fish darting through the water as they walked along the wetlands trail. They also visited the Roseate Spoonbill, a pink bird native to Florida that is often mistaken for a flamingo. The spoonbill is known for its bright pink feathers and its distinctive, spoon-shaped bill.

The second habitat the students explored was the Shorelines, where spiny lobsters peeked out from their rocky refuges, garden eels poked their heads out of sandy burrows, and curious pufferfish swam around below the surface. One interesting fact about garden eels is that they create burrows in sandy habitats to protect themselves from predators.

The third habitat the students visited was Stingray Beach, where they had the chance to feel the slippery and velvety wing tips of a Cownose ray. These rays are easily identified by their distinctively shaped heads and long, pointed wings. This habitat provided a fun, hands-on opportunity for students to interact with stingrays.

The last habitat the students explored was MORPH’D, which featured a variety of colorful and camouflaged animals. Students learned about electric eels, paddlefish, and poison dart frogs. They discovered that paddlefish swim with their mouths wide open to catch prey in their gill rakers.