WILL AQUARIUM HARBOR SEAL GET SUPER BOWL PICK WRONG AGAIN?

WHAT:   Her pool mates have gone 0-3, so Polly gets the call this year to make the

                 harbor seals’ pick in Super Bowl XLIX.

WHEN:   11:45 a.m. Thurs., Jan. 29 at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, 10 Water Street, Norwalk, CT

HOW:      Polly is trained to leap straight out of the water and touch a suspended yellow ball

                  with her nose. This Thursday, during the Aquarium’s first public seal feeding, Polly

                  will be given a choice of suspended pennants representing the New England Patriots

                  & Seattle Seahawks.   Two out of three will determine her choice.

                  NOTE:  both yellow balls will be measured in advance to ensure that they are not

                  under-inflated.

WHO:       Vicki Sawyer, Ellen Riker and Azzara Oston, the aquarists who will be feeding the

                   seals (and helping Polly with her choice).

To date, the Aquarium’s seals are 0-3 in their picks. (Rasal the seal picked New England two years ago. Orange the seal chose the 49ers in 2013 and the Broncos in 2014.) Will an Aquarium seal finally get a pick right?  Or should you just bet on the team that Polly doesn’t  pick?

ABOUT POLLY:  Polly is 27 years old. She was born at Mystic Aquarium in 1987 and came to The Maritime Aquarium in 1994.  She weighs in at 175 pounds, just a bit less than elusive Patriots receiver/kick returner Danny Amendola.  Polly actually prefers baseball over football. Her favorite players are Mike Trout and Hall of Famer “Catfish” Hunter.

For more information about the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk visit http://www.maritimeaquarium.org

Chocolate Expo at the Maritime Aquarium Norwalk

Once again, on January 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.  the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk located on 10 North Water Street is hosting one of the one of the largest consumer-oriented chocolate events in the United States.  Chocoholics will have the opportunity to sample chocolates from 30+ vendors that will offer FREE tastings and sales of their products. They'll be set up throughout the Aquarium's galleries.

This event is for people that are serious about chocolate and unique specialty foods.  It has been suggested that you think of the chocolate tastings in the way you might think of a wine tasting at a winery: you get a small sample to try and you often get to talk with the person who made the product.  If you like what you've tasted, you can purchase that product directly at the show for yourself or to give as gifts.

Expo/Aquarium visitors will find not only traditional and gourmet chocolates, but also unique offerings like chocolate tarts, chocolate-covered pretzels, chocolate balsamic dressing, chocolate-covered bacon and even chocolate-scented bath soaps. But Chocolate Expo isn't entirely about chocolate. Vendors also will present baked goods, specialty foods and even fine soaps and bath products.

The Maritime Aquarium exhibits will be open on Jan. 25 – and will stay open two hours longer than normal: from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Please note that our new "Jiggle a Jelly" jellyfish touch adventure will not be open on Sun., Jan. 25 during Chocolate Expo because of the crowds expected. Jiggle a Jelly will be open Saturday, Jan. 25, and weekends and holidays and school vacation weeks after Chocolate Expo.

Admission to this event is $15 for adults and $10 children ages 3-12.  These are discounted admissions that include chocolate, the aquarium and free chocolate samples.

For more information visit http://www.maritimeaquarium.org.  For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

LEGOS AND LIGHTHOUSES BRIGHTEN THE SEASON

There’s no merrier place to be this season than Fairfield County in Western Connecticut where two of the most original exhibits in New England brighten the season at local museums.

A lavish moving landscape made of a billion LEGO® bricks delights visitors to the Stamford Museum and Nature Center while the 13^th annual Festival of Lighthouses contest at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk shows off dozens of fabulous new miniature creations.

WIDE WORLD OF LEGOS®

Trains and planes.  Cars, tractors and trucks.  Ships, shuttles and monorails. Helicopters and spaceships

Just about anything that moves on land, sea, air and space will be seen as colorful LEGO® sculptures, moving through a three-dimensional imaginary landscape at the Billion Bricks 2 exhibit at the Stamford Museum & Nature Center.  Everything in the amazing exhibit is made of LEGO blocks.

Master builder Bill Probert & I LUG (LEGO® Users Group) NY return to the Museum Galleries for a sixth season of their popular displays, promising a LEGO world that is even bigger and better this year. The exhibit runs  to January 25.

Starting in January, families are invited to make their own LEGO® creations in weekend workshops. 

Participants on Saturday, January 3 will build and race a LEGO® car while the group on Sunday January 4 will build and fly a Lego helicopter or space ship. Lights! Camera! Action! Animation 

Workshops on Saturday and Sunday January 17 and 18 for ages 10 and up will be led by Alex Kobbs, of KooberzStudios. Kobbs will teach techniques for film stop action animation using LEGO® creations and mini figures.

Workshops are limited in size and advance reservations are required.  Phone 203-977-6521 to register and see www.stamfordmuseum.org for more information.

LIGHTHOUSES LIGHT UP THE SEASON

Some are funny. Some are clever. Some are beautiful.

For the 13^th year, artists and would-be-artists will compete for the most original entry in the Festival of Lighthouses at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk from November 22 through January. 19.
The rules are simple.  Entries must be three to six feet tall and have a working light. They may not include animal remains such as shells. Beyond that, it’s up to the creators’ imaginations and the results are guaranteed to amaze. Past entries have been made of stained glass, stone, yarn, clay, candy and tiny coffee cups. One entry was made of holiday greeting cards, another included computer animation. One memorable entry featured all the makings of the 12 days of Christmas.

 This year's exhibit will showcase 24 lighthouses and there is no telling what the creative results will be. Aquarium visitors will follow these one-of-a-kind beacons through the galleries and then cast a vote for their favorite.  The winner takes home the $1,500 first prize. Runner-ups divide the rest of the $3300 in prize money.  To learn more, see www.maritimeaquarium.org.

For more information about holiday events and a free copy of Unwind, a full-color, 152-page booklet detailing what to do and see, and where to stay, shop and dine in Fairfield County as well as in the Litchfield Hills, contact the Western Connecticut Visitors Bureau, PO Box 968, Litchfield, CT 06759, (860) 567-4506, or visit their web site at www.visitwesternct.com.

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Jiggle a Jelly at Maritime Aquarium Norwalk

Apparently it's a lot of fun to touch jellyfish when you know you won't be stung. "Jiggle A Jelly" has become a permanent offering at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. It's free with Aquarium admission.

 Visitors will be able to experience the unusual sensation of touching jellies making Jiggle A Jelly' one of the Aquarium regular hands-on features, along with their Intertidal Touch Tank and our Shark & Ray Touch Pool.

Visitors can safely touch live moon jellyfish, one of the most common species in Long Island Sound. Maritime Aquarium volunteers staff the exhibit, encouraging visitors to use two fingers to gently touch the top of the jellyfishes' gelatinous body or "bell."

 Moon jellies (Aurelia aurita) do have tentacles but their stings are generally benign to people. A common species in Long Island Sound, they grow to dinner-plate size during the warmth of summer. Short tentacles rim their bell, and four "oral arms" extend underneath. Moon jellies are colorless and translucent, except for four central horseshoe-shaped reproductive organs.

Letting visitors get close to jellyfish is nothing new for The Maritime Aquarium. A mesmerizing gallery featuring moon jellies, sea nettles, lion's mane and other live species of jellyfish is now in its 19th year at the Aquarium and remains among the most popular and memorable exhibits.

Plus, displays of jellies in their various life stages in the Jellyfish Culture Lab let visitors see how the Aquarium keeps a year-round supply of the seasonal creatures on exhibit. But "Jiggle A Jelly" is the first time visitors have been able to touch them.

Learn more about the Aquarium's exhibits, IMAX® movies and programs at www.maritimeaquarium.org or by calling (203) 852-0700.  For information on Fairfield County visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Lorikeets at the Maritime Aquarium.... sweet surrender!

Step into a lush aviary to share a laugh and a squawk with beautiful tropical birds that will sip food right out of your hands as "Lorikeets" returns as the special summer exhibit at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk now through September 1.

The exhibit will feature more than 50 free-flying lorikeets, which are colorful medium-sized parrots native to the south Pacific (SE Asia, eastern Australia, Polynesia). The birds come in a dazzling rainbow of colors – with feathers that almost radiate an iridescent glow when seen in full sunlight. Lorikeets are naturally found in rainforests and woodlands, but also in wooded urban areas, where they primarily feed on the nectars of various blossoms and fruits.

Visitors are invited to purchase a cup of nectar for $3 that will attract lorikeets to land on you while drinking creating an unforgettable experience and photo opportunity.

Lorikeets are specially adapted to their sweet nectar diet through their specialized tongue. Tiny hair-like appendages called papillae form a U shape on the end of the tongue. When the tongue is extended, these papillae stand up like bristles on a brush, expanding the tongue's surface area and allowing the birds to easily soak up nectar. Unique to lorikeets, these papillae have earned the birds the nickname "brush-tongued parrots."

Some other important items to note about "Lorikeets": • It will be handicapped-accessible but no strollers, please. • Guests will be asked to sanitize their hands before entering. • To encourage the birds to rest, the exhibit will close for a half-hour at 1:30 p.m. daily. • The exhibit will close 30 minutes before the rest of the Aquarium: at 5:30 p.m. in July and August.  

Get more details about "Lorikeets" and other summer offerings at The Maritime Aquarium, including the new IMAX movie "Journey to the South Pacific" (opening July 1), by calling (203) 852-0700 or logging onto www.maritimeaquarium.org.

BIOLOGIST FEATURED IN NEW IMAX® FILM WILL SHARE EXPERIENCES WITH LEMURS ON APRIL 17 AT THE MARITIME AQUARIUM AT NORWALK

Dr. Patricia Wright, the trailblazing scientist featured in the new IMAX^® movie “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar,” will talk about her work with these endangered primates in a special presentation on Thurs., April 17 at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

 Dr. Wright, a professor of biological anthropology at Stony Brook University on Long Island, is an expert on lemurs and the people and environment of Madagascar. The new IMAX movie, which opens at The Maritime Aquarium on April 4, blends two stories: the unique natural history of lemurs and Wright’s lifelong mission to help the strange and adorable creatures survive in the modern world.

“Dr. Wright is going to be in very high demand because of this wonderful new movie, so we feel especially fortunate to be able to welcome her so close to the premiere,” said Jennifer Herring, president of The Maritime Aquarium. “We’re sure she’ll have lots of amazing stories about lemurs and a compelling conservation message.”

The 7:30 p.m. talk will be followed by a screening of “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar.”  Tickets are $20 ($16 for Aquarium members).

It’s an exciting year for Dr. Wright. Aside from being the featured scientist in a new IMAX movie, she is one of six finalists for the 2014 Indianapolis Prize, the world’s leading award for animal conservation. (The winner will be announced this summer.)

“Our finalists are among the most important wildlife conservationists working in the field today,” said Michael Crowther, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Zoo, which initiated the Indianapolis Prize. “They are achieving real victories in saving animal species, creating hope and making the world a better place.”

Early in her career, Wright made history when she discovered the golden bamboo lemur, a species that was then unknown to science. The find helped to catalyze the formation of Madagascar’s park system. A short time later, Wright learned that timber exploiters were logging the golden bamboo lemur’s rain-forest habitat, so she spent months trekking to define park boundaries with the forestry service and securing funding to develop Ranomafana National Park (RNP). Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, RNP encompasses the home of 12 lemur species, some of which are listed among the world’s most endangered animals.

During the last 20 years, public awareness of Madagascar’s ecosystem has flourished through Dr. Wright’s research and outreach efforts. Her long-term relationship with the local communities in Madagascar has catalyzed economic opportunities around the park. Tourist visits to the park increased from zero to more than 30,000 in 2010, and half the park entrance fees have always been returned to the villages for conservation projects.

Recently, she spearheaded the creation of Centre ValBio, a huge preserve that is a modern hub for multidisciplinary research, training and public awareness, the first in Madagascar.

The IMAX movie “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar” reunites writer-producer Drew Fellman, filmmaker David Douglas and narrator Morgan Freeman from the 2011 IMAX movie “Born to Be Wild,” which follows efforts to reintroduce orphaned baby orangutans and elephants into their natural environment. Beginning an unprecedented fourth year at The Maritime Aquarium, “Born to Be Wild” is one of the Norwalk attraction’s most popular IMAX films ever.

Like “Born to Be Wild,” “Island of the Lemurs: Madagascar” is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures and IMAX Entertainment.  It’s rated G.

To reserve tickets for Dr. Patricia Wright’s lecture on April 17 or for the daily screenings of “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar” beginning April 4, go to www.maritimeaquarium.orgwww.maritimeaquarium.org or call (203) 852-0700, ext. 2206.