Texas Now Magazine June 2015 | Page 37

Then you better get on over to AquaFest!! Does this sound like family fun or what? You’ll also get a chance to catch a live fish as well! Kids who are first time fishers will be guided in perhaps catching their first fish from the dock! WoW! But that’s not EVEN all that’s going on this year at AquaFest! Marley the moray eel will also be celebrating his BIRTHDAY and EVERYBODY is invited to his party!! The folks at the Aquarium know something about throwing a birthday party and they’ll have plenty of cake so everyone can celebrate! You know, a cake as long as a 5-foot eel is a pretty big cake!! Kids and parents too can take part in a lot of fun things at AquaFest that will let them know what’s going out there under the sea. There will be some great folks on hand who can explain some facts about life in the sea and how important it is we understand it. If we understand it then we can all keep helping to keep it a place we all enjoy. Look for booths with hands-on activities with experts in the environmental and marine fields. These will include Texas Parks and Wildlife, General Land Office, and other governmental and conservation groups. The Texas Zoo from Victoria is bringing live animals. WOW…live animals!! This will be awesome! There will also be a silent auction with some great items you could win. You’ll also be able to visit the Aquarium and go on a really neat tour. Imagine getting to see the strange marine animals that live under the ocean! Now, if you’ve never been to the Aquarium at Rockport Harbor then you’ve been missing out! The Aquarium was established in 2007 as a non-profit, strictly donation based and volunteer-run facility. The Aquarium is open ThursMon from 1pm-4pm and the admission is FREE. But get this – the Aquarium is pet friendly!! The original Aquarium had been closed for more than 30 years when an overwhelming response from the community brought back the popular attraction in 2007. The Aquarium’s mission is to provide interpretation and education on conservation/preservation of local fishery resources; provide visitor enjoyment and safety, and to provide an understanding and awareness of man’s stewardship of the marine environment. Large saltwater tanks exhibit a variety of local bay and Gulf species such as snapper, trout, red drum, black drum, spade fish, grouper, triple tail, file fish and more. The jetty tank features marine