Shedd Aquarium’s amazing animals are welcoming guests in the reimagined Oceanarium. Explore this incredible renovation and discover renewed animal habitats, life-support systems, hands-on exhibits, opportunities to interact with animals, dining areas, and many other extraordinary new experiences.
A key element of the transformation, the new Pacific Northwest exhibit, will immerse you in the region’s rich coastal habitats, with the belugas, dolphins, sea otters and sea lions who live there.
Relax at tranquil Secluded Bay while you enjoy watching seven beautiful beluga whales dive and glide gracefully back to the surface. See water tumbling over moss-covered rock toward the river mouth in a habitat between river and sea where salt-tolerant fishes and invertebrates live, and get an underwater view of this diverse collection. Follow the ITW Beluga Foundation Trail where water cascades over rocks, collects in waterfall pools, and flows through the forest to the sea.
The Shedd’s very engaging sea lions will swim, pose or haul up on shore for a rest on the rocks as they show off their new brighter, more open space. Energetic sea otters will swim, dive, play, and interact with their trainers throughout the Regenstein Otter Trail and Otter Habitat. In the private Grainger Beluga Encounter Habitat, guests will enjoy the unique opportunity to feel the beluga’s skin, hear its chirps, and witness these fascinating animals’ intriguing abilities. And watch the sleek swimming Pacific white-sided dolphins plus dramatic multimedia shows at Whale Harbor.