Animal Lesson #12: Rare Alligators at Newport Aquarium in Newport, KY

While alligator populations have risen and were removed from the Endangered Species List in 1987, it's rare to see white alligators.  There's two types: 1) albino, meaning lack of melanin resulting in white shin and red eyes, and 2) leucism, meaning partial loss of pigmentation resulting in white or patchy skin and normal color eyes.  Biologist estimate only 100 white alligators in the world and two of them are at the Newport Aquarium in Newport, KY (across the river from Cincinnati, OH).  Leucistic alligators are even more rare with 12 believed remaining, two featured at Gatorland in Orlando, Florida.  

While the white alligators may lure you to the Newport Aquarium, you'll also like the kid friendly activities.  Included in your admission, approximately $28, is three unique activities: 

1) Shark Touch at Shark Central where you can touch sharks with two fingers

2) Tide Pool Touch where you can touch sea stars, horseshoe crabs, and anemones

3) Shark Bridge - dare your kids to cross a 75-foot suspended rope bridge to walk across a 385,000 gallon shark exhibit.  

I like that these activities are for everyone vs. an extra charge.  There's also many exhibits including 

1) Shipwreck Realm of the Eels - batfish, frog fish, green moray eels, and spiny lobsters

2) Seahorses Unbridled Fun - seahorses, sea dragons, razor fish, and pipefish

3) Stingray Hideaway

4) Gator Alley - see two white gators named Snowball (male) and Snowflake (female)

5) Penguin Palooza

6) Freshwater Falls - tunnel underneath a Kentucky waterfall landscape includes bass, black crappie, and perch

7) Coral Reef - rays, eels, unicorn fish

8) Amazon Tunnel - 32 foot tunnel and 117,000 gallons of freshwater with exotic species including Arapaina and Pacu

Also, consider the aquarium for a business event.  I attended a training at the Newport Aquarium and having a penguin as the surprise lunch guest certainly makes a joyful impression.

For more information visit the Newport Aquarium website http://www.newportaquarium.com/; for a couple more personal photos visit "Newport, KY" set at http://www.flickr.com/photos/krenda/sets/.

If you want to see more white alligators, here's two more places open to the public for viewing:

1) Clyde Peeling's Reptileland in Allenwood, PA ($16)

2) St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park St. Augustine, FL ($28)