It highlights the modern descendants of ancient species that can still be found swimming in Long Island Sound and the underwater giants that disappeared with the dinosaurs.
“We hope you’ll travel back in time with us this summer to uncover mysteries that have been hidden deep in the ocean for millions of years,” said Jason Patlis, president and CEO of the Maritime Aquarium, in a statement about the new exhibit.
When visitors to the Maritime Aquarium enter the Hall of Extinct Ocean Predators, they will see a 30-foot mosasaur floating above their heads. In addition, they will have the opportunity to stand in the mouth of a megalodon and see an ichthyosaur fossil from the Jurassic period, according to a statement from the aquarium.
“As visitors explore the aquarium, they will discover that the species in Long Island Sound’s family lineages go back much further than they might have thought,” the aquarium’s statement said. “From the earliest life forms on Earth to creatures that have adapted to radically different sizes, the aquarium is filled with modern descendants of ancient species that visitors can touch.”
Young archaeologists can put their skills to the test in the Fossil Dig next to the Sea & Discover Zone, where they can unearth fossils of fish, horseshoe crabs and plesiosaurs.
In a related attraction, visitors can see these fossils come to life by purchasing tickets to “Sea Monsters 4-D: A Prehistoric Adventure,” which will take them 82 million years into the past to some of the most dangerous seas in history, and “Dinosaur Safari Adventure,” a thrilling virtual reality experience.
The new exhibit, “Journey to the Maritime Past,” will be open through September. To purchase tickets, visit www.maritimeaquarium.org.
The Norwalk Maritime Aquarium is home to more than 7,500 animals from hundreds of species, including seals, sharks, rays, jellyfish, turtles and meerkats.
