‘Adventure Under The Sea’ At The Maritime Aquarium

New Exhibit Features SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D Adventure Ride

NORWALK — Real sponges don’t live in pineapples under the sea. But what do they do?

Find out for yourself when you visit “Adventure Under the Sea,” the simultaneously silly and scientific new exhibit opening October 7 at The Maritime Aquarium. Visitors will come face to face with some of the real animals that inspired the SpongeBob cartoon, and can then board the SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D adventure ride and hold on for a zany adventure through Bikini Bottom with its most famous resident.

“Adventure Under the Sea” with SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D is part sillyness, part real marine science, and a whole lot of fun.

The live animals in “Adventure Under the Sea” will be displayed in four main  sections: sponges (like SpongeBob himself) are the first group of animals guests will meet upon entering the exhibit.

Mollusks are next. Nautilus, queen conch and cuttlefish are on display; animals like SpongeBob’s pal Squidward are not.

Then it’s on to the echinoderms, a family of spiny skinned animals that includes urchins and sea stars... like Patrick from the SpongeBob cartoon.

The final animal section describes and displays the arthropods, which are represented by lobsters and a variety of crabs (though it’s unclear which species includes Mr Krabs, SpongeBob’s boss). Information on animal classification describes how each animal within a grouping is related to the others.

Fun interactives within the exhibit will engage visitors of all ages with activities on camouflage and a larger-than-life comparison of the segmented bodies of three arthropods (a lobster, a bug, and plankton), while “seaweed” and huge inflatable squid, sea star and crab hang down from the ceiling, creating a whimsical, underwater setting throughout the exhibit.

In the center of “Adventure Under the Sea” is the SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D adventure ride as SpongeBob races through Bikini Bottom.

“Riders” sit in a cleverly crafted simulator where the seats move and a hi-def projector delivers amazing animated action on the view screen in front of them. Add 3-D glasses and bursts of bubbles (the fourth dimension), and the resulting effect seems very real.

Tickets for “SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D” are an additional $5.50 per person ($4.50 for Maritime Aquarium members) on top of regular Aquarium admission.

“Adventure Under the Sea” and the SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D adventure ride will be open during The Maritime Aquarium¹s regular hours, 10 am to 5 pm daily, through September 3, 2007.

To complete the undersea adventure, the Aquarium is also offering daily screenings of Ocean Wonderland in its IMAX Theater.

For more information, call The Maritime Aquarium at 203-852-0700 or visit MaritimeAquarium.org.