This exhibit delivers
‘Amazon Basin’ opens at Oregon Coast Aquarium
The newest exhibit at Newport’s Oregon Coast Aquarium will take visitors deep into one of the Earth’s most biodiverse and threatened ecosystems through sight, sound, smell and touch.
The “Amazon Basin: An Adventure for the Senses” exhibit features the largest temporary collection of animals the aquarium has housed in decades.
True to its name, the exhibit is designed to be felt as much as seen. An interactive smell wall releases notes of the rainforest floor, sound-matching stations echo with bird calls and rushing rivers and touch boxes invite hands-on discovery of textures from the canopy to the riverbed. A crawl-in log lets younger visitors experience the forest from a creature’s point of view.
Guests can explore five distinct ecoregions: the Terra Firma Rainforest, Flooded Forest, River and River Banks and Savanna and Cloud Forest. Dozens of species are featured, many appearing at the aquarium for the first time. Animals on display include red-bellied piranhas, a Cuvier’s dwarf caiman, a rainbow boa, an electric eel and a mata mata turtle.
One early breakout star is Chowder, the aquarium’s Argentine black and white tegu — a charismatic, remarkably intelligent lizard from the Savanna, whose curious personality has already earned him a growing fan base on the aquarium’s social media channels. Visitors can meet Chowder in the Savanna ecoregion when the exhibit opens.
Throughout the exhibit, original artwork by illustrator Alexander Vidal pulls guests deeper into the Amazon’s rainforests, rivers and cloud forests, ranging from expansive murals to finely rendered spot illustrations. Hands-on interactive elements are designed especially for children aged five to 11, with discoveries for visitors of all ages.
The Amazon Basin carries roughly two-thirds of the world’s freshwater and stretches from South American rivers to the cloud forests of the Andes.
“This exhibit invites our community to step inside an ecosystem that shapes life far beyond South America,” said Director of Mission Engagement Kerry Carlin-Morgan, “It lets visitors see, hear, smell and feel why the Amazon matters – and why protecting it matters too.”
The exhibit also spotlights pressing conservation issues. An area of rainforest twice the size of Los Angeles is lost each year to mining, burning and cattle ranching, and at current rates of deforestation, scientists warn the forest could collapse within decades.
Since opening in 1992, the Oregon Coast Aquarium has become a leading advocate for ocean conservation and marine education through wildlife rehabilitation, environmental stewardship and hands-on learning through exhibits, education programs and community partnerships.
The facility is home to more than 15,000 animals representing roughly 300 species and is regularly ranked among the top aquariums in the United States.
“Amazon Basin: An Adventure for the Senses” was made possible in part by support from the Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County and supporters of the aquarium. Entry and parking are included with general admission. Guests can plan to spend 30 to 45 minutes exploring the full experience.
The Oregon Coast Aquarium is located at 2820 SE Ferry Slip Road in Newport and is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm.
From Monday to Friday, tickets are $29.95 for adults aged 18 to 64; $23.95 for seniors aged 65 and older and young adults aged 13 to 17; and $19.95 for children aged three to 12.
On weekends, tickets are $34.95 for adults aged 18 to 64; $28.95 for seniors aged 65 and older and young adults aged 13 to 17; and $24.95 for children aged three to 12.
Children aged two and younger are admitted free. For more information, go to aquarium.org.