TROPICAL REEF AQUARIUM

The nurse sharks are always eager for food, the blacktip reef sharks are speedy fast, and the zebra sharks are covered in remarkable spots.

It’s the Outer Reef, which mimics the sandy ocean drop-off of a real reef, complete with massive sharks.

Look for the charismatic potato grouper, and see spectacular fish, ranging from emperor red snapper and sailfin tang to blue-lined surgeonfish and blue devil damselfish.

Bask in the warmth and beauty of a tropical lagoon right here in Tacoma, with replica mangrove trees, colorful coral, blue water, and a sandy beach.

Get up close to butterflyfish, angelfish, tangs, clownfish, goatfish, and rabbitfish. And see if you can spot the epaulette sharks and white-spotted bamboo sharks swimming and nestling into the corals and sandy bottom.

Be mesmerized by tropical marine reef fish and invertebrates, like a birdnose wrasse, freckled porcupinefish, bigscale soldierfish, longfin bannerfish, and American spiny lobster.

The Tropical Shallows habitat, surrounded by artificial mangrove trees to simulate a silty mud bank, is a hands-on, immersive experience.

Touch tropical invertebrates, like sea stars, sea cucumbers, crabs, urchins, and snails. And feel the sensation of skunk cleaner shrimp gently crawling up your fingers and hands.