When I was my daughter’s age, The Little Mermaid debuted in theaters. Hard to believe that it’s been almost 30 years since Ariel, her lovable friends and the handsome Prince Eric captured our hearts. Now, I get to share this movie and its music with my little mermaid. And not only does she love the movie, but her favorite place to be is under the sea… aka the local competition pool. So, when I mentioned the Newport Aquarium Mermaids had retuned, she and a friend were overjoyed with excitement to see these live mythical creatures of the deep.
The Newport Aquarium Mermaids will be charming aquarium crowds from now until October 16th. At the Mermaid Dive, we were awed as the mermaids gracefully swam with beautifully colored fins; and played games in the 37-foot long, 120,000 Amazon Tunnel alongside some of the world’s biggest freshwater fish, the Arapaima. Plus, there were a few friendly scuba divers waving to the sightseers. For the time we were a part of their world, the girls played Hide & Seek and blew kisses with the mermaids. Then it was time for a little meet and greet!
Newport Aquarium guests will also have the opportunity to personally meet a mermaid while she’s sitting on her throne inside Shark Ray Bay Theater. For the Sunday 1:30pm meet-and-greet, we arrived early to a line already forming; and the wait was time for us to reminisce about the swimming mermaids and review the other Aquarium exhibits still on our list to visit. The line moved fast; and then it was their turn to ascend the throne to meet, greet and take a photo with a very enchanting mermaid.
The Newport Aquarium is also introducing the Mermaid & Pirate Breakfast on Oct. 9 and 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Guests will enjoy breakfast with their families in the Riverside Room overlooking a spectacular view of the Ohio River and Downtown Cincinnati. After breakfast, guests will be invited into the Aquarium before it opens to the general public. All guests will receive exclusive access to meet a mermaid meet-and-greet and watch as mermaids swim in the Amazon Tunnel. Guests will also have the opportunity to meet a pirate during breakfast.
Before leaving the Newport Aquarium, we made sure to visit other awesome exhibits and “Things To Do”. At the Tide Pool Touch, I finally got the courage to touch a starfish (reminds me of a sponge). Then these brave girls crossed the Shark Bridge as hungry sharks were staring at us like we were their next meal! And of course, a visit to the Aquarium would not be complete without seeing our favorite birds at Penguin Palooza.
The Newport Aquarium is the family-friendly place to have lots of fun and learn about the creatures that rule the Earth’s waters. The mermaids will be swimming from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the week, and 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends. Mermaid Dive and meet-and-greet times are included with regular admission, and times are subject to change, guests can visit NewportAquarium.com for the latest schedule to plan their visit. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit Newport Aquarium’s website or call 800-406-FISH (3474).
Mermaid Video from Cincinnati Parent on Vimeo.
About Ainslie:
Ainslie Gordon is a St. Louis, Missouri native and graduate of the University of Missouri’s Journalism School. Her career has focused on advertising, public relations and event planning. In 2011, Ainslie and her family moved to Cincinnati; and she became a stay-at-mom and founder of the blog, Modhousewife.
Additionally, she was a fashion/trends contributor on Fox 19 and Fox 2. Currently, Ainslie is the Marketing Director for Game On! Fitness. She is also a Girl Scout leader and enjoys volunteering throughout the community.
She lives with her husband and daughter in West Chester and loves all things Disney. You can find Ainslie on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.