Newport Aquarium's Canyon Falls

Every time we visit The Newport Aquarium we see something new and awesome. This past visit, we got to see the new exhibit called Canyon Falls. You don’t want to miss it. They have otters! OTTERS, PEOPLE! OTTERS! They are so stinking cute. I want one. For real.

Canyon Falls is the new home to two Asian small-clawed otters. Neda and Porkchop. How cute are those names? Asian small-clawed otters are the smallest and most social otter species in the world. And they are super fun to watch!

Canyon Falls will also exhibit two species of lizard never before seen at Newport Aquarium. They have a yellow monitor, a rare and active tree-dwelling lizard from Indonesia. And they have a panther chameleon, one of the most colorful lizards in the world from Madagascar. It was gorgeous!

There are still a few guys from Turtle Canyon hanging around, too. Don’t forget to say “Hi” to Thunder the snapping turtle, Newport Aquarium’s oldest resident. Plus, spend some time at the Turtle Corral, where you can touch several species of tortoises.

(No Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, we brought him with us!) 😉

So, not only do they have otters, they also have daily “Otter Talks.” We checked one out while were there and the kids (and I) learned so much. Will, from the aquarium, dressed the kids up with the human equivalent of all kinds of otter survival adaptations. It was too cute. He was really great with the kids.

Otter Talks

Daily: 11 a.m. 1 p.m. & 4 p.m.

“Learn about our adorable Small-Clawed Asian Otters during this educational and entertaining presentation. Guests will get to see a biologist inside the exhibit as they feed, train, or interact with the otters. An Animal Experience Specialist will be on hand to explain behaviors, take questions from guests, and explain what makes these rare otters so special.”

We had a great time visiting the whole aquarium. Some of our favorites are the octopus, Mighty Mike, the penguins and the jellyfish. Don’t miss those guys!