A baby tortoise, baby clown fish, and baby sea otters are just a few of the different animals that are featured in a new exhibit at the aquarium that's all about babies.
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"The point of this exhibit is to just inspire kids, inspire families and make them care," said Peter Kareiva, president and CEO of the aquarium. "And what better way of making people care than with babies."
Outside of seeing some adorable baby faces, visitors will also be able to learn about the various animals, their habitats and how the programs contribute to important conservation efforts. For example, the surrogacy program with the otters will hopefully produce pups that can be released back into the wild.
"So, these guys are actually on the endangered species act," said Erin Lundy, a mammologist at the aquarium who works closely with the otters. "Their status is listed as threatened and even though there are a good amount of sea otters in the Monterey area, we actually want their range to be a little bit bigger and these guys play a very important role in the kelp forest eco system."
Kareiva said the exhibit is for guests of all ages and he hopes visitors can take away the impact that we can have on the animals.
"All these stories are in some sense a success. We're rescuing species," Kareva said. "And that if you care and if you invest, you actually can save a species."
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The new Babies! exhibit at the Aquarium of the Pacific opens to the public Friday. To see all the cute little babies, you can make a reservation online.
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