POWELL – The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium‘s latest region — Adventure Cove – open to the public Friday, featuring a 60-foot-long submerged acrylic viewing tunnel, Jack Hanna’s Animal Encounters and the return of the popular Stingray Bay exhibit.
Construction began in October 2017 on the region, which features a Pacific Northwest-inspired rocky coast and harbor setting for sea lions, seals and other animals.
Guests have the opportunity to wander down into an underwater viewing “cave” and through a curved, 60-foot-long submerged acrylic channel that offers 360-degree views of the animals and their habitat.
Jack Hanna’s Animal Encounters Village is an indoor-outdoor animal habitat themed as a colorful village streetscape that includes an environment with up to 50 diverse species, including sloths, penguins, bat-eared foxes, cheetahs and tortoises.
Stingray Bay has been renovated as a year-round opportunity to enjoy experiencing stingrays up close.
The Rides at Adventure Cove, in the former Jungle Jack’s Landing area, have also undergone renovations.
The zoo continues to follow protocols and guidelines outlined in the organization’s reopening plan amid the COVID-19 pandemic. All Zoo visits require a dated, timed ticket to help ensure that social distancing and other precautions are followed appropriately.