NIAGARA FALLS — Terrors of the sea will soon be at home in the waters of Marineland as the amusement park begins site preparations for the first massive aquarium in its new marine park complex.
Visitors will be able to view various types of sharks, including the whale shark — the largest fish species in the world — along with stingrays, manta rays and other types of ocean fish in the new exhibit through large viewing windows while they travel through an underwater acrylic tunnel.
The aquarium will be dome-shaped and will measure 300 feet in diameter, holding between five- and six-million gallons of water.
“It’s going to be a very unique exhibit,” said John Holer, owner of Marineland. ”(Viewing from underneath) makes it much more attractive to see these types of different species.”
The new aquarium is part of the $160-million River Country development project, which includes Friendship Cove and Artic Cove, whale habitats featuring killer whales and beluga whales, and is slated to open in 2008.
It’s the first of three dome aquariums to be built as part of Marineland’s new 60-acre marine park complex, what the park is calling the largest in the world.
The marine park complex will also feature an interactive dolphin habitat, an ocean reef showcasing exotic marine species and fresh water fish from around the world.
The plan differs slightly from drawings originally posted on the Marineland website (www.marineland.com), where there were four domes connected together. The new plan calls for three domes and a landscaped outdoor aquarium.
“We are creating the type of entertainment where people go inside the building and see what’s there, then go outside the building to see what is out there and then go back inside,” said Holder.
Also part of the River Country development is a four-kilometer river which will be part of a wilderness ride, featuring animals from across North America, Australia and Africa. Visitors will be able to check out the wildlife while riding along the river by boat. The wilderness adventure ride also includes a five-kilometer train ride.
And while Marineland is expanding its animal and marine exhibits, Holder said there are plans to bolster its collection of amusement rides. Building on the success of four new rides opened over the last two years, including the Sky Screamer, the world’s largest triple tower ride, Marineland will open a new ride named the Topple Tower, a tower that tilts as seated thrill seekers are spun around and lifted up and down.
The ride should be open in 2007, ramping up the stable of rides to 21. Holder said his plan is to have 35 rides to fill out his attractions. When development is complete, he said he will have created three parks in one, giving visitors to the city reason to stay over night since they won’t be able take in all of Marineland in one day.
“This business of hoping people are going to come doesn’t exist,” said Holder, calling the vision for Marineland a tremendous asset for the city. “You have to create the conditions. It’s a joint venture with the entire industry.
“We have to give value to our customers,” he said. “If we don’t give them value, they are not going to come. The customers are the ones that are going to tell us if they are going to come. They have to see the value.”
