Discover Amazing Animal Adaptations with Shedd Aquarium’s New Amazon Rising Programs

CHICAGO – In an instant, a giant arapaima sucks in a piece of food with a powerful force. The electrical pulses in the water quicken as electric eels navigate towards their meal. With Shedd Aquarium’s new live programs, guests can watch in amazement as animal caretakers feed the fascinating fish of the Amazon while Shedd’s learning team provides live interpretation. Hosted throughout the week in the reimagined Amazon Rising exhibit, these eye-to-eye experiences give guests the opportunity to ask questions and learn about different behaviors and abilities that allow the animals to thrive.

The new programs – River Giants Live and Electric Eels Live – are part of the exhibit’s increased immersive elements. Additionally, new elements include a symphony of forest sounds, over 500 lush varieties of plants, detailed illustrations, bilingual signage, tactile models and other pop-up programming. Guests are encouraged to engage all their senses while exploring the complex ecosystem of the Amazon rainforest and river system, which is home to more than one-third of the world’s known species.

RIVER GIANTS LIVE

This program will focus on the ancient arapaima, one of the largest freshwater fish species in the world with a dazzling, unique coloration. Guests can have a front row seat to witness the arapaima’s incredible “gulper” strategy of feeding. Using their large mouths, arapaima can create a vacuum that sucks in nearby food before crushing their food with their bony tongue. Shedd’s experts will also introduce guests to the arapaima’s other adaptations, such as how these fish breathe air at the surface to survive in oxygen-deficient waters during the Amazon’s dry season.

ELECTRIC EELS LIVE

Electric eels are living batteries capable of generating over 800 volts of electricity to defend themselves and stun their prey. These animals constantly emit low-voltage pulses to navigate the murky waters of the Amazon, changing the frequency of pulses in response to shifts in the environment. During this experience, as an animal expert feeds the electric eels inside the habitat, guests can observe the changes in electrical activity with an LED display translating pulses into light and sound from real-time sensors in the water. Guests can also discover how their own bodies use electricity and how modern forms of energy draw inspiration from nature.

Both of these new participatory and exploratory offerings are free and available throughout the week at specific times. When planning for a visit, guests can explore all the aquarium has to offer by visiting the calendar or "Today at Shedd” timeline. From Animal Spotlights to Chats and Lives, there are many opportunities to uncover unique adaptations that allow aquatic animals to thrive, understand how Shedd cares for them and discover ways to take action for wildlife and wild places.

VISUALS: Find high-resolution photos and broadcast quality video here: https://personal.filesanywhere.com/guest/fs?v=8e6f6b8c616573ada06c&C=50

Photo Credit: ©Shedd Aquarium/Brenna Hernandez

Video Credit: ©Shedd Aquarium/Sam Cejtin