The newest resident of Discovery Space’s Marine Life Center has arrived, and the public will soon get a chance to meet her.
Staff members from Electric City Aquarium in Scranton delivered a baby stingray to Discovery Space, 1224 N. Atherton St., State College, on March 5. The California round ray, a small, bottom-dwelling stingray, will live at the nonprofit science center’s Marine Life Center for the next one to two years, offering visitors a rare opportunity to observe her growth and learn about marine conservation up close.
Once she reaches maturity (about 10-12 inches in diameter and up to 22 inches in length), the stingray will be returned to the Scranton aquarium.
After arriving at Discovery Space, the ray underwent a 30-minute drip acclimation process before gliding into her nursery tank, and since then the Marine Life Center has been temporarily closed to allow her time to acclimate.
“She is settling in well, actively exploring her environment, eating regularly and appears to be enjoying her new home,” Discovery Space wrote in a news release.
Discovery Space invited local schools and scout troops to submit name ideas, and the community voted on the top four finalists—Sandy, Bubbles, Pearl and Strawberry— through Wednesday.
The winning name will be announced during a members-only event at Discovery Space at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. (Those interested in attending the special event who do not already have a membership can purchase them online.)
The Marine Life Center then will reopen to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday for the official debut of the baby stingray. While visiting, guests are encouraged to explore Discovery Space’s other hands-on exhibits and Saturday programs, including:
• Mini Motion Lab (10 to 1 a.m.), anew program designed for ages 0-3 to support gross motor skill development.
• STEM Craft Club (11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m) for ages 3-7 to create and experiment with STEM-based crafts. Both programs are free with membership or admission.
“This new addition to the Marine Life Center strengthens Discovery Space’s mission to bring unique, hands-on science experiences to the community,” according to the release. “Visitors of all ages will have the chance to learn about marine ecosystems, adaptations and conservation through this engaging new exhibit.”
