Tarpon Springs Aquarium expands to include even more interactive experiences
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. - For 30 years, the Tarpon Springs Aquarium has been a popular attraction at the Tarpon Springs sponge docks.
Founded in 1990 by Scott Konger and his family, the iconic landmark has drawn a steady stream of visitors eager to see the many species of fish, sharks, alligators and other reptiles occupying the tanks, tucked into a corner spot of the historic district.
But a few years ago they began working on a new and improved version of the aquarium a couple of miles north at 1722 N. Pinellas Ave.
"The thing that differentiates us from other facilities that are similar to us has got to be our hands-on dedication," said family member Paige Konger Henry, who helps run the aquarium. "We really want people to get that hands-on experience with an animal because once you have that hands-on experience it’s something that you’re never going to forget and then I find that people are likely to feel passionate about the animals and want to protect them and their habitat."
One of the first exhibits people will encounter at the Tarpon Springs Aquarium is most people's favorite: the stingray tank, where visitors can feed the stingrays and the stingrays will slurp the food right out of their hands.
There's also a touch tank, where visitors can touch small sharks. And a scuba dive show features a diver jumping into the large fish tank and hand-feeds the marine life.
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The big star of the show is their goliath grouper.
"Our brand new facility, we are about three times larger than we were previously and we’re still expanding, so now we’ve gone from just aquatics, fish and sharks to incorporating reptiles, and the sky is the limit," Paige Henry Konger continued. "We’re looking to add more and more all the time."
A lot of the reptiles at the Tarpon Springs Aquarium are rescue pets that people donated to the facility and they are very happy to give them a second loving home.
"We want to be the place where animals can have a refuge and where people can come to learn about them," Henry added.
The Tarpon Springs Aquarium is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.