VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The coronavirus pandemic forced the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center to temporarily shut its doors to guests, but the thousands of animals who call the aquarium home still need to be fed and cared for.
Aquarium officials say this is an “unprecedented time.” A lot goes into keeping things running; animals must be fed and exhibits must be maintained.
“Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, we are on-site,” Aquarium President & CEO Cynthia Spanoulis said. “Of course, there’s a lot of fish in those tanks but we estimate we have about 8,000 animals in our care.”
The Aquarium is facing a big problem. Because of the closure, they have no source of revenue to offset animal care expenses.
Spanoulis explained, most of their revenue comes from admissions and admissions-related spending.
“Our food budget is around $300,000 a year,” she said. “While we’re closed, we’re not getting those earned revenues that's coming in the doors – the ticket sales, the memberships, or people shopping in our gift shop.”
Spanoulis said community support is needed now more than ever as the virus is taking a big toll on the Aquarium, financially. They’re a non-profit and are asking for donations.
“We still have to care for the animals that reside with us, as well as all the stranded animals that still come in every day," she said. "Even though COVID-19 is out there, we still have turtles as well as marine mammals stranded along the coast.”
You can donate to the Aquarium on their website or by calling the Virginia Aquarium Development Office at 757-385-0260.
The website also has community resources for families, teachers, and students. You can take a virtual tour, look at behind-the-scene videos of animals, and find supplemental educational materials for different grade levels.
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