Excitement Builds as Aquarium Nears Completion

Rising like a triple tsunami, the wave-shaped Aquarium of the Pacific is nearing completion on the Long Beach waterfront.

"There's never been anything like it," said Aquarium President Warren Iliff. "The Aquarium will offer science and excitement in an interactive hands-on environment. We want people to learn more than they ever knew about the Pacific Ocean."

The facility is scheduled to open in June with 17 major exhibit tanks, 1 million gallons of water and 10,000 marine specimens, from a six-foot Japanese spider crab to zebra sharks.

Three waves on the aquarium's roof and exterior correspond to a focus on three major Pacific ecosystems: Southern California, the northern Pacific and tropical Pacific.