Crowd goes wild at BAMZ community open house
Guests of all ages got up close and personal with animals at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo and got treated to everything the facility has to offer during an open house on Saturday.
Attendees learnt more about snakes, lemurs, sharks and other animals during the free event, which featured complimentary treats, performances, a scavenger hunt, face-painting and a bouncy castle.
Ian Walker, principal curator at BAMZ, said the open house was the start of two years of celebrations planned to mark the institution’s 100th anniversary.
He said: “We have read the chapter of the last hundred years, we’re writing the chapter for the next hundred years, and how it turns out is dependent on Bermuda.”
The $30 million Aquarium 100 campaign, a public-private initiative aimed at building on BAMZ’s legacy, launched with a groundbreaking ceremony at the Flatts facility this month.
Dr Walker said the master plan will begin by relocating Oscar the alligator, expanding the playground and moving the veterinary hospital.
He said: “After that, we’ll be moving into otter renovations, [BAMZ’s] entire north coast will feature Asian small-clawed otters and a family romping around on a river, Australasia will get renovated right after that.”
Other renovations include a new exhibit featuring rays and nurse sharks, and tanks that explore a boiler reef and the Marie Celestia shipwreck.
The Ministry of Public Works and Environment allocated $1.75 million for the BAMZ master plan in its 2026-27 budget.
Dr Walker said: “We were in the silent phase [with this project] last year. We’re building momentum and at a point now where we’re very happy to open it up to the public.”
More than 200 sea creatures were removed from the aquarium’s North Rock tank in January so the 30-year-old tank could be resealed and reset for the first time in its history.
This restoration, separate from the master plan, was initially set to be completed by April, but Dr Walker said on Saturday that water quality was still returning to the tank.
He explained: “We’ve got some test corals in there now and that tracking should be done by mid-July.”
Dr Walker started at BAMZ a junior volunteer, but has worked there for the past 22 years.
He said: “While not every day is easy, it’s incredibly rewarding to work here. The people are amazing.
“And then you get to work with these amazing animals, which is a privilege, and working with them in a way that you can teach others about them and preserve our environment.”
Visit bzs.bm/aquarium-100 for more information about Aquarium 100.
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