NEWS:
            
Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why an aquarium in Colorado?
Why not! Actually, Denver is probably a better place to build an aquarium than
most coastal cities.  Most Coloradans understand the value and worth of fresh
water, but they also need to understand how important oceans are to their lives.
In addition , they must realize that the rivers in Colorado link them to the
world's oceans and these rivers ultimately affect the health of the oceans.
Furthermore, there is enormous interest in aquatic life all over the world and a
majority of the residents o f Colorado are interested in the natural world. The
population is well educated and supports a variety of cultural facilities with
their interests and dollars.

2. How big is the aquarium and what is in it?
It is a 106,500 square foot facility with approximately 15,000 specimens,
representing nearly 300 species, in 1 million gallons of water.

3. How and why did you choose to feature the Colorado River and the Kampar
   River?
Both journeys start at similar elevations and ultimately end up in the Pacific
Ocean. Since the rivers are on the opposite sides of the world, we wanted to
compare and contrast the different habitats found in each of these rivers.
Indonesia has the w orld's second largest rain forest and contains more plant
and animal species than any other country in the world. Finally, many people
don't know about the fish found in their home states so Ocean Journey features
some of those found within the Color ado River.

4. What is the percentage of freshwater fish to saltwater fish found at Ocean
   Journey?
The aquarium is composed of 30% freshwater and 70% saltwater fish.

5.  Are there people taking care of the animals 24 hours a day, every day of the
    year?
Yes, there are approximately 35 staff that work with the animals and their life
support systems.  A team of volunteers also help out.

6. What is day to day life of those who take care of the fish, mammals and birds
   at Ocean Journey like?
Members of the Life Sciences Department typically start their day with morning
rounds to assess the health of the animals and determine what needs to be done
in the exhibit to prepare for the day, such as cleaning the acrylic and removing
debris from the bottom of the exhibit. Also, staff feed the animals.  If a
species isn't acting normally, they transfer it to quarantine for closer
observation and treatment, if necessary. Rounds are repeated in the afternoon.
In addition, staff members continuo usly work on various research projects that
directly benefit certain species found at the aquarium.

7. How many endangered or threatened species are you exhibiting?
We exhibit approximately 15 species of endangered or threatened fish and two
mammal species that are either endangered or threatened. In addition, the North
American river otter is one of the species found at Ocean Journey that is on
Colorado's list of endangered animals.

8. Why do you have Sumatran tigers?
They are indigenous to Indonesia and help us showcase an entire ecosystem that
includes vegetation, fish, mammals and birds.  Also, we want to show that water
is important to much more than fish.  Sumatran tigers actually like water and
seek it out t o cool off.  Finally, since the Sumatran tiger is critically
endangered we are committed to educating the public about the species and
assisting the Sumatran Tiger Species Survival Plan with its efforts to ensure
the survival of this species of tiger s.

9. Will you be breeding any of your animals?
We have plans and infrastructure in place to have breeding programs for several
of our animals.

10. Where did you get your specimens?
We collect and acquire our specimens from other zoos and aquariums, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, private collectors
and by going to the habitats that we display and collecting them ourselves.

11. Are you doing any original research?
Yes, we are conducting distribution and abundance research for the Secretaria De
Medio Ambient Recursos Naturales y Pesca, the organization that regulates the
management of fisheries in Mexico.

12. How many volunteers do you have and what do they do?
We have more than 700 volunteers who serve as journey guides, divers, help with
behind the scene work, or perform administrative duties.

13. How large is your staff ?
At opening there will be nearly 130 full-time employees and an additional 60
handling our food services and gift store operations.

14. What did it cost to build the aquarium?
$93 million dollars.

15. How is the aquarium financed?
It is funded through revenue bonds, philanthropic gifts, grants, corporate
sponsorships, and loans and does not receive support from state or city taxes.
U S WEST is the largest sponsor.

16. How many visitors do you anticipate?
Approximately 1 million visitors a year.

17. Are you involved with any local schools?
Yes. We will begin school programs in October 1999. Also, during the first
summer our focus will be visitor and member education programs, including a
variety of interactive carts that feature animals, shells, teeth, fur, etc., as
well as a variety of classes and workshops for our visitors.

18. What is the mission of the aquarium?
The mission is to create experiences that inspire our guests to discover,
explore, enjoy and protect our aquatic world.

19. How did you pick the name of the aquarium?
Our concept didn't really fit the definition of the word aquarium. Our exhibits
follow the journey water takes as it travels from a high elevation to its final
destination, the ocean. Therefore, Ocean Journey describes who we are.

20. What is the biggest challenge of building an aquarium in Colorado?
Our biggest challenge is to acquire the vast diversity of animals we display, to
recreate their habitat and to ensure that the water quality replicates that of
their natural habitats.

21. Do you offer memberships?
Yes, annual membership options include: a Family Passport for one or two adults,
plus children under the age of 18, at the same address, for $85; a Dual Passport
for one adult, plus one guest, for $65; and an Individual Passport for one adult
for $35 .
For more information call 303-561-4444 or e-mail: membership@oceanjourney.org.

22. Do you offer any free passes to the community?
Yes, Ocean Passages provides 50,000 free tickets annually to low income school
children, families and disabled individuals, who might not otherwise be able to
visit Ocean Journey because of financial, mobility or other reasons.

23. What are your admission prices?
Adults, 18 and up: $14.95; Youth, 13-17 and Seniors, 65 and up: $12.95; Child,
ages 4-12: $6.95; Children 3 and under are free!

24. What are your hours?
Grand Opening through Labor Day:
        Monday-Friday: 9 AM to 6:30 PM
        Weekends: 9 AM to 8 PM
        Remainder of the year: 10 AM to 6 PM daily.
        Closed Christmas Day.
        The aquarium opens at 9:30 AM during holiday periods.

25. How can people find more information about Ocean Journey?
Visit our web site at www.oceanjourney.org.

*-TravelBank.Com-*

Fun Facts
1. Each person uses between 15 to 30 gallons of water daily to take a bath or
   shower.

2. It has been over 65 million years since there was an ocean in Colorado.

3. Only 2.6% of the earth's fresh water is suitable for human use - and this
   includes glaciers and icecaps.

4. Seahorses are the world's slowest fish - most swim only a foot per minute.

5. Over 14 billion pounds of trash is dumped into the ocean every year.  A large
   percentage of this trash is plastic.

6. There are currently only 400-500 Sumatran tigers left in the wild.

7. The South Platte River travels through the City of Denver for 10.5 miles and
   is home     to 29 native species of fish, and 44 introduced species.

8. Bamboo is the tallest living grass.

9. The greenback cutthroat trout is Colorado's state fish.

10. For millions of years, the Colorado pikeminnow reigned as the top predator
    of the Colorado River, historically reaching 50-80 pounds, and lengths of 6
    feet and, some scientists think, ages of 70 years and up.

11. While coral might just look like a plant it is really a living animal.

12. Ocean Journey is home to some of North America's globetrotters, shorebirds,
    which have some of the longest migration routes of any birds.


*-TravelBank.Com-*
Exhibit Overview

Before there were the prairies of Colorado...before the mountains, canyons, and
valleys...before the land-shaping hand of man...there was the ocean.  More than
65 million years ago, Colorado lay beneath the shallow waters of a vast inland
sea.  The s tory of that sea and the life it nurtured unfolds slowly and
incompletely in the bones, shells, and impressions of huge footprints and
delicate leaves preserved in stone.
Colorado emerged from that ancient sea, but retained its ties to the ocean.
Four of our nation's great rivers-the Arkansas, Colorado, Platte, and Rio
Grande-are born in the snows of the Rocky Mountains and like strong, silver
cords, inextricably lin k Colorado and the world's oceans.
The island of Sumatra in Indonesia is literally a world apart from Colorado, but
the two are similarly marked by the passage of powerful rivers through unique
geography to the sea.  The Sumatran river is called the Kampar.  Like the
Colorado, the Kam par begins high in the mountains, but its journey to the ocean
passes through one of the most critical and endangered environments on our
planet-the rain forest.
The five exhibits of Colorado's Ocean Journey explore the magic and mystery of
that link between river and sea in Colorado and in Indonesia.  A journey through
these exhibits is a journey through the myriad, and too-quickly disappearing,
wonders and wildlife created by the unique convergence of water and land.
The five exhibits are:
Colorado River Journey
Sea of Cortez
Indonesian River Journey
Depths of the Pacific
Sea Otter Cove

 COLORADO RIVER JOURNEY 

Birth of a River

The air is cool and pine-scented, craggy granite walls line the pathway, a
waterfall plunges over a rocky ledge.  You are at the birthplace of the most
storied waterway of the West, the Colorado River.  Look down.  You stand at the
Continental Divide .  Colorado's state fish, the greenback cutthroat trout,
thrives in the icy headwaters that flow eastward from the crest of the North
American continent.  On the west side of the Divide, farther downstream are the
now endangered native trout facing s tiff competition from introduced species
such as brook, rainbow, and brown trout.  Follow the 1,500-mile journey of the
Colorado River as it flows westward, the source of life-sustaining water for
much of the southwestern United States.  Look up for a fish-eye view of trout
swimming so effortlessly in the swift current of the tumbling river.
Wetlands

The air grows warmer as you descend from the high country.  The river slows and
spreads, creating rich wetlands that teem with life, including the captivating
river otter, orange-spotted sunfish, bluegill, and waterfowl.  Touch replicas of
river otte r and beaver skulls, animals that live as good neighbors in the ponds
created by the industrious beaver.  Look in the tree above the beaver dam.  That
enormous collection of sticks, weeds, and bones is the home of a fish-eating
osprey.  The air grows warmer still and becomes a potpourri of piņon and
juniper.
Canyon River

These cinnamon-colored canyons of towering sandstone were carved by time and the
mountain-born waters of the Colorado River-the first engineer and artist of the
Southwest.  The humpback chub and other native fish are built for these waters,
and they can be found nowhere else on earth.  Look closely at the river's banks,
under its rocks, and in its shoreline trees.  There's a year-old boreal toad so
small it can sit on a rock no bigger than a penny.  A common merganser has laid
her eggs inside a tree.  Look under that log.  Do you see the tiger salamander?


Reservoir

The river wild now becomes the river tamed; its waters pooled into a deep lake
behind the colossal concrete barrier that is Glen Canyon Dam.  Contemporary
giants of the deep (northern pike, tiger muskie, and largemouth bass) swim
silently through the drowned canyons of Glen Canyon, perhaps much as the fierce
mosasaur, a huge prehistoric marine reptile, and its favorite delicacy, the
squid-like ammonite, once did in the waters of the vast inland ocean that
covered much of the western interior of North America.  Fossilized sea creatures
embedded in the colorful walls of the Southwest canyons whisper to us of this
ancient sea they once roamed.
Desert River

The Colorado River now enters the thirsty desert.  A distant, violent rainstorm
has filled the dry arroyo ahead of you with a torrent of water that crashes
through the narrow channels with unimaginable power-stay out of its way if you
can!  Once safe ly out of flash flood territory, enjoy the amazing adaptations
that desert inhabitants have made to survive in their unforgiving environment.
Watch the antics of the colorful desert pupfish, a tiny, but tenacious desert
dweller.  Desert pupfish live in the most unexpected places-harsh, often only
temporarily wet environments, such as ponds, marshes, and desert springs.  These
one- to two-inch long fish are survivors in salinity levels several times
greater than that of the ocean.  In addition, the Mexican stoneroller survives
on algae, one of the few aquatic plants that prospers in desert rivers.  Most
desert fish don't mind temperatures that soar above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Where the River Meets the Sea. The great river is losing strength fast now,
drained by the ever-increasing demands of agriculture, power generation,
recreation, and millions of people.  In high flow years, the fresh water of the
Colorado River meets and merges with the salt water of the sea.  A variety of
shorebirds busily forage on the rich shores of this estuary.  Sally lightfoot
crabs lie hidden in the rocks.  Turtle eggs incubate in the warm sand and the
huge bones of a gray whale bleach in the sun.  Beyond the lonely, ar id desert
and the lapping surf at its shoreline, lie the crystal clear waters and
vibrantly colored marine life of Mexico's Sea of Cortez.


 SEA OF CORTEZ 

It's not easy living beneath the sea.  Powerful tides surge, pull, and push.
But, this tidal action also carves sanctuaries in stone, rocky crevices and
hiding places that shelter a cornucopia of life.  Multi-colored sea fans attach
themselves to ro cks, their flexible skeletons gently swaying in the current.  A
slow-moving seahorse saunters by.  That prehensile tail enables the seahorse to
secure itself to grasses or coral.  Once anchored, the seahorse uses its long
snout to vacuum up a snack o f tiny floating invertebrates.  Squirrelfish, which
chatter among themselves with clicks, groans, and grunts, may have sought
shelter in the quiet waters of a rocky cave. Many cave-dwelling fish like the
squirrelfish are bright red because red is one of the least visible colors in
deeper water.  In low light conditions, these fish appear black, which makes
them virtually invisible to predators.  The green moray eel, however, does not
rely on sight alone to locate its prey.  This nocturnal fish s niffs out prey
and, in hot pursuit, can follow prey into the narrowest crevices by wiggling its
thin body through the opening.  Have you ever seen a sandfall?  Under the sea,
even the sand moves.  Rivers of sand travel great distances, pushed relentl
essly southward by ocean currents.  At the tip of the Baja peninsula, where
near-vertical cliffs descend more than 600 feet, these sand rivers tumble down
like silent waterfalls and are called sandfalls.  The earth is restless beneath
Baja and contin ues to push it northwest a few centimeters each year.  In
millions of years, the Baja peninsula could become an island off the coast of
California!

 INDONESIAN RIVER JOURNEY 

Rain Forest River

The Kampar River begins its 300-mile journey to the sea high in the volcanic
Barisan Mountain chain that divides the island of Sumatra.  The Kampar's waters
are born in the sky and fall to the earth in torrential rains that exceed 200
inches a year.  As the river descends the steep mountain slopes, it carves

fantastic sinkholes, canyons, and caves in the soluble limestone left behind by
ancient seas.  These dark, damp caves are the favored domicile of fruit- and
insect-eating bats.  The bats earn their keep in the rain forest by pollinating
fruit trees a nd helping control the insect population.
Endless Emerald Forest

The Kampar drops quickly to the lush, green rain forest, often overspilling its
banks far into the forest.  The temperature is warm, nearly 80 degrees
Fahrenheit, and the humidity is a visible veil of soft mist.  The dense foliage
of towering, vine-c overed trees blocks almost all sunlight, leaving the forest
floor perpetually shady.  These trees are supported in the thin soil by flaring
buttresses, which also help keep other trees from growing too close and blocking
the little available sunlight .  The freshwater tropical fish that swim beneath
the water's surface have adapted to an environment no longer confined within
riverbanks.  The arowana is the acrobat of the rain forest.  It cruises through
submerged tree trunks and draping vines, an d can jump as much as three feet out
of the water to snatch an unsuspecting insect from an overhanging branch.  Have
you noticed how many fish are swimming in schools?  The coolie loach, zebra
danio, harlequin fish, and others have evolved patterns t hat break up the
outlines of individuals.  By living in schools, they make it hard for a predator
to distinguish where one fish ends and the next begins.  Look around for
mushrooms and fungi, the rain forest's efficient little nutrient recyclers.  Th
ere's nothing little about the rafflesia growing on the forest floor, however.
This is the world's largest flower, with blossoms of up to three feet in
diameter.  It's also the world's smelliest flower, with a stench that mimics
rotting meat.  Do yo u see the cleverly camouflaged nest of the hornbill?  The
male and female hornbill used mud, twigs, and bark to seal the female inside the
hollow of that tree.  The male drops food to his family through a small opening.
Mystery Cove

Walk softly as you approach the deep, sun-dappled river pool in the lower rain
forest.  Two critically endangered Sumatran tigers call this oasis home, a
verdant and cool refuge from their solitary hunts in the jungle heat.  Unlike
its northern cousin, the Siberian tiger, the Sumatran tiger will spend
hours submerged in the waters of a shady rain forest to lower its body
temperature, keeping only its head above water.  The tinfoil barbs, bengal
danios, and scissortailed rasboras swimming in this pool have little to fear.
Although tigers will eat fish if they can catch them, the chase usually requires
more energy than the meal is worth!

River's End

The mangrove forest ahead is a sure sign you have reached the river's end.  Of
all the earth's trees, only mangroves can grow in salt water.  Their tangled
roots shelter an abundance of strange and wonderful marine life, including the
remarkable upsi de-down jelly.  The jelly's top lays on the sandy bottom and its
frilly arms extend up to the sun.  There's a very good reason for this topsy-
turvy approach to living.  Algae in its arms produce food for the jelly as long
as the algae are exposed to sunlight.  The archerfish lurks in the mangrove
roots and shoots insects off branches by forcing a jet of water through a
special groove in its mouth.  Its shot is usually accurate up to three feet.

Coral Lagoon

Beyond the mangrove forest is a peaceful coral lagoon, sheltered by a wall of
coral called a barrier reef from the ocean's pounding waves and currents, as
well as from the large predators found in the open sea.  Look for sea stars and
hermit crabs.  You might spot a hermit crab busily inspecting an abandoned snail
shell as its potential new home.  Beyond the barrier reef lie the brilliant blue
waters of the South China Sea.

DEPTHS OF THE PACIFIC
The South China Sea lies at the heart of the Indo-Pacific region, which extends
from the shores of East Africa to the Hawaiian Islands.  The coral reefs of the
Indo-Pacific teem with the richest variety of marine life on our planet.
Damselfish maintain and guard their own gardens of algae.  Look down for the
nurse shark  resting on the sea flo or under a reef ledge.  This predator
emerges at night and scours the reef like a vacuum cleaner, using its
specialized mouth to suck invertebrates and fish out of their hiding
places.  The cuttlefish is the Houdini of the ocean, using a number of tricks to
escape hungry predators.  It can almost instantly change color to better
camouflage itself in its environment and can turbo-charge its escapes by forcing
a jet of water through its body.  Pursuers can lose sight of their intended prey
when the cuttlefish ejects ink in its wake.  Now look into the venomous fish
habitat.  The handsome lionfish and the homely stonefish rely on poisonous spiny
fins for protection and ma ny an incautious diver has felt their sting.
Partnership is not exclusively a human virtue.  The sea is alive with examples
of animals who, instead of being predator and prey, have developed intriguing
ways of depending on one another.  Cleaner shri mp, for example, act as dentists
of the deep, removing small parasites and food particles from the mouths of
fish.  In return for the favor, the fish refrain from making a quick meal of
their little helpers.  Ever wonder why tropical fish are so colo rful?  It's not
just to be beautiful.  Color enables fish to communicate many different messages
to one another.  It helps them identify members of their own species.  Certain
colors warn predators that taking a bite out of this fish would be hazardo us to
their health!  The water grows deeper, colder, and darker.  At the edge of the
reef, lurking in the deep blue, is one of the most ancient fish on earth-and one
of the most feared.  Shark!  These highly efficient predators have remained
relative ly unchanged for an astonishing 150 million years.  Beyond the reef,
the great ocean stretches out before you.


 SEA OTTER COVE 

This sunny, sheltered cove off the shore of central California is home to
several enchanting southern sea otters.  True orphans of the storm, these sea
otters were rehabilitated, but could no longer survive in the wild.  They live
here thanks to Mont erey Bay Aquarium's Sea Otter Research and
Conservation Program.  Sea otters rarely seek the shore.  They are born, eat,
sleep, groom, and mate in their favored medium-sea water.  Sea otters are one of
the few marine animals known to use tools.  To eat, otters dive to the sea
bottom and gather invertebrates and shellfish.  They use rocks to dislodge
particularly stubborn, but appetizing shellfi sh.  A loose fold of skin under
the otter's arms serves as a shopping bag to hold its catch.  On the surface,
otters place a rock on their stomach and smash shellfish against it until the
shell cracks.  They then use their nimble paws and sharp incisor teeth to pry
food from the shell.  Unlike other marine ani mals, sea otters lack insulating
blubber.  What keeps them warm and afloat is their thick fur coat, which they
must keep groomed constantly.  These luxuriant fur coats were the cause of the
sea otter's near extinction in the 1880s from extensive hunt ing.  In the wild,
the sea otter is recovering, but populations remain alarmingly low and are
extremely vulnerable to dangers such as oil pollution in the water.