While better known for card sharks, Las Vegas also has plenty of the marine variety as well as dolphins, white tigers and other creatures residing in habitats at the Mandalay Bay and Mirage resorts. Besides providing a touch of nature amid the neon, these habitats are versatile venues for special events and group activities.
At Mandalay Bay, the Shark Reef Aquarium, which was developed in consultation with the Vancouver Aquarium in Vancouver, British Columbia, offers a virtual ocean of marine life in 14 exhibit areas. They include an acrylic tunnel where sharks, stingrays, eels, sea bass, puffer fish, and other denizens of the deep swim overhead.
Jungle-like exhibits enable visitors to come face-to-face with golden crocodiles and komodo dragons in an atmosphere of exotic flowers, warm mists and bird calls. Giant rays, green sea turtles and moon jellies are also on view in the 1.6 million gallons of seawater.
“Shark Reef Aquarium is a spectacular themed experience,” says Brian Robison, the facility’s executive director, adding that it is frequently the setting for evening receptions set among the exhibits.
Along with touring the aquarium or enjoying it as an off-site venue, groups can also do a behind-the-scenes tour that shows how the facility is maintained and how the diverse sea creatures, many of them predatory, are cared for.
At Mirage, Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat is available for after-hours events, with dolphin and tiger trainers on hand to mingle with the guests and offer insight on the animals.
The spacious dolphin habitat is home to Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, including a mother and baby born at the habitat. Visitors can view and interact with dolphins in pool areas and also see them swimming underwater in an enclosed viewing area.
Another option is the Dolphin Trainer for a Day program, where participants don wet suits and spend the day training, feeding and playing with the dolphins. At the end of the day, participants receive a photograph of themselves with the dolphins as well as a personalized photo CD, a polo shirt and a certificate.
The tree-shaded Secret Garden section of the habitat is home to five rare animal breeds, including Bengal tigers (of both the white and golden variety), a black panther and a snow leopard.
For More Info
Mandalay Bay 702.632.7900
www.mandalaybay.com
Mirage 702.791.1111
www.mirage.com
