The Scott Family Becomes Ogregon Coast Aquarium's 10 Millionth Visitor

A Magnificent Milestone: The Oregon Coast Aquarium’s 10 Millionth Visitor!

The Scott Family is greeted by Aquarium staff with prizes and fanfare

When Peggy Scott approached the admissions desk at the Oregon Coast Aquarium with her family today, she had no idea what awaited her. Most of the Aquarium staff stood waiting with prizes and fanfare to bestow upon some lucky person while visitors were counted down to a major milestone. As she was approached by Cherie Whittington, Aquarium Visitor Services Manager, Scott’s eyes widened with surprise as she was told about her status as the Aquarium’s 10 millionth visitor. She was presented with prizes that included a lifetime family membership, a gift basket full of Aquarium merchandise and an announcement over the Aquarium’s PA system.

“I had no idea what was going on,” said Scott. “This is unbelievable!” Scott smiled and accepted the prizes graciously as Aquarium staff surrounded her and her family with cheers and applause. The Scotts, including husband Rusty, son D.J. and daughter Rachel and their families, were visiting Newport from Napa and Caldwell Idaho. “We hadn’t been here since Keiko was here and decided it was time to visit the Oregon coast again,” said Scott.

In the sixteen years since it’s grand opening on May 23, 1992, the Aquarium has seen a number of other milestones:

1992: World's first known artificially incubated tufted puffin egg to successful hatching and fledging.
1995: World's first known black oystercatcher eggs laid and hatched in captivity.
1996: Keiko, the killer whale of the Free Willy movie series arrived at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Keiko’s move to Oregon attracted the attention of the national and international press, won the hearts of children and captured the imagination of the world.
1998: Educational Outreach began. An ambitious outreach program of school auditorium programs and teacher workshops is instituted, with Aquarium educators traveling to schools throughout Oregon. Last year 28,777 students from 103 schools in Oregon benefited from the Aquarium's outreach programs.
1998: A rehabilitated and healthy Keiko left the Aquarium for his new home in Iceland.
1999: Family Fun and Northwest Travel magazines named the Oregon Coast Aquarium the number one family-friendly aquarium in the Northwest.
2000: The Aquarium is awarded the American Zoological Association Bean Award for the Rhinoceros auklet breeding program.
2001: The Oregon Coast Aquarium rehabilitated and displayed three male sea otters; the first aquarium to successfully exhibit both northern and southern male sea otters, in the largest sea otter pool and habitat in the United States.
2005: Coastal Living and USA Today feature the Oregon Coast Aquarium among the top ten world class Aquariums.
- A baby Vietnamese leaf turtle, a highly endangered species, hatched in the Aquarium’s Turtle Trek exhibit.
2006: The Western Snowy Plover Exhibit opens, doubling as a rehabilitative facility for the endangered shore bird and as an educational exhibit.
- A large cluster of wolf-eel eggs are harvested from the At the Jetty exhibit. The eggs hatch successfully; a rare event in captivity.
2007: Saving the World One Rockfish at a Time opened, a new exhibit created by six Oregon Coast Aquarium youth volunteers. Secretary of State Bill Bradbury presented the volunteers with an award for the project, which the students presented at the National Summit on Oceans and Coasts in Washington D.C. in November, 2006.
- Parents Magazine August issue named the Oregon Coast Aquarium among the best aquariums in the U.S. in an article titled, “The 10 Best Aquariums for Kids.”
2008: Aquarium attendance continued to climb; up for the fourth consecutive year
- The Aquarium is honored with another top ten designation by Trip Advisor, the world's largest travel community.
- Oddwater opened Memorial Day weekend. The exhibit was covered in national news by Associated Press, saying, “Odd isn't necessarily ugly. And in the case of Oddwater, the latest exhibit to open at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, strange often equals beautiful, regardless of whether you're talking about marine life or its artificial habitat."

The Oregon Coast Aquarium is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational attraction dedicated to the highest quality aquatic and marine science programs for recreation and education so the public better understands, cherishes, and conserves the world’s natural marine and coastal resources.Visit our web site for more information www.aquarium.org.

Photo Caption: The Scott family was surprised as they were greeted by Aquarium staff with prizes and fanfare as they earned the distinction of the Oregon Coast Aquarium’s
10 millionth visitor. The Scotts were visiting Newport from Napa and Caldwell, Idaho.