Coastal Companion

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Grand Opening of New Stingray Bay Exhibit at the Zoo – Jacksonville, Florida

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Seaweed-Cutting Ceremony Set For Saturday, March 1 at 10 a.m.

The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens’ newest exhibit, Stingray Bay, officially opens with a special seaweed-cutting ceremony on Saturday, March 1 at 10:00 a.m.  Guests will have the opportunity to interact with the stingrays by petting and feeding them as they swim in a 17,000-gallon pool.  This exciting, interactive exhibit is made possible by of the generous support from Jacksonville’s hometown supermarket Winn-Dixie.

“This is the only opportunity in Jacksonville for families to interact with stingrays,” said Dennis Pate. “Kids large and small will enjoy and learn about these sea creatures that live right off the First Coast.”

Stingray Bay is designed to engage the Zoo’s 700,000 annual visitors by allowing them to touch the animals on display.  This exhibit reinforces the Zoo’s commitment to conservation and education and promotes a better understanding of the interactions of people, wildlife and their environment in a fun and memorable way.  Stingray Bay will be at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens until September this year and again from March to September 2009.

Winn-Dixie is the presenting sponsor of Stingray Bay at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.  The  Jacksonville-based grocer is proud to help bring new and interesting exhibits to northeast Florida, which follows the company’s mission of helping the communities in which it has stores to get better all the time.

“As a Jacksonville-based company, Winn-Dixie is proud to be a long-time partner of the Jacksonville Zoo and sponsor Stingray Bay,” said Terry Derreberry, manager of corporate donations at Winn-Dixie. “It’s an honor to support a program that makes education fun and accessible.”

The event will feature live entertainment, prize drawings for guests, Jazoo, the Zoo’s mascot and Seymour the Sea Monster from the Jacksonville Suns Baseball Team. Representatives from various sea life conservation agencies will have tents set up in the Zoo’s Main Camp area to discuss the conservation of animals from the First Coast.