Along with shopping and a food court, the Mall of Louisiana will soon house a new aquarium expected to open in the spring.
Blue Zoo is opening its third location in the Mall of Louisiana in Spring 2021. Blue Zoo will be located where Hollister previously was in the mall and will expand over six spaces.
Blue Zoo founder and CEO Wes Haws came up with the idea of Blue Zoo when after having a serious brain injury, his fish tank was the only thing that brought him comfort and sparked an interest. With Blue Zoo, he has been able to bring an interactive experience to people with fish and reptiles.
“I knew I wanted something simple people could remember,” Haws said. “I also wanted to make sure that people knew there was other things other than just fish — like, we have birds and reptiles — so it felt like a good combination.”
Interaction and education are two things that Blue Zoo concentrates on for guests. Precautions such as hand-washing stations are near interactive tanks to ensure the safety of the fish. There will be thousands of fish at the aquarium, but only a select few that enjoy being interacted with will be accessible in interactive tanks.
“It’s all about things that we can interact with,” Haws said. “Fish are super fun but there is only a few select things that work. A lot of kids — it can really change their life to be able to interact and learn.”
Blue Zoo will contain several different interactive tanks at no extra cost. The largest interactive tank will be the stingray tank that will contain about seven varieties of stingrays. Other interactions include with starfish, shrimp and a pedicure tank.
“Stingrays are just like a dogs, they love to be pet and interacted with,” Haws said. “We give the option to sit and rest in the corner and they are always up playing with people, even if they are fed.”
Other than the sensory tanks, the aquarium will feature several saltwater tanks including the following: an octopus, jellyfish, various reptiles, sharks and a look into how the pump and cleaning system works in the tanks. There will also be an interactive birdhouse and a play area for children.
Blue Zoo will be able to hold different events such as birthday parties, school dances and corporate events. One special event they hold at their aquariums is autism sensory days for people to benefit from the interactions with the fish.
“We have autism sensory days where we turn off the music and the lights and certain people can come in that have sensory issues,” Haws said.
The cost of admission for the Blue Zoo will be $15.95 for adults, $12.95 for kids and an annual pass will be sold for $200.