The New England Aquarium welcomed two California sea lion pups, named Zoe and Sierra, in August of 2011. (Size: 5.4 MB  Photo: K. Ellenbogen)

California sea lion pups Zoe and Sierra come up on deck for feeding time in the the New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center at the New England Aquarium. (Size: 5.2 MB Photo: K. Ellenbogen)

Zoe the California sea lion pup plays with one of her toys in the New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center at the New England Aquarium (Size: 4.7 MB Photo: K. Ellenbogen)

Visitors reach into the water to touch passing sharks and rays at the New England Aquarium's newest exhibit, The Trust Family Foundation Shark and Ray Touch Tank. It opened April 15, 2011. (Size: 10.6 MB Photo: S. Cheng)

A visitor touches a bamboo shark at the New England Aquarium's newest exhibit, The Trust Family Foundation Shark and Ray Touch Tank. It opened April 15, 2011. (Size: 10.8 MB Photo: S. Cheng)

Cownose rays in the Aquarium's newest exhibit, The Trust Family Foundation Shark and Ray Touch Tank. It opened April 15, 2011. (Size: 9.6 MB Photo: S. Cheng)

A rescued sea turtle is examined for treatment at the New England Aquarium's off-site Animal Care Center in Quincy, Mass.

(Size: 4.1 MB Credit: C. Leblanc)

A rescued sea turtle is examined at the Aquarium's off-site Animal Care Center in Quincy, Mass. (Size: 6.1 MB Credit: C. Leblanc)

Biologist Eric Payne reviews a rescued sea turtle's x-ray in the Animal Medical Center at the New England Aquarium.

(Size: 2.4 MB Photo: S. Cheng)

A sea turtle affected by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is cleaned by rescue workers. Aquarium experts were among the first called to field stations after the oil spill.

(Size: 1 MB Credit: C. Merigo)

Aquarium researchers gathering data on a group of North Atlantic right whales. The Aquarium's North Atlantic Right Whale Research Program is the oldes of its kind.

(Size: 872 KB Credit: New England Aquarium)

An Aquarium researcher observing a whale from the bow of a research vessel. (Size: 2.6 MB Credit: New England Aquarium)

A North Atlantic right whale mother and calf.

(Size: 2.2 MB Credit: New England Aquarium)

A member of the 2010 Joint Aquarium Fiji Expedition dives among coral. (Size: 3.7 MB Credit: K. Ellenbogen)

A member of the 2009 Phoenix Island Expedition, lead by researchers from the New England Aquarium, performs a coral transect. (Size: 1 MB Credit: J. Stringer)

A member of the 2009 Phoenix Islands Expedition lead by researchers from the New England Aquarium swims near a coral canyon. (Size: 7 MB Credit: D. Obura)

Giant Pacific octopus

(Size: 3.6 MB Credit: S. Cheng)

Orange lobster

(Size: 6.9 MB Credit: J. Fillman)

Moon jellies

(Size: 2.6 MB Credit: K. Clineff)

Little blue penguin

(Size: 6.5 MB Credit: S. Cheng)

Myrtle the green sea turtle takes a breath.

(Size: 1.9 MB Credit: D. Finks)

Blue lobster

(Size: 4.4 MB Credit: J. Fillman)

Northern fur seal

(Size: 4.1 MB Credit: S. Cheng)

Northern fur seal

(Size: 6.8 MB Credit: S. Cheng)

Weedy seadragon

(Size: 1 MB Credit: S. Cheng)

Leafy seadragon

(Size: 4.2 MB Credit: R. Brogan)

Lionfish

(Size: 1.2 MB Credit: S. Cheng)

Atlantic harbor seal

(Size: 4.2 MB Credit: S. Cheng)

Dogfish

(Size: 4.6 MB Credit: S. Cheng)

Cownose ray

(Size: 3.7 MB Credit: S. Cheng)

Green anaconda

(Size: 6 MB Credit: J. Fillman)

Clownfish

(Size: 3.4 MB Credit: S. Cheng)

Butterflyfish

(Size: 6.4 MB Credit: S. Cheng)

Mandarinfish

(Size: 4.4 MB Credit: S. Cheng)

Virginia rail

(Size: 7.6 MB Credit: S. Cheng)

Electric eel

(Size: 3 MB Credit: S. Cheng)

Breaching North Atlantic right whale

(Size: 796 KB Credit: New England Aquarium)

Visitors photograph a humpback whale during an Aquarium Whale Watch (Size: 2.4 MB Credit: S. Cheng)

A humpback whale photographed during an Aquarium Whale Watch

(Size: 3.7 MB Credit: New England Aquarium)

New England Aquarium seen from Boston Harbor.

(Size: 4.6 MB Photo: S. Cheng)

New England Aquarium Plaza, Central Wharf, Boston, Mass.

(Size: 4.9 MB Credit: New England Aquarium)

Aquarium Plaza with Simons IMAX Theatre in the foreground

(Size: 5.4 MB Credit: S. Cheng)

Aquarium Harborwalk view (Size: 3.9 Credit: S. Cheng)

New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center interior (Size: 3.7 MB Credit: Nathan Fried Lipski)

New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center interior (Size: 4.3 MB Credit: S. Cheng)

Visitors reach into The Trust Family Foundation Shark and Ray Touch Tank. It opened April 15, 2011. (Size: 11.8 MB Photo: S. Cheng)

A visitor touches a cownose ray at the New England Aquarium's Trust Family Foundation Shark and Ray Touch Tank. It opened April 15, 2011. (Size: 9.4 MB Photo: S. Cheng)

Visitors watch trainers working with Northern fur seals in the New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center at the New England Aquarium.

(Size: 4.4 MB Credit: S. Cheng)

Visitors get some close-up photos of one of the California sea lion pups in the New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center at the New England Aquarium. (Size: 6.2 MB Credit: K. Ellenbogen)

Visitors watching Atlantic harbor seals on the New England Aquarium plaza

(Size: 5.9 MB Credit: S. Cheng)

Visitors watch tropical fish swiming through a Pacific coral exhibit at the New England Aquarium.

(Size: 4.5 MB Credit: S. Cheng)

Visitors react to animals in the Edge of the Sea touch tank at the New England Aquarium. (Size: 1.7 MB Credit: R. Brogan)

Children visiting the Atlantic harbor seal exhibit on the New England Aquarium plaza

(Size: 3.3 MB Credit: S. Cheng)