Whether you find yourself missing the beach or you need something calming, your best bet is to tune in to an aquarium live cam. Although aquariums focus on educational purposes, a study published in the Environment & Behavior journal shows that people who spend time watching aquariums reported improvements to their physical and mental well-being.
According to the study, people watching a marine environment in action benefit from reduced blood pressure and heart rate, as well as improvements to their mood. While we may not have access to aquariums thanks to the enhanced community quarantine, aquariums from all over the world have made live streams of marine life available for everyone to enjoy. Here are some of them:
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Located in Cannery Row, California, Monterey Bay Aquarium is a nonprofit aquarium that focuses on ocean research and conservation efforts. While its doors remain closed due to the pandemic, the aquarium has been making live cams of their marine life and guided meditation videos available for people to enjoy.
Vancouver Aquarium
The Vancouver Aquarium is a Canadian non-profit organization that focuses on the conservation of biodiversity and ocean literacy education. During its temporary closure, they will be making livestreams on jellyfish, penguins and other marine animals available on their YouTube account and website.
Shedd Aquarium
Shedd Aquarium is an indoor public aquarium that is home to 32,000 animals. Since its temporary closure, the aquarium’s caretakers have been taking their penguins on a tour of their facilities and posting updates on their social media accounts. The aquarium also has an educational YouTube series that younger viewers can enjoy.
Nature Conservancy Australia
The Nature Conservancy is an environmental conservation organization focusing on Australian wildlife. The organization is currently offering a series of live streams of Australia’s Port Phillip Bay, with above and under webcams monitoring the marine creatures as well as the flora and fauna located in the area.
Georgia Aquarium
Recognized as one of the largest aquariums in the southern hemisphere, the Georgia Aquarium is offering a series of livestreams featuring different types of fish and animals. They also have the Ocean Voyager webcam, which offers a view of their 6.3 gallon tank and its inhabitants: which include whale sharks, manta rays, and a green sea turtle.
Header photo by Glenn Haertlein on Unsplash
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