New and Freaky Critters at Oregon Coast Aquarium with Amazon Exhibit

Published 05/20/26 at 9:45 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Newport, Oregon) - Get ready to jump down to another continent just by visiting the Oregon coast.

Newport's big aquarium will debut its new exhibit, “Amazon Basin: An Adventure for the Senses,” on Saturday, May 23, offering an immersive look at one of the planet’s most biodiverse regions. This one's a temporary exhibit, running through Jan. 2, 2028, and it marks a first. It features the Oregon Coast Aquarium’s largest collection of animals in a rotating display in decades. Entry is included with general admission.

Designed as a full sensory experience, the exhibit incorporates a smell wall with rainforest scents, sound stations featuring bird calls and rushing water, and touch boxes that highlight textures from the forest canopy to the riverbed. A crawl-in log gives younger visitors a creature’s-eye view of the Amazon.

You'll encounter dozens of species, with quite a few never seen before at the Aquarium. First, you navigate through five ecoregions: the Terra Firma Rainforest, Flooded Forest, River and River Banks, Savanna and Cloud Forest. Among the animals on display are red-bellied piranhas, a Cuvier’s dwarf caiman, a rainbow boa, an electric eel and a mata mata turtle.

One early standout is Chowder, an Argentine black and white tegu whose curious personality has already made him a social-media favorite. He will be featured in the Savanna section when the exhibit opens. Artwork by illustrator Alexander Vidal appears throughout, from large murals to detailed spot illustrations, and hands-on elements are geared toward children ages 5 to 11.

The Amazon Basin holds roughly two-thirds of the world’s freshwater and spans environments from lowland rivers to Andean cloud forests.

“This exhibit invites our community to step inside an ecosystem that shapes life far beyond South America,” said Kerry Carlin-Morgan, Director of Mission Engagement. “It lets visitors see, hear, smell and feel why the Amazon matters - and why protecting it matters too.”

The exhibit also highlights conservation concerns.

“An area of rainforest twice the size of Los Angeles is lost each year to mining, burning and cattle ranching, and at current rates of deforestation, scientists warn the forest could collapse within decades,” the aquarium said. “Scientists warn the forest could face collapse within decades if deforestation continues at current rates.”

Amazon Basin: An Adventure for the Senses was made possible in part by support from the Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County and supporters of the Aquarium. Entry and parking are included with general admission. Visitors can expect to spend 30 to 45 minutes exploring the exhibit. More information is available at aquarium.org/amazon-basin.

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