Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium holds scary fun Halloween event
The annual event brought out the creative costumes and scientific minds.
By
Nat Kaemmerer
| 8:45 a.m. October 21, 2019
Longboat Key
Neighbors
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Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium put the emphasis on “fish” and “fun” and less on “fright” at its annual Fish, Fun and Fright Halloween event.
Parents were led around the aquarium by Star Wars storm troopers, witches, wizards and one pineapple. The costumed kids played educational deep-sea games for candy throughout the aquarium, learned some “mad science” and decorated virtual pumpkins that came alive on a screen.
Of course, the pavilion was decked out in spooky decor, but even the fish got to join the decorating fun with skeletons and gravestones in their tanks.
Alex Peric poses with Gilly the shark.
Grady Lee braves the touch tank.
Carmelo Hernandez figures out a game.
Everyone Rocks entertained the crowd.
Alana and Thea Reedy point out animals in the touch tank.
Aria Fischer makes her pumpkin come to life with the help of Ross Johnston.
Aria Fischer makes her pumpkin come to life with the help of Ross Johnston.
Stephanie, Eve, Emerson and Evan Barniskis came in their patriotic costumes.
Spooky marine decorations were strewn about.
Olivia Inda and Ava Baugh dressed as washing machines.
Even indoors, the aquarium was in the spirit.
A swamp monster comes out of the water to spook some patrons.
Fiona Konrath and Kemi Smith.
Mote employees running the games gave scavenger hunt sheet stamps.
Heather, Kiersten and Sydney Stelmok dressed as a weather forecast.
Sophia Williams guesses which bone she picked.
Wednesday Morgan peeks around a cut-out board.
Athan Hartley grabs an "eyeball" from a jar while mad scientist Kathryn Harris screams.
Floating pumpkins swirl around sharks.
A Mote-carved pumpkins twirls to face out.
Jayde Torres and Mia Guerrero.
Hattie, Holly and Georgia Gamble.
Isabelle Carrasquillo's stroller was decked out too.
Brooke Greenberg, Emmitt Questel and Andrew Wheeler.
Mark Fishman carves a pumpkin after storms in the area kept him from carving it underwater while Terri Fishman holds a flashlight for him.
Keira and Kiana Gilmour stand in front of mom Jennifer Gilmour.
Carrie and Allie Wojcik in their mermaid costimes.
