Name the baby dolphin at Shedd Aquarium

Mother and son (he needs a name) at
Shedd Acquarium

Students from two local schools – South Loop Elementary School and John C. Haines Elementary School – have the unique opportunity to help Shedd Aquarium name its new Pacific white-sided dolphin calf. Shedd is currently hosting an online voting contest allowing the public to select a name for the male calf from among five options. Additionally, each of the names are being represented by a Chicago-area elementary school. Students from each school will serve as ambassadors for their name, writing essays, creating visual elements and conducting research to help persuade online voters to pick their name. The winning class will receive a day at Shedd which will give them the opportunity to learn more about the calf, his mother, and Pacific white-sided dolphins directly from Shedd’s animal care staff. All students from each of the participating classes will receive a poster featuring the dolphin calf.

The students from South Loop Elementary are representing the name Kusook (COO-sook) which means “play.” The students from Haines are representing the name Kisaani (kihs-AH-nee) which means “boy.”

The contest runs through Oct. 11.

Other names under consideration:

Atshi (AHT-shee), which means “music” or “singing”
Sagu (SAH-goo), which means “joy”
Kann (kahn), meaning “dolphin

“Shedd has a long tradition of giving its marine mammals names that reflect the geography or the culture of the region where those species occur in the wild. For Piquet’s calf, the marine mammal trainers researched a number of words to describe him, finally selecting five that have the most meaning to the calf and Shedd’s animal health team that cares for him every day.”

Shedd Aquarium is one of only four aquariums in the country that care for Pacific white-sided dolphins. To learn more about the calf-naming event, click here.

Discounted Shedd Acquarium Tickets For 2nd Ward Residents

Shedd Acquarium, in cooperation with Ald. Bob Fioretti, are offering residents of the 2nd Ward discounted admission tickets on Sunday, March 4.

According to Shedd Acquarium press release,

“Residents of Ald. Fioretti’s ward receive discounted admission and a 10 percent discount on food and gift store items. In order to receive the discount, residents must pick up special admission vouchers from Ald. Fioretti’s office, located at 1319 S. State St. in Chicago. Only original vouchers will be accepted. On March 4, guests with Ward Day vouchers can skip the line and redeem their vouchers at Will Call at the aquarium.”

WHEN: Sunday, March 4

PRICES: Discounted Shedd Pass for 2nd Ward Day community residents only “Buy One, Get One Free” adult tickets for $28.95 (or half off that for a single ticket)

Kids (3-11) for $19.95 (or hald off a single ticket). Kids under 3 get in free.

*Shedd Pass discount includes: Abbott Oceanarium, Wild Reef, Jellies, aquatic show and Original Galleries. Upgrade to the 4-D Theater Experience is available for $4/person.

WHERE: John G. Shedd Aquarium, 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago

Shedd is open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. on weekends.

For more information, please visit www.sheddaquarium.org or call (312) 939-2438.

Office of Ald. Fioretti, 1319 S. State St., Suite A, Chicago

Hours: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday – Friday

For more information, please visit chicago2ndward.com or call (312) 263-9273.

Free Admission to the Shedd

If you're planning a visit to the Shedd Aquarium this week (starting today), you're in for a surprise: it's free. Admission for the week of the 16th is free to all original galleries. There are discounts available on other exhibits.Free admission lasts until Friday. The Shedd is located at 1200 South Lake Shore Drive on Chicago’s Museum Campus.

The Shedd rotunda

When you visit the Shedd, be sure to check out the penguins. Check out the short video below. Please report back and let us know if you went to the aquarium this week and what your experience was like. We'd like to know.

Around the South Loop

The Best Fall Ever
For many of us in Chicago, this is the best fall we've experienced in a long, long time. To see flowers still in bloom, with some still vibrant and healthy, this late in October is an unusual sight. But a welcome one, indeed. Below are some recent shots around the South Loop showing off the neighborhood and the city.

A beautiful view of the Chicago skyline from the Adler Planetarium

The rocks make an interesting photo composition.

A lone Canada goose perches on a rock by the Lake Michigan shore

The bike path heading toward Soldier Field from the Shedd Aquarium

Native plants and wild flowers are in full bloom by Soldier Field.

Freight train parked by 18th St.

In Search of Matt Damon

Matt Damon and Contagion Hit the South Loop
Film crews were out in force by the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium today. They were filming scenes from the new Matt Damon movie Contagion. According to a crew member we spoke with, they will be filming at the Palmer House Hilton hotel tomorrow. If you have the time, it might be fun to check it out. Be sure to bring your camera. If you get a shot of Damon, please send it our way and we'll post it here.

Filming the Film Crew
Like we did when the Ride-Along crew was here recently, we took a walk around video of the movie crew along Solidarity Dr. Speaking of Ride-Along, they're currently filming at Chicago Studio City. Chicago Studio City is one of the largest filming facilities in the U.S. To find a bigger one, you'll have to go east (New York City) or west (Hollywood).

Free Museum Days: Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium

Today was a free museum day for the Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium. Today was a perfect day to visit both museums. It felt like summer was back the entire afternoon.

The skyline view from the Shedd

Many Chicago museums have free days throughout the year. To find out the dates for free museum days in Chicago, click here. Check out the video below. The penguins weren't too active. Maybe they knew it was a free day.

Chicago the beautiful!

What a glorious day to be walking around the city. Check out this view from the Shedd Aquarium.