World's Largest Collection Of White Alligators

(NAPSI)-What's more than 40 feet long, has blue eyes and 328 razor-sharp teeth? To see the answer up close, you need to travel to the "Alligator Capital of the World" in Orlando, Fla.

On display for a limited engagement, four of the world's largest white leucistic alligators are residing at Gatorland. Ivory in color, the large reptiles are each 10-to-11-plus feet in length, weigh over 800 pounds and have reflective blue eyes that are believed to have the ability to command good fortune to those lucky enough to make eye contact with them.

No one knows why Mother Nature produced only one nest of these incredible white alligators to roam the planet. Vulnerable to many predators, because of the lack of skin pigmentation, depriving them of natural camouflage, they likely would have never survived in the wild.

Collected from deep in a Louisiana swamp, the ivory reptiles with attitude were part of a clutch of 17 infants recovered by workers from the Louisiana Land and Exploration Company while surveying the area. The group later brought the hatchlings to the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans where only a few of the rare reptiles survived.

Now located along the theme park's main walkway, the cleverly designed 2,500-square-foot exhibit allows guests the opportunity to view these amazing reptiles from just a few feet away. The swamp-themed exhibit features rustic cypress walkways, glass viewing and softly lit enclosures that help protect the massive reptiles from direct sunlight while highlighting the unique features of the alligators.

"People are awestruck when they see them, and just one look into those icy, blue eyes will give you chills," says Mark McHugh, president and CEO of Gatorland. "We're excited to bring these thrilling animals to Florida."

And there's good news for anyone who wants to wrestle a hungry alligator: Gatorland is launching its 60th Anniversary celebration with a hunt for wild and wonderful photos, postcards and souvenirs commemorating the theme park's exhibits and shows since 1949. This one-of-a-kind contest offers something for everyone. For more information, log on to www.gatorland.com.

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Georgia Aquarium Makes U.S. History with Display of Manta Ray

AAG Note: The Georgia Aquarium is among our favorite destinations in the Atlanta area. We have been there several times and still marvel at the beauty of the animals shown.

The manta ray is the largest of all rays, weighing up to 6,000 lbs and measuring up to 26 feet in width. It has a unique body shape, with an extremely broad head and an enormous, wide mouth flanked by two broad, flexible lobes. These fins are kept rolled and pointed forward, except when the manta is feeding. Its tail is whip-like, but short, and does not have a barb or spine. The manta ray is primarily a plankton feeder, but also consumes small and moderate-sized fishes. It is listed as "near threatened" on the IUCN Red List.

PRNewswire/ -- The Georgia Aquarium announced today the addition of a manta ray to the 6.3 million gallon Ocean Voyager gallery, built by The Home Depot. The addition of the female manta ray, Nandi, makes Georgia Aquarium the only aquarium in the United States to ever house a manta ray and one of only four aquariums in the world to display this species. Nandi will join four whale sharks and thousands of other animals in the world's largest aquarium exhibit.

"As the Georgia Aquarium grows as a tourist destination, our opportunity to promote conservation and education grows," said Mike Leven, chief executive officer of the Georgia Aquarium. "The addition of Nandi, who inspired hundreds of thousands of people in South Africa, gives us the opportunity to elevate her as an ambassador for her species. Millions of people who may have never had the chance to see a manta ray will now have that chance at the Georgia Aquarium."

Nandi, who measures more than nine feet across and weighs approximately 456 lbs, flew 9,000 miles on a chartered 747-200 aircraft from Durban, South Africa through Cape Verde, Africa, to Atlanta. The manta ray was under the care and supervision of Georgia Aquarium and uShaka Marine World professional staff and maintained by a highly advanced marine life support system.

"The Georgia Aquarium's success in moving whale sharks across the world gave us confidence that this was the right thing to do," said Dr. Mark Penning, executive director of uShaka Marine World. "We see this as a perfect opportunity to create an international partnership and continue Nandi's incredible story, raising worldwide awareness about manta rays."

Nandi was rescued from shark nets off the coast of Durban, South Africa, in April 2007 and rehabilitated by uShaka Marine World, the largest marine park in Africa. She has lived in uShaka for the past year, educating and inspiring conservation in more than 500,000 people.

Manta rays are the largest rays in the sea, but Nandi was young when she was rescued, measuring just more than eight feet across and weighing around 245 lbs. She had since outgrown her 580,000 gallon exhibit. In order to raise worldwide awareness about manta rays, Georgia Aquarium and uShaka created an international partnership to bring Nandi from South Africa to Georgia Aquarium.

"No one has ever done this before," said Leven. "Flying the world's largest ray, a manta ray, from one side of the world to the other and housing it in a U.S. aquarium for the first time is incredible. Having the opportunity to work with this animal and grow our understanding of this strange yet gentle giant will be an opportunity of a lifetime."

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