Fraught with construction and technical errors, the shark tank remains empty
In July, 2010 the construction of a shark tank at Mazatlán’s aquarium began. At that time, the Sinaloa government announced the tank would be open to the public at the end of that year or beginning of 2011. Fraught with construction and technical errors, the shark tank remains empty and has become a thorn in the side of both the Sinaloa and municipal governments.
Yesterday at a closed door meeting, Mazatlán Mayor Carlos Felton and Secretary of Public Works, José Luis Sevilla, agreed to move the project forward saying they see many positive aspects for the project and ways to solve current problems.
Including, they announced, a meeting with a technician today who investigated the installation and operation of the tank’s life support system to diagnose what is missing and how much it will cost to make the tank operational. With luck, said the Mayor, there will be sharks in the tank by Semana Santa (Easter).
And although the Secretary of Public Works stated there are no funds in the municipality´s budget for the project, the Mayor assured media Sinaloa Public Works has money earmarked for the aquarium and the Secretary of Tourism may have some remaining funds to contribute.
Municipal councilmen Humberto Becerra Batista, coordinator of the Comisión de Urbanismo, and Esperanza Kazuga Osaka, pointed out they were not included in the closed door meeting and called for transparency saying although they have insisted on being given information about the project they have not received any explanations.
What they have noticed, said Becerra Batista, is a project poorly executed which has not been explained to them. They want transparency and an accounting and called on the Sinaloa Auditor General´s office to follow up.
The city’s survey of its domestic visitors during the summer season was released by the president of the Association of Hotels Three Islands, José Ramón Manguart. The Satisfaction Survey revealed that they city got a score of 8.7 out of 10 compared to the 8.3 it got from the tourists last year.
Ramón Manguart said the average stay of Mazatlán’s visitors was 5.1 days with an expenditure of 503.70 pesos a day and 420 pesos a day for those staying under “all inclusive plans.”
Ramón Manguart said the beaches were the most favored thing on the survey with 78 percent approval rating. Other favorites were the Malecón (43 percent), the city’s food (32 percent) and the Aquarium (21 percent). However, the association president said that the city’s infrastructure rated the highest in things that need to be improved.
Vacations are supposed to be fun, but they can also be rewarding and enriching experiences for children when parents choose the right destination and activities. Mexico excels when it comes to keeping kids engaged and entertained. Here are five great examples to inspire that next trip.
Go All-Inclusive in Cancun
Cancun is home to multiple all-inclusive hotels that cater to kids, at a variety of price points.
The Grand Oasis Palm and its adjacent property, the Oasis Palm, both offer access to a large kids club, which has its own pool with slide, a crafts room, a video game room, a restaurant and even its own disco “nightclub.” Travelers can also request special kid-themed guestrooms with colorful nautical and jungle decor. www.oasishotels.com
At the Omni Cancun Hotel & Villas, kids get their own backpack upon check-in as part of the Omni Sensational Kids program. They’ll also receive milk and cookies delivered to their room on the first night, and families can request a rolling backpack filled with toys and games. www.omnihotels.com
Meet the Marine Life in Mazatlan
In the so-called “Pearl of the Pacific,” families can come face to face with a diverse array of marine life at Acuario Mazatlan, the Mazatlan Aquarium.
Live entertainment includes a sea lion show, a dive show and a bird show, while activities (for adults and older kids) include swimming with sea lions and sharks and a stingray encounter that allows participants to pet, feed and swim with these fascinating creatures. Meanwhile, the calm waters off of the coast can provide a good setting for beginning snorkelers to see fish in their natural habitat. www.acuariomazatlan.com
Kid-friendly Museums in Mexico City
Mexico’s capital may be a giant metropolis, but that doesn’t mean that kids won’t enjoy it. Parents of younger children might consider a visit to the Papalote Museo del Nino (the Papalote children’s museum), which has exhibits about science and nature, play areas designed specifically for children age five and under and a giant IMAX screen that shows 3D movies about wildlife and other kid-friendly topics.
One play area with ample photo opportunities is the mini-supermarket, scaled to children’s size and stocked with products to buy and checkout stations that teach children how to choose the right products in order to lead a healthy and eco-friendly life. The Lego-sponsored “Construyo la Ciudad del Futuro” is another highlight, where kids plan and construct their own cities. www.papalote.org.mx
Language Learning in Oaxaca
This culturally rich city is home to numerous Spanish-language schools for adults — and kids aren’t left out of the learning possibilities, either.
Instituto Cultural Oaxaca offers a children’s Spanish-language program, targeted at kids between the ages of six and 12 and tailored to their experience with Spanish. Classes often include visits to museums, markets and even a chocolate factory, and parents can join their kids for cultural workshops that include ceramics, weaving and salsa dancing. www.icomexico.com
At Vinigulaza, another Spanish-language school in Oaxaca, classes for kids and teens include role playing and what activities that incorporate “Total Physical Response,” a language teaching method that encourages students to act out what they’re learning. www.vinigulaza.com
Arts, Crafts and Animals in Vallarta-Nayarit
The region that encompasses Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit is yet another ideal place to connect kids with culture and nature.
Among the family-friendly hotels is CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta, where the “Secretos de la Familia” program offers Spanish-language and Mexican cooking classes for children — in addition to tequila-tasting sessions for adults. Kids can also join the property’s sea turtle rescue program that takes place between June and November. www.marriott.com
Just north of Puerto Vallarta, families flock to Aquaventuras Park Vallarta, an attractive water park with 10 water slides. Perhaps the biggest reason to visit Aquaventuras is Dolphin Discovery Vallarta, an attraction located inside the park where families can sign up for encounters with sea lions and dolphins. www.aquaventuras.com www.dolphindiscovery.com
During the summer and fall months, visitors can also head to Grupo Ecologico de la Costa Verde’s marine turtle nursery, located in San Francisco. Here turtle hatchlings are released just after sundown, and each Wednesday evening during the nesting season, the organization conducts an educational slideshow at the Costa Azul Hotel, followed by — if there are any — the releasing of young hatchlings. www.project-tortuga.org www.costaazul.com
I had already swum with sharks in the waters off the coast of Belize, but at theAcuario Mazatlan— the Mazatlan Aquarium — the experience is totally different. In this beautiful Mexico beach resort destination, you can actuallyget in a tankfilled with nurse sharks, as visitors to the aquarium watch. This shark videoproves that I did it, and I survived.
It’s all well controlled and guided by one of the aquarium’s experts, of course. During my recent visit to Mazatlan, Mexico, I was the lucky visitor able to not only swim with a group of nurse sharks, but also to descend into another giant tank in an acrylic feeding cage to dole out lunch to some of the aquarium’s hungry residents. The Mazatlan Aquarium, already an excellent destination for adults and children, is in the midst of expansion that will make it even better. I can’t wait to go back and jump in the new, even bigger tank!
Many thanks to fellow travel writer Terri Colby for her excellent work capturing these moments on video!
Feeding time: Hungry fish gather around me in the tank.
A total of 2,500,000 pesos will be invested in a new aquarium and
archeological museum in Mazatlán, projects to be headed by local hotel
owner Ernesto Coppel Kelly announced Mayor Carlos Felton on Saturday.
The entrepreneur and Mayor met with Sinaloa Governor Mario López Valdez last weekend to discuss the projects and their location.
Although the location has not yet been decided, a possible
alternative said the Mayor is the Marina Mazatlán zone.
Neither the theme nor location of the museum has yet been defined but work will begin next year.
Recently names by Forbes Magazine as one of the most powerful
investors in Mexican tourism, Mazatlán hotelier Ernesto Coppel Kelly
announced yesterday that he will be heading the construction of two
major projects in Mazatlan: a new world-class aquarium and a “super
museum.”
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Coppel Kelly said the museum will be
one of the best to be seen, a world class museum, although the theme
had yet to be defined. It could be an historical museum or one dedicated
to the ocean or some other theme. Nor has the location been decided, he
added, but they are analyzing options such as the Bosque de la Ciudad.
What is certain, he affirmed, is that the intention is to begin next
year. At the moment they are in the process of defining the concept and
obtaining financing.
With respect to financing, Coppel Kelly advised there exists in
Mexico specific funds to construct museums and for that reason it would
not be difficult to obtain the funds which are calculated to be around
500 million pesos.
However, that is not the case with respect to the proposed aquarium
which will require 150 million dollars, which would have to be financed
privately, he said.
The idea of the potential investors is to model the aquarium on the
one in Monterrey, California, which is considered the most complete in
the United States. Coppel Kelly added they expect to begin moving
forward with the aquarium project in January next year.
(from Noroeste)
Sibely Cañedo
07-11-2013
MAZATLÁN._ Recién nombrado por la Revista
Forbes como uno de los inversionistas más poderosos del turismo en
México, el hotelero mazatleco Ernesto Coppel Kelly anunció ayer que
encabezará para Mazatlán la construcción de dos grandes proyectos: un
nuevo Acuario de clase mundial y un "supermuseo".
Según su propia descripción, no se trata de obras comunes, sino de dos megaproyectos.
"Será
un museo 'pocama...', chin..., así como el mejor que has visto, no será
un museíto más, pues traemos un museo de nivel mundial, para el cual ya
se están moviendo las ruedas", reveló el director del Grupo Pueblo
Bonito.
Todavía no se define la temática. Puede ser de carácter
histórico o del mar u otro tema. Tampoco se ha fijado la ubicación,
aunque se analizan opciones, como el Bosque de la Ciudad u otros
terrenos. Lo que sí es que la intención es iniciar el año que entra. Por
ahora, está en proceso el proyecto conceptual y financiero.
Sobre
el financiamiento, precisó que existen distintos fondos para la
construcción de museos en México, por lo que no será difícil conseguir
el dinero, que se calcula requiere 500 millones de pesos.
No así
para la realización del Acuario, el cual requiere 150 millones de
dólares, que tendrían que ser financiados por la iniciativa privada.
La
idea del empresario es tomar como modelo el Acuario de Monterrey,
California, considerado de los más completos de Estados Unidos.
"En enero inicia a moverse lo del Acuario, porque es cuando yo voy a soltar la 'lana' para que empiecen a trabajar".
Paul
Bedard and Jimmy Riffle, the Gator Boys, are in town this week to tape
shows involving the rescue of crocodiles and snakes in various locations
in the city and surrounding rural areas.
The production crew, under the direction of part-time Mazatlán
resident Erick Streit, will spend ten days filming crocodile rescues off
El Delfin beach, swimming with sharks at the aquarium, capturing on
tape the cliff divers, oyster divers, golf at Estrella del Mar and a
visit with the “shrimp ladies” on Av. Aquiles Serdan.
At a meeting with the crew, Sinaloa Secretary of Tourism Francisco
Córdova Celaya presented them with an acknowledgement appointing them
“Tourist Ambassadors of Mazatlán.”
A four-month-old seal pup, baptized with the name “Lisi” by aquarium staff, made her debut at Mazatlán’s aquarium yesterday.
Seal trainer Tomás Ramírez Ramírez said the pup brings the number to
eight seals at the popular tourist attraction, four of which were born
in captivity.
Once the pup has been weaned, Ramírez Ramírez said staff will begin
training her to become part of the seal show in two years time.
