By Marisol Acosta

OdySea Aquarium in Scottsdale is hosting an exciting family event in honor of the Olympic Summer Games in Paris this July!

Throughout the month, attendees of all ages can participate in fun-filled games and compete for prizes.

Each morning will start with a Flame Lighting Ceremony to kick off the events, followed by an obstacle course. The whole family can test their luck and enter a duck in the Water Table Duck Races. With two additional games rotating daily, there is no shortage of Summer Games fun.
If you prefer to learn more about the animals that call the aquarium home, OdySea has plenty of unique and immersive exhibits for you to enjoy. Spanning over 200,000 square feet, the aquarium is home to not only fish but also sea lions, a variety of birds, sharks, otters, penguins, and sloths! Get up close and personal with marine life in the touch tanks. For an additional fee, you can don a SeaTrek helmet and take a walk underwater among the ocean’s most interesting critters. OdySea also boasts the world’s only rotating aquarium, the OdySea Voyager. Penguin Point is a great place to observe African Black-footed penguins. In the nearby Kid’s Cove, there are fun interactive games such as a water table, VR pods, and a light wall. The stunning underwater tunnels make you feel as if you were surrounded by sea creatures on the ocean floor.

Odysea’s Summer Games is included with admission. Participation is on a first-come, first-served basis.

The schedule is as follows:
Every Day
• 10 a.m. – Flame Lighting Ceremony
• 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. – Obstacle Course
• 12 p.m.; 2 p.m.; 4 p.m.; 5 p.m. – Water Table Rubber Duck Races
• 4:30 p.m. – Animal Trivia
Monday
• 11:30 a.m. – Nest-essary Items
• 2:30 p.m. – Penguin Adaptation Game
Tuesday
• 11:30 a.m. – Paddlefish Find Your Way
• 2:30 p.m. – Feed Your Filter Feeder
Wednesday
• 11:30 a.m. – Feed Your Filter Feeder
• 2:30 p.m. – Penguin Waddle Races
Thursday
• 11:30 a.m. – Mantis Shrimp Super Speed
• 2:30 p.m. – Penguin Adaptation Game
Friday
• 11:30 a.m. – Sand Tiger Shark Grab Game
• 2:30 p.m. – Sloth Life: An Upside-Down View
Saturday
• 11:30 a.m. – FEET versus FLIGHT
• 1:30 p.m. – Octo-Lift
• 2:30 p.m. – Jelly-cate Hunters
Sunday
• 11:30 a.m. – Lobster Claw Building
• 1:30 p.m. – Feed Your Filter Feeder
• 2:30 p.m. – Otter-ly Awesome Hunters

OdySea is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and is located at 9500 E. Via de Ventura, A-100, in Scottsdale.

For more information, visit odyseaaquarium.com.