Summer at Georgia Aquarium highlights birds, beer, and bands

ATLANTA - You already know the Georgia Aquarium is home to penguins and puffins … after all, you’ve seen them right here on Good Day Atlanta. But now, the bird population is growing inside the Downtown Atlanta facility, thanks to a brand-new exhibit dedicated to shorebirds.

This morning on Good Day Atlanta, we spent a little time learning about the aquarium’s new scarlet ibises and roseate spoonbills — and got plenty of details about some big upcoming summer events too. 

The shorebirds exhibit is part of the newly-rebranded Dolphin Coast Presented by Margaritaville Vacation Club by Wyndham gallery, which features a pod of common bottlenose dolphins and regular live shows highlighting these fascinating animals. The aquarium also offers a Dolphin Encounter program, which takes visitors to the theater's backstage area and allows them to participate in a training session with one of the facility’s experts. 

Obviously, we had to experience a Dolphin Encounter during one hour of Good Day Atlanta this morning, but we also spent some time in the atrium, where we were serenaded by incredible 80s cover band Electric Avenue. The band is one of those being featured in a new program called Sound Waves, which is happening every weeknight in June and features live music, drinks, and food. Aquarium staffers are also preparing for the return of 20,000 Beers Under the Sea, an annual fundraiser scheduled for June 30 and featuring unlimited beer, hard seltzer and cider samples.

Clearly, there’s a lot happening at Georgia Aquarium right now — so, the best way to start planning your visit is by clicking here. Meanwhile, you can also click the video player in this article to check out a peek at our morning making a "splash" in Downtown Atlanta!