Georgia Aquarium
Staff photo of the Georgia Aquarium

Because of concerns about coronavirus, zoos and aquariums in NJ are temporarily closed to the public. That doesn’t mean the animals at these spots just hibernate, though. They’re still up and active, and many zoos and aquariums have virtually opened their doors with live streams or daily tours so you can see these animals at play. Note that many of the cams aren’t 24 hours, and instead are only up and running while the animals are awake. 

Cincinnati Zoo
At 3 pm daily, this zoo hosts a live safari on Facebook, where you’ll see different animals every day. The videos are posted  on YouTube if you miss it, and there are activities to go along with the animal of the day.

Georgia Aquarium
This is one of the biggest aquariums in the world, and its live feeds feature the Ocean Voyager cam, which takes you inside the largest tank in the Western hemisphere, that’s home to four whale sharks and countless other animals. You can also watch daily piranha feedings, a jellyfish cam (we highly recommend this one) and super sweet beluga whales. Also, if you haven’t been watching The Aquarium on Animal Planet, now’s the time to binge watch. You’ll see behind-the-scenes footage of this conservation center and its efforts to care for its animals.

Houston Zoo 
There’s a host of animals to watch live, like elephants, gorillas, giraffes and rhinos. But the most bizarrely fascinating one is the leafcutter ant cam, which gets especially exciting when fresh leaves enter their habitat.

Monterey Bay Aquarium
The Marine Life Institute in Finding Dory may be fictional, but this spot gave a lot of inspiration to the animators. You might not see Hank the octopus, but you can watch the Open-Ocean exhibit to see sea turtles and sharks. There are also penguins, moon jellies, coral reefs, aviaries and kelp forests to observe. We’re kind of hooked on the peaceful live view of the actual Monterey Bay, where you can see seagulls and little waves. 

National Aquarium
This Baltimore spot offers virtual tours in addition to its blacktip reef shark live and pacific coral reef cams.

San Diego Zoo 
This wildlife center is massive, so it should come as no surprise that you’ve got options galore if you want some animal fun. From polar bears and elephants to tigers and penguins to condors and orangutans, there’s tons to see here. Our favorites are the view of the African plains, where you’ll spot giraffes and rhinos roaming, and theKoala cam

Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington DC 
This site offers live cams of multiple animals, including its famed giant panda. There are also  naked mole-rat, lion and elephant cams set up. The website notes that the cameras are currently unmanned, so you might not always see animals, but we spotted a super playful panda. 

Tennessee Aquarium
There’s a live cam set up so you can watch North American river otters at play, as well as penguins and reef fish (sharks, sea turtles and more). The reef fish one is particularly mesmerizing if you’re feeling stressed out.

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