RESCUED GREEN SEA TURTLES FINDS NEW HOME IN MICHIGAN AQUARIUM

Metro Detroit's SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium celebrated its second anniversary at Great Lakes Crossing Outlet Mall by welcoming a new resident to its 120,000 gallon ocean tank -- Carr the Green Sea Turtle.  The 85 pound turtle was severely injured after being hit by a boat but Grumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton, Florida, rescued Carr and nursed him back to health.  Unfortunately, due to floatation issues caused by his injuries, Carr is non-releasable; which means he will never be able to survive again in the wild.  So SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium is taking him in where he'll join another rescued turtle, Benson, living at the facility.

My kids and I were at SEA LIFE Michigan to welcome Benson to his new home back in 2015 (click here to read that post) and had a chance to see the green sea turtle up close as he was introduced to the aquarium's ocean tank.  Both turtles received round-the-clock care and monitoring from a veterinarian team in a special med pool for the week before being released into the ocean tank and during that time also learned SEA LIFE Michigan's target training feeding technique to help orientate them to their new home.  Benson has taken really well to living in the Great Lakes State and now he'll have a friend to share the space with in Carr.

SEA LIFE has devoted itself to hosting and providing care for non-releasable rescued green sea turtles based upon the endangered state of the species.  Only 1,000 - 10,000 of this species' hatchlings born each year actually survive to adulthood, according to the Sea Turtle Conservancy.  In addition to danger presented by predators in the ocean, green sea turtles are also threatened by human activities such as loss of habitat to development, commercial fishing, pollution, and being hit by boat traffic which is what injured both Benson and Carr.  Caring for these two rescued turtles is part of SEA LIFE'S Breed, Rescue and Protect program which enhances the value of the aquarium as an entertainment attraction by having it also support marine wildlife educational outreach and conservancy efforts.

TICKET GIVEAWAY

Would you like to welcome Carr to his new home in Michigan?  A Geek Daddy has a four pack of tickets to SEA LIFE Michigan to giveaway.  Visit SEA LIFE Michigan's website then email thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com sharing with us which of the 250 species of sea life creatures you are most excited to see at the Detroit area aquarium.  Also please include your full name and mailing address.  One lucky winner will be randomly selected to receive the ticket prize pack.  To participate in the giveaway you must be a Michigan resident over the age of 18 years old. Entries must be received by February 3, 2017 @ 11:59 pm ET.

SEA LIFE Michigan is one of 8 aquariums operated within the United States by MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS.  All together, Merlin operates 25 attractions and 2 hotels in the United States including LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan (also located at Great Lakes Crossing), plus LEGOLAND Resorts in Florida and California, and six Madame Tussauds celebrity wax attractions.

For more information about the aquarium go to visitsealife.com/michigan

 A Geek Daddy has not been financially compensated for this endorsement or hosting the giveaway but was provided the same items being provided as a prize for personal use. The prize is provided by SEA LIFE MICHIGAN and A Geek Daddy is hosting the promotion as a benefit to our readers. Must be a Michigan resident over the age of 18 to participate.  One entry per person and winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries.  By participating in this promotion you waive any liability of any kind against the publisher of this blog. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. No P.O. Boxes allowed for delivery of the prize. SEA LIFE MICHIGAN  will be responsible for shipping the prize to the selected winner.  Emails will only be utilized for notifying winner and will be deleted at the conclusion of the promotion.  Each email will be designated a number based upon when it is received and a winning number will be randomly selected to determine the winner. Entries must be received by February 3, 2017 @ 11:59 pm ET.

LEGOLAND DISCOVERY CENTER MICHIGAN IS LOOKING TO HIRE A MASTER MODEL BUILDER

Do you have the ability to sculpt things from LEGO bricks that amaze and wow people?
LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan is seeking adult LEGO fans to apply up until midnight on Monday, January 4, 2016 for the coveted role of Master Model Builder, a full-time salaried position at the attraction.  How awesome would it be to tell people you are a professional LEGO bricks model builder when asked about your career?!  This is a dream job for anyone who has ever loved playing with LEGO bricks!

The Master Model Builder is a hands-on role that is responsible for maintaining and updating MINILAND models and developing new features, exhibitions and building new models at the LEGOLAND Discovery Center, as well as working with the thousands of children expected to visit the attraction.   LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan will be a 32,000-square-foot indoor attraction at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in the Metro Detroit community of Auburn Hills that will feature millions of LEGO bricks and themed exhibits including a 4D cinema, two interactive rides, large soft play areas, and much more.

Applicants will compete against each other in an exciting two-day Brick Factor competition, set for Saturday and Sunday, January 9 & 10th at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets.  During the two-day Brick Factor event, participants will display their skill by taking part in creative challenges and building original LEGO brick models in timed rounds of judged competition.  The first day will consist of two rounds of competition with eliminations taking place during each round.  The day's top competitors will participate in formal interviews and a final challenging building round on Sunday, after which one will be crowned the LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan Master Builder.

"The Master Model Builder is one of the most exciting and creative jobs on the market today," Hayley Anderson, general manager for LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan communicated to A Geek Daddy blog.  "We are looking for a high-energy and inventive individual who understands the colorful world of LEGO to welcome to our team."

Applicants must be familiar with LEGO bricks and have experience in the model-making or craft field.  Those interested in this incredible opportunity can apply through the Merlin Entertainments Career website.  CLICK HERE to select Michigan--Auburn Hills--United States from the drop down menu and click on the Master Model Builder Job # 4468 for the LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan attraction.

Good luck to all the applicants!  What a SUPER job this would be!

LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan broke ground in the Fall of 2015 and will be opening in the Spring of 2016.

Vote for a Michigan Landmark to be included in LEGOLAND DISCOVERY CENTER MICHIGAN'S MINILAND

Which Michigan landmark would you like to see recreated out of LEGO building blocks?  The operators of the newly opening LEGOLAND DISCOVERY CENTER MICHIGAN at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets are asking local residents to help select one of the area's beloved landmarks -- historic buildings, big bridges or famous statues -- should be built from LEGO bricks and featured in the MINILAND exhibit when the attraction opens in the Spring of 2016.  Inspired by the metro Detroit region's sights and culture, MINILAND will be a miniature LEGO brick landscape of local buildings, attractions and other notable landmarks.

The first round of MINILAND voting will allow fans to write-in their favorite landmarks, and will run through the LEGOLAND DISCOVERY CENTER MICHIGAN Facebook page from Monday, October 12 - Monday October 26.  The top ten most popular landmarks will be announced on Wednesday, October 28th and a final top landmark will be determined through a second round of voting running from Monday, November 2 through Monday, November 16.  The winning landmark will be announced on Wednesday, November 18, 2015 and shall be unveiled prior to LEGOLAND DISCOVERY CENTER MICHIGAN's grand opening.
 
LEGOLAND DISCOVERY CENTER MICHIGAN will be a 32,000-square-foot indoor attraction featuring millions of LEGO bricks and themed exhibits including a 4D cinema, two interactive rides, large soft play areas and much more.  For more information, check out our post featuring A Geek Daddy's participation in the attraction's ground breaking ceremony.

So what are your thoughts on what to select to represent metro Detroit in MINILAND?  Comerica Park, the Spirit of Detroit statue, the Renaissance Center building?  As a kid, I always marveled at the giant tire situated along I-94 so the Uniroyal Tire has my vote!  Feel free to shout out your ideas in the comment section below and don't miss out on voting on Facebook.

Sea Creatures are coming to the Great Lakes

We took a back-to-school shopping trip recently to Great Lakes Crossing Outlet Mall and I noticed an area under construction near the Rain Forest Cafe restaurant.  The space being worked on had a sign posted in front of it saying "Coming Soon: SEA LIFE Michigan."  I was excited to find out that this new addition to Great Lakes Crossing will be a 35,000-square-foot indoor aquarium featuring a wide array of aquatic life for visitors to enjoy observing.

Photo from SEA LIFE Arizona

SEA LIFE Michigan will be bringing ocean creatures to the Great Lakes with this brand new aquatic center located in Auburn Hills, Michigan (a half hour drive north of downtown Detroit on Interstate 75) when it opens in the Spring of 2015.  Visitors will have face-to-face access to 5,000 sea creatures from a diverse 250 species in interactive, engaging themed environments.  Also based upon its unique location within the Great Lakes State, this new aquarium will feature a custom designed Fresh Water exhibit area showcasing creatures native to Michigan's waterways.

Photo from SEA LIFE Arizona

The highlight of a visit to SEA LIFE Michigan will be its variety of displays showing creatures from the sea.  Themed exhibits will include Shark Shipwreck (A display featuring sharks, puffer fish, other tropical sea creatures), Coral Reef, Stingray Bay, and Seahorse Mangrove.  There will also be touchpools for hands on experiences, an ocean tank, a life-like harbor and other fun educational and entertaining features.

Photo from SEA LIFE Arizona

SEA LIFE Michigan is operated by UK-based Merlin Entertainments and will be the company's 7th SEA LIFE center within the United States.  In addition to entertaining visitors, the company also hopes people will take away an appreciation of sea creatures and understanding of the harmful impact humans can have on aquatic environments.  The SEA LIFE centers work to assist with conservation through its "Breed Rescue Protect" branding and programs.

Photo from SEA LIFE Arizona

Whether you live in the Metro Detroit area or are coming into town for a family visit, vacation or business trip, SEA LIFE Michigan looks to be a not to be missed experience coming to the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada.  Our family will absolutely be going when this new facility opens up in 2015!

Photo from SEA LIFE Arizona

For more information, visit: www.visitsealife.com/michigan

DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy Blog received a press release and photographs from SEA LIFE Michigan promoting the opening of this new aquarium utilized in this blog post.