Survival of the Slowest

Slow and steady wins the race!

Opening May 24, 2025

You are invited to learn first-hand how the smallest, slowest, and weakest members of nature can not only survive, but thrive in the wild in Survival of the Slowest, a new exhibit at the Fleet.

Exhibit highlights:

  • 19 habitats with animals such as frogs, hedgehogs, snakes, and more!
  • Up to three daily interactive presentations led by wildlife educators, highlighting various survival strategies through tangible examples.
  • Direct interaction with animals! Come scrub a tortoise’s shell or feel a gecko’s smooth scales in this one-of-a-kind, hands-on exhibit. 

Maple the sloth, Iggy the iguana, Aphrodite the boa constrictor, and 20 other live animals have come crawling into the Fleet to teach you how their assumed disadvantages are, in fact, secret superpowers. From Maple’s life in the trees to Iggy’s camouflage coat, Survival of the Slowest challenges you to rethink who is really the strongest in the wild. 

Come meet Maple and her friends at the Fleet from Memorial Day through Labor Day to experience life in the slow lane!

A close-up studio shot captures a light green chameleon poised to catch a fly with its extended tongue. The chameleon, featuring a bumpy skin texture and raised sections extending down it's spine, is positioned to the left of a brown, tiered fungi. It lunges forward, mouth agape, displaying little white teeth. It's pink tongue is visible in behind the extended grey tongue. The fly dangles at the end of the tongue. The chameleon has its eyes locked on its prey. A blurred, green background exists behind the c
Close-up of a sloth sleeping, with a brown field on the left side of the image. The sloth's fur is brown with some tan strands. The animal's nose is black, with two large nostrils. The fur of the sloth is long and strands. Its eyes are closed, with only eyelashes visible. The facial features are detailed as well. The lighting is natural and comes from overhead.
A close-up shot features a petite turtle amidst a verdant field of low-growing foliage. The turtle is positioned centrally, commanding attention with its sandy-colored shell marked by a pattern of polygonal shapes, each separated by darker ridges. Its skin mirrors the shell's pale hue, and it boasts textured, scaled legs and a somewhat wrinkled neck.
A full shot of a Peregrine Falcon flying in the sky. The falcon is positioned diagonally in the frame pointing downwards, with its head facing the lower-left corner. The sky in the background is plain light blue. The falcon's plumage is a mix of dark brown and gray on its upperparts, with dark streaks on its tan-colored underparts. Its head is a darker brown with yellow eyes and a black beak. Its talons are bright yellow.
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