NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. -- The Aquarium of Niagara hosted 50 students from the Olmsted Center for Sight who are either blind or visually impaired.
The aquarium provided sensory friendly activities Tuesday, like demonstrations and a touch tank, but what was so unique about this field trip was the kinship the students shared with Della, one of the aquarium's grey seals.
"She is totally blind, due to cataracts," said Hallie Schultz, an aquarium marine mammal trainer.
"She had to learn from verbal cues and sounds to maneuver around her aquarium, so that's the same for our children and adults who are learning to navigate a room, listening with their ears, using their touch to get around a certain environment," said Brooke Kibrick, Olmsted Center for Sight marketing and events coordinator.
Kibrick added she's glad the students could interact with Della and learn about the similarities they share with her.
"Sometimes it might be hard to find that connection where you might think there's nobody else like me, so to have a wild animal that shares something with them is just, I thought would be a great experience," said Kibrick.
"One of the students she did have a walking stick and like I said, I do use that target pole kind of like a walking stick for Della, so it was pretty neat to see these two tools to be seen together and next to each other," said Schultz.
While most people learn about the animals at the aquarium through sight, officials say the kids were able to discover things by using their other senses.
"You could read a book about what a starfish is or what a horseshoe crab is but to be able to touch it and understand what that texture is, what the smell is when they're in that water, just brings it to another level," said Kibrick.
"They have to use their hands and their hearing a lot in order to work with Della, be very close to her," said Schultz.
Aquarium officials say it is important that they find ways to create an educational experience for all its visitors."
"This is everyone's aquarium it's not just for students at a regular school so we do want to bring in everyone," said Schultz.