FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - It's one of the most anticipated expansions at the Fort Wayne Zoo. Plans for Coastal Cove were first announced in September 2023 and construction started soon after. It's an expansion of the sea lion exhibit and will bring in harbor seals too. Now, it's almost finis hed and Wild on WANE got an exclusive first look at the new exhibit as it gets ready to open soon. Board walk along Coastal Cove in the Fort Wayne Zoo. Some things guests will notice first is new rock work and a new pathway. There's added lighting so people can see the animals later at night as well. A new seating area with a pergola for shade will give zoo-goers a place to rest and watch the animals and the presentations. New seating area outside Coastal Cove. The exhibit brings a West Coast vibe to the zoo. "I'm really excited about our new iconic lighthouse, because it just kind of sets the theme for the whole exhibit. I kind of feel like it's gonna be this new icon for Coastal Cove," Rick Schuiteman, the zoo's executive director, said. The zoo already had sea lions and now harbor seals will join them in Coastal Cove. "People don't know the difference, and everybody just kind of goes to seal, but there are sea lions and there are harbor seals, so I really wanted to have them both together so guests could see the difference. In fact, we're going to have an interactive display where guests can help determine if it's a seal or a sea lion," Schuiteman explained. Coastal Cove construction that guests could see started in fall 2023, but the project is actually older than that. "We started the project in 2021 because we had to start before Red Panda Ridge started, because a part of the exhibit is actually under Red Panda Ridge. We had to expand the underground indoor area for the sea lions and seals, and so we had to do that first," Schuiteman said. "That was phase one. So, we built the new indoor underground space, and then we did Red Panda Ridge, and then we went back to this exhibit. So, this exhibit's been actually happening for many, many years." Wild on WANE: Snowy Owl Construction did take longer than initially thought because, like many renovation projects, there were unanticipated challenges. "It's an older space and any time you dig into ground you discover things you didn't know were there," Schuiteman explained. "We want to make sure we do it right. Some concrete wasn't settled quite right and we went back and reworked it. Salt water causes corrosion and damage and we just found things along the way and we wanted to do it right. Instead of speeding up the process, we slowed it down and just went through it all and doubled checked and wanted to, again, do it right." Inside the Coastal Cove pool, you'll see changes too. "The overall structure will still remain mostly the same. We're adding a lot of theming and esthetic changes, but also kind of focusing on some things that everybody might not notice. The floor is going to be a different color. It's not done right now, but we're actually making the floor a lot darker. If you ever have come to one of our chats, we always focus on the sea lions' eyes. The sun is very harmful to that. A darker floor is going to allow less sun to reflect off of it and into their eyes. We also installed shade structures," Mitch Overmyer, the zoo's Animal Care Supervisor for Aquatics, said. One of the new sun shades in Coastal Cove. The exhibit was originally built in the 2000s, so it's also getting an overall facelift. A contractor painted barnacles to mimic a shoreline, and there's added driftwood above the waterfall. New paint and updated rocks. "It's a lot brighter and a lot more natural in a coastal setting," Overmyer said. "It's just a little bit of a re-theme, and we kind of messed with the flow of the waterfall a little bit to kind of make it a little bit more grand." A brand new beach area will let zoo-goers get up-close with the sea lions like never before. A new beach area will host Wild Encounters with the sea lions. "We've never offered an encounter space here for pinnipeds," Overmyer said. "This also allows a different viewing. Everybody's used to watching us across the water and onto our beaches and kind of a distant view. This allows a more up-close, personal view with our pinnipeds. They are going to be right up close to the glass. Children and families will be able to sit right there and almost be nose-to-nose with a pinniped, which is going to be really fun. Then with our Wild Encounter program, we're going to be able to bring people out and get literally nose-to-nose with our pinnipeds, which will be really fun and help kind of spread up the zoo's mission." Behind the scenes, upgrades and additions to the filtration system will keep the 88,000 gallons of salt water in the pool pristine and allow for more animals to join. New "state of the art" UV sterilization system filter for Coastal Cove. "We did a lot of filtration upgrades to make sure the water quality is as healthy as it can be for those additional pinnipeds," Overmyer said. The wait for Coastal Cove is almost over. Sea lions Cassandra and Valkyrie will be back, and at least one new seal will join them. "It's going to be nice to have it open. I know people are going to be excited to come out and see the sea lions. They are so popular, and then the seals will be a nice add. Ronin is a really cute harbor seal. And then we're going to be adding some more animals to the space eventually," Schuiteman said. Lighthouse at the top of Coastal Cove. And, here's a fun fact! The lighthouse will also serve as office space for some zoo employees! The new seal is already at the zoo in quarantine, which is where all new animals to the zoo go before going on exhibit. Wild on WANE: Animal Quarantine Watch for Coastal Cove to open in late spring or early summer. Fort Wayne Zoo announces opening day for 60th season The zoo opens for Members Day on March 27 with the grand opening March 28. ...read more read less