More than 61,000 people have visited the St. Louis Aquarium in the first week

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) — The opening of the St. Louis Aquarium has exceeded the expectations of the woman who runs it.

"In the first seven days, we had 61,000 guests," Executive Director Tami Brown said with a laugh on Total Information A.M.

Well, fins...it’s o-fish-al! We’ve been open one whole week and have seen over 61,000 of you! Talk about one big opening pawty!Speaking of pawties, here are some more shots from Sawyer, Thatcher and Finn turning 1️⃣!--: Bill Greenblatt/UPI pic.twitter.com/JbDF1DOEQk

— St. Louis Aquarium (@AquariumSTL) January 2, 2020

She says they've learned a lot since opening, including some small things they need to improve on, like step stools for small kids to reach the sinks. Other than that, there haven't been any major issues at the Aquarium since its opening on Christmas day.

Related: St. Louis Aquarium opens to the public

Brown says they've also learned what customers like, including the stingrays, the otters, and Lord Stanley. He is the blue lobster given to the Aquarium by a Massachusetts restaurant in honor of the Blues winning the Stanley Cup.

Brown says the shy blue lobster tends to come out of his cage when he sees someone ready to take a photo of him. He comes out, lets the person take the photo, then crawls back in. Brown exclaimed: "It's the weirdest thing!" 

Even though there's been over 61,000 people in the first week, many more have turned away due to long lines. Brown suggests getting your Aquarium tickets online to ensure you can get in. 

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