A little reason to celebrate
National Sea Monkey Day
Animal · Fun · May 16
National Sea Monkey Day is about the tiny brine shrimp sold as Sea Monkeys, the pocket aquarium pets that hatch from a packet of dry eggs.
National Sea Monkey Day falls on Sunday, May 16, 2027. That is 201 days away.
Sea Monkeys are brine shrimp, a kind of small crustacean, sold as a hatch-at-home pet. They arrive as dry eggs in a packet, and after a stir into prepared water they become specks that swim. Within weeks the specks look like tiny translucent creatures with feathery legs.
The trick behind them is a dormant egg. Brine shrimp can produce eggs that dry out and wait, sometimes for a long time, until salty water brings them back to life. In the wild they live in salt lakes and salt ponds, places too salty for most fish that would eat them.
Up close they are stranger than the cartoon on the box. They swim upside down much of the time, beating their legs in a steady ripple, and they are drawn to light. Shine a flashlight on the side of the tank and they gather toward it like commuters at a crosswalk.
People who keep them tend to watch more than they expect to. A tank on a windowsill becomes a small daily check: who is bigger, who is paired up, whether the water needs a top up. They feed on algae and tiny particles, so a little food goes a long way, and overfeeding clouds the water.
Many adults remember a childhood tank, and the memory is usually of the moment the first specks moved.
Ways to celebrate
- Look up close-up photos of brine shrimp and their feathery legs.
- Try the flashlight trick on an existing tank and watch them gather.
- Share a memory of a childhood Sea Monkey tank with someone.
- Read about salt lakes where wild brine shrimp live.
- Check an existing tank's water level and go easy on the food.
Dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Saturday, May 16 |
| 2027 | Sunday, May 16 |
| 2028 | Tuesday, May 16 |
| 2029 | Wednesday, May 16 |
| 2030 | Thursday, May 16 |
Also on May 16
Categories: Animal daysFun days