By William Croyle
Enquirer contributor

NEWPORT - Oh the weather outside is frightful - ...which is why you'll find Santa Claus inside a 74-degree fish tank representing the Florida coast at the Newport Aquarium.

A loggerhead sea turtle swims past the Newport Aquarium's diving Santa Claus. (Patrick Reddy photo)

Taking a break from making toys, Santa is hanging out with one of his elves in a 385,000-gallon tank in the aquarium's Cinergy Theater. Joining them are 17 sharks, two loggerhead sea turtles, three stingrays and 300 other sea creatures found in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.

"Santa's Water Wonderland" started two weeks ago and runs through Christmas Eve. It's the first year for the program, said aquarium spokeswoman Jill Isaacs.

"We've had such good feedback," said Isaacs. "People have told us it's something so different from seeing him at the mall."

The show features Santa interacting with the animals while talking to the audience through a microphone attached to his scuba gear. He can also hear the audience's responses to his questions.

"More legs!" shouted one boy from the audience when Santa asked what he could get an octopus for Christmas.

"We've had great responses from the kids when Santa asks them questions," said Jennifer Rehberger, diving programs coordinator for Scuba Unlimited in Blue Ash, the company contracted to put on the program. "This is our first year with Santa. We'll keep expanding on it and it will get better and better each year."

During the show, Santa tells the kids that he has lost his reindeer and needs their help finding them. Rudolph is hiding in the theater, while the remaining eight are scattered throughout the different exhibits in the aquarium. Before leaving the aquarium, each child receives a sticker that says "Santa's Reindeer Rescue."

Though his reindeer aren't in the tank with him, Santa has had plenty of excitement with a couple of the other animals.

He said the sharks pose no danger to him and the stingrays usually mind their own business. But the loggerhead sea turtles? They are the main reason why Santa brought an elf along.

"He's here to help protect me," said Santa. "The turtles like to play, and they play by biting. They've gotten me a few times."

In fact, Santa's wooden sleigh rests on the floor of the tank, but only has one runner in the front. It used to have two.

"The turtles chewed one off," said Isaacs. "And they've come up close to Santa a few times. They've been very curious about the suit."

If you go

What: Santa's Water Wonderland

When: Today through Wednesday, shows every half-hour from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: Cinergy Theater at Newport Aquarium, One Aquarium Way in Newport.

Price: Included with admission price ($16 adults, $14 seniors, $10 children ages 3-12, free for children 2 and under).

Information: Call 261-7444 or visit www.newportaquarium.com

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E-mail williamcroyle@yahoo.com