SC’s Ripley’s Aquarium honors 15 millionth visitor

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — The sharks, stingrays and fish at Ripley’s Aquarium in Myrtle Beach have welcomed their 15 millionth visitor.

The lucky visitor is Natalie Crisante from Stoney Creek, Ontario, who visited the aquarium on Wednesday with her husband and two children. She received a gift basket, a three-day vacation in Gatlinburg, Tenn., and free admission to attractions in Gatlinburg.

The aquarium opened in 1997. It’s one of four Ripley’s attractions in Myrtle Beach, including its Believe It or Not Museum.

Myrtle Beach is the center of South Carolina’s tourism industry that pumps $15 billion a year into the state economy.