DETROIT (Michigan News Source) – If Brian Barczyk has his way, Michiganders will be able to visit sharks, reptiles and other aquatic life at his new aquarium in Utica by the end of the year. Barczyk, the owner of an interactive five-year-old reptile zoo called the Reptarium, wants to open a new family-friendly destination called the “LegaSea Aquarium” which will be across the street from his current location.

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Diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer early in 2023, 53-year-old Barczyk is hoping to fulfill his dream to open the new aquarium, a fun place for families to interact with the animals that he loves. He told “Hour Detroit” that his “life’s mission is to get people to love wildlife.”

The plans are for the aquarium to open in December of this year. Reptile expert and social media star Barczyk is currently fundraising to pay for the remaining construction of the aquarium.

Because of his failing health, banks and investors are reluctant to finance the rest of the money needed for the project; however, his followers, the “Reptile Army” are giving money towards the project and Barczyk also hopes to raise at least $100K more by pre-selling annual passes. With millions of Instagram and YouTube followers, there is sure to be more support to come Barczyk’s way.

Just like his Reptarium, Barczyk wants the new aquarium to be interactive. But what exactly does that mean??? It means that visitors can do something more than just look at something behind a glass. If you take a look at the video on the home page of his website, you will see that the visitors to the Reptarium interact with the creatures there, giving scratches to tortoises, feeding lizards, and handling snakes.

The new LegaSea Aquarium has been an idea in Barczyk’s head for more than 20 years but he has been taking baby steps along the way to prepare for it. Then, when the building across the street went up for sale, he knew it was time to start building his dream.

Hour Detroit reports that the LegaSea Aquarium will be a space for public engagement with all kinds of aquatic life such as sharks, a variety of fish, reptiles, and of course, multiple opportunities to interact directly with animals including touch tanks, feeding opportunities, ray petting, and more. When it’s complete, many of the animals currently in the Reptarium will move across the street to aquarium and the current location will become an event space.

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Barczyk says about the new aquarium, “We want to be the Disney of animals. When you go to Disney, it’s about the experience…there’s something special about it.” He also adds that he wants to keep people’s hands “wet” from the time they walk through the door until they leave.

Barcyzk hopes to inspire the kids that go to the aquarium to develop an appreciation for the environment as well as learn a lot about things they have never seen before. He hopes his legacy (LegaSea) is to leave the visitors with a love of wildlife and the environment and he says the new aquarium is going to be “amazing.”

What are the plans post-Barcyzk? Because that is a reality that has to be addressed, it has been decided that his wife, Lori, and son, Noah will step up and take over. But instead of being dragged down into sadness and depression, Barcyzk is spending his time buying attractions and adding things to fill his new space –  in between chemo appointments.

“My miracle is coming,” he told the Detroit Free Press. And everyone around him hopes that he is still around to celebrate that miracle.