Orphaned kittens meet sharks and stingrays on an aquarium field trip at the Mall of America

A pair of kittens gazed up through the aquarium's shimmering blue waters as a (relatively) enormous fish passed overhead. One kitten stared transfixed through the glass while the other, unfazed, was more interested in darting around playfully.

Inside a clear dome, a kitten named Turkey Leg stood up on its back legs as brightly colored clownfish — think “Finding Nemo” — darted just inches from its whiskers. Raising a paw, it batted at the glass, mewing.

For nearly two hours, about two dozen rescue kittens with names like Lottie Dottie, Bendy Wendy and Mouth Trap romped through the Sea Life aquarium at the Mall of America, the largest shopping complex on the continent, located in a suburb of Minneapolis .

Some charged down a 300-foot (90-meter) underwater tunnel, stopping to stare at a sand tiger shark or sea turtles. Other cats found the aquarium's dim blue environment calming and closed their eyes for a little nap.

This was the sixth year the Bitty Kitty Brigade, a rescue organization in the Twin Cities that finds foster homes for orphaned neonatal kittens, held its “field trip” to the aquarium. Some of this year's kittens had Minnesota State Fair -themed names like Funnel Cake or Apple Fries.

“We just thought it’d be a really fun, engaging thing for kittens to see,” aquarium spokesperson John Sullwold said. The kittens came early Monday morning before the aquarium opened to the public.

In addition to raising awareness for the Bitty Kitty Brigade, these field trips are a great way for the young cats to socialize, said Kya Anderson, an event director with the group. That can make it easier for them to adjust to new homes if they get adopted, she said. The group is overseeing some 1,000 kittens this year.

“The kittens just get so excited to see, like, the fish swimming around,” Anderson said.

Sea Life has also invited puppies from Safe Hands Rescue, another foster-based animal rescue, but obviously not on the same day as the kittens.

“Much more running involved with the puppies,” Sullwold said.