Under the Sea, Right Here in The ATL
Here is something you may not have known about me.
I love marine life.
Some people have always wanted to go on a safari. Others dream of living on a dude ranch and roping cattle. My big dream is to learn how to scuba dive. One day, one day...
In the meantime, I satisfy my curiosity about all things ocean by visiting different aquaria. (Aquariae? No, I think it's aquaria.) I haven't been to the big famous ones yet, but I've seen some really cool local ones whenever we visit someplace new. Like the one at Clearwater Beach, FL. Or the tiny but fascinating Waikiki Aquarium. (At the Waikiki they had these otherworldly seadragons that looked like they were out of a Dali painting or a Cirque du Soleil costume design. God is so creative. He blows my mind.)
One of the best experiences of my whole life was getting to be a Seakeeper of the Day at the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas. DH had a business conference to attend and I got to tag along. The resort is one big casino, but since I don't gamble, I was thrilled to discover it is also one giant - and I mean massive - aquarium. All manner of sharks, rays, and fish live there - including piranha. It is utterly fascinating. Best of all, they have drawing, daily, in which the winner gets the privilege of spending a morning with the "Seakeepers" - the scientists who make the whole thing work. You get to help them test the pH of the water, treat ailing fish, prepare their meals, and then you can stand in the lagoon with the fish and feed them.
This was HUGE. I will never forget the feeling of velvety-soft manta ray noses gliding over my feet or the sharks bumping gently against my shins. They weren't bloodthirsty and they weren't frenzied. They were simply wild creatures who tolerated my presence in their habitat. I felt all National Geographic. It was powerful.
I also got to feed the piranhas. Didn't stand in their tank, though. (grin)
Anyway, do you know what is opening in Atlanta during the week of Thanksgiving?
The World's. Biggest. Aquarium.
Season passes have been acquired. Reservations have been made. We're going before it even opens to the GP. Yeah, baby. Thank you, Bernie Marcus.
I love marine life.
Some people have always wanted to go on a safari. Others dream of living on a dude ranch and roping cattle. My big dream is to learn how to scuba dive. One day, one day...
In the meantime, I satisfy my curiosity about all things ocean by visiting different aquaria. (Aquariae? No, I think it's aquaria.) I haven't been to the big famous ones yet, but I've seen some really cool local ones whenever we visit someplace new. Like the one at Clearwater Beach, FL. Or the tiny but fascinating Waikiki Aquarium. (At the Waikiki they had these otherworldly seadragons that looked like they were out of a Dali painting or a Cirque du Soleil costume design. God is so creative. He blows my mind.)
One of the best experiences of my whole life was getting to be a Seakeeper of the Day at the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas. DH had a business conference to attend and I got to tag along. The resort is one big casino, but since I don't gamble, I was thrilled to discover it is also one giant - and I mean massive - aquarium. All manner of sharks, rays, and fish live there - including piranha. It is utterly fascinating. Best of all, they have drawing, daily, in which the winner gets the privilege of spending a morning with the "Seakeepers" - the scientists who make the whole thing work. You get to help them test the pH of the water, treat ailing fish, prepare their meals, and then you can stand in the lagoon with the fish and feed them.
This was HUGE. I will never forget the feeling of velvety-soft manta ray noses gliding over my feet or the sharks bumping gently against my shins. They weren't bloodthirsty and they weren't frenzied. They were simply wild creatures who tolerated my presence in their habitat. I felt all National Geographic. It was powerful.
I also got to feed the piranhas. Didn't stand in their tank, though. (grin)
Anyway, do you know what is opening in Atlanta during the week of Thanksgiving?
The World's. Biggest. Aquarium.
Season passes have been acquired. Reservations have been made. We're going before it even opens to the GP. Yeah, baby. Thank you, Bernie Marcus.
posted by Mamabird @ 6:58 AM
2 Comments:
At 10:43 PM,
Dy said…
Oh. How. Fun. We bought memberships to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, and we spent so much time there. The boys never tired of it.
I don't know if we'll make it to Atlanta to see the Big 'Un, but I do hope to go to the one in Chattanooga (or is it in Knoxville???) sometimes after the baby is born. The boys miss their aquarium trips. :-)
Enjoy, take a gazillion photos, and let the rest of us live vicariously, ok?
Dy
At 8:51 AM,
Mamabird said…
Dy - The Tennessee Aquarium is in Chattanooga. And it is very nice. The focus there is more on river life, so there are lots of freshwater exhibits and interesting info on the water life in the Southeastern U.S. What I think is cool is that now we Southerners will have both - a big ocean-focused facility in Atlanta, and a big river-focused facility just 2 hours away.
I want to see the Baltimore aquarium one day, as well as the Shedd in Chicago. So many fish! So little time!
(grin)
Karen
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