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Atlanta, GA 22.6 mi (36.4 km) |
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I might be crazy, everyone!
Bill, you could very well ask, when COVID cases are surging across the country, why in the world would you visit the Georgia Aquarium, a very indoor experience? Well, as many adventurers will tell you, it was there, I was excited, and it was first thing on a Tuesday morning after a 3-day weekend. The timing could not have been better to visit the largest aquarium in the US!
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In short, this was a time for maximum fish and minimal humans! Plus, the aquarium required all humans to wear masks, which was fine for me, because I couldn’t imagine aquarium staff trying to fit masks on all the critters I was about to discover! There were eight galleries in total, but the one I wanted most to see was the Ocean Voyager gallery, and you’re soon to see why!
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The Ocean Voyager gallery features one of the largest tanks in the world: 6.3 million gallons held back by Japanese-crafted, heat-treated acrylic (17 times stronger than glass)! There’s a 100-foot tunnel to get to the main viewing area, where you can look up in wonder at fish you won’t see in any other aquarium in the US! I mean huge ones like manta rays and whale sharks! Yes, folks, this tank is home to several of the largest species of fish on Earth!
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It was dark and a little hard to photograph in here, so when I got to the main viewing window (also one of the largest in the world), I had to get out my flutter phone to properly show off this magnificent view! Whale sharks are super cool, usually growing to over 30 feet while eating plankton! They do this by sucking in water and filtering it out with their gills. A ball of food accumulates in the back of their mouth until they’re ready to swallow it! They’re gentle giants, so long as your macroscopic!
After watching these and the many other species of sharks and rays in the Ocean Voyager tank, I continued my exploration of the aquarium’s other exhibits, starting with the Tropical Diver gallery, home to creatures of the world’s tropical rivers, from puffer fish to archerfish, alligators to another aquatic reptile that took me completely by surprise!
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There was an alligator snapping turtle here at the Georgia Aquarium! These hardy critters are hard to come by without risking a finger! This one was just a youngster (they can get to be over 100 pounds), and it was more interested in mugging for photos than biting off any limbs. What a good sport!
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They had weedy sea dragons here too, native to coastal Australia, super unique critters that can blend in with seaweed, but they were not in the tropical exhibit. They were in the Cold Water Quest, across from the belugas!
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Belugas? Yup, the Georgia aquarium is home to two cetacean species: dolphins and beluga whales! These “sea canaries” are not super common in aquariums, because they make their homes so far to the north. As the world warms, ocean trade routes are likely to change and disrupt their regular habitats. You might also notice the one in the back with the flappy parts. The docent said that one had lost a lot of weight! I didn’t know belugas could be overweight!
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And lastly, I snapped a photo with some African penguins, who were pretty surprised to see a beaver. The penguins here are part of a partnership with South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds trying to figure out why African penguin populations have dropped 60% in the last three decades. It’s one of the many research projects that go on here at the aquarium, one of only five to hold a Class R research license under the Animal Welfare Act! Visiting the aquarium helps pay for this research, be it veterinary, ecological, or conservation!
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There was plenty more to see here at the Georgia Aquarium that I didn’t photograph because, well, it’s hard to take good photos in an aquarium! But there were sea otters and jellyfish, sea lions and unique fish found in the waters of Georgia! There was also a whole exhibit for more intimidating sharks, but it was closed for maintenance. Nevertheless, as the late morning crowds started to build, just as I was wrapping up, this was a risk worth taking to see spectacular aquatic creatures I wasn’t likely to see this close anywhere else!
Heading out of the splash zone!
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Total Ground Covered: 993.9 mi (1,598.5 km) |
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