You Must Be Trippin'

Under the Sea: Aquariums

April 6 2009 by Julie Drossos
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Are you looking for something fun and educational to do with your kids, or even just for yourself? Visiting aquariums is still a popular pastime around the world, but it is one that we often forget about and take for granted. The beauty and wonder of sea life is something that will never grow old and something people of all ages can appreciate. Most major cities in North America have a decent aquarium, here are three that are well worth visiting if you're in the area.

Monterey Bay Aquarium (California)
Website: http://www.mbayaq.org/
Cost: Adults $29.95, Kids 3 - 12 $17.95 (under 3 free), Students & Seniors $27.95
Hours: 10am-6pm daily

Housed in a former sardine cannery on Monterey's famous Cannery Row, this Aquarium offers a variety of marine-related exhibits that include life-sized whale exhibits, huge tanks with albacore tuna, sunfish, great white sharks, marine birds, jellyfish, live otters, a lot of hands-on kids activities, decent on-site dining options and more. A unique feature is the two-story tank, home to a kelp forest in which swim sunfish, sharks, and the occasional diver tasked with squeegeeing (I know that's not a real word) the algae off the tank walls! The exhibits at the Monterey Bay Aquarium are changed and updated on a regular basis, so there's always something new and exciting to see. I will mention that this aquarium is a HUGE tourist attraction, and thus can get very busy. You will save yourself a lot of time and stress by ordering your tickets online ahead of time. If you don't have all day, these are the top attractions to see:

Kelp Forest: Go left from the entry area to see a microcosm of the Monterey Bay, filled with local fishes and swaying kelp.
Touch Pools: Go right to the Touch Pools, where you'll get a chance to pet a bat ray, touch a starfish and find out how prickly a sea urchin can be.
Sea Otters: You might call them the aquarium's poster child, and they're absolutely adorable! See them swimming underwater or go upstairs to see them on land.
Drifters Gallery: Go upstairs toward "Ocean's Edge" and walk under the tank of circling anchovies to see a fascinating bunch of jellyfish and other drifting sea creatures.
Outer Bay: Get a look at the million-gallon tank full of mid-ocean fish, sharks and other creatures.

Shedd Aquarium (Chicago)
Website: http://www.sheddaquarium.org/
Cost: Adults $15.95 - $17.95, Seniors & Kids 3-11 $11.95 - $13.95,
Hours: 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm weekends

Shedd Aquarium has been referred to as Chicago's #1 cultural attraction. That says a lot considering what a great city Chicago is and how much there is to see and enjoy there. At the Shedd Aquarium you can literally come face-to-face with Sharks, wander through oceanic gardens and watch stingrays glide beneath your feet and enjoy Amazonian anacondas and piranhas, eels and beautiful sea turtles.

Shedd has five main attractions:

Caribbean Reef
Waters of the World
Amazon Rising
Wild Reef
Oceanarium

My top recommendation is to see the Wild Reef. You'll enter a space that embraces you with water on all sides, even overhead. Countless reef fish swarm around you and above you. You'll see everything from tiny little fishies to menacing sharks... it is an awesome and unforgettable experience.

Vancouver Aquarium (Vancouver, BC, Canada
Website: http://www.vanaqua.org/home/
Cost: Adults $19.95, Kids 4 - 12 $11.95 (Under 3 Free), Students & Seniors $14.95
(Prices in Canadian Dollars)
Hours: 9:30am-5pm Daily

I couldn't help myself, I just had to give my hometown aquarium a plug! Vancouver's Aquarium is located within a world famous tourist attraction, the beautiful Stanley Park. It is Canada's largest aquarium and holds over 8000 sea creatures. It also has a marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation center. The aquarium is very much geared to curious children, there are tanks where kids (and adults) can touch and handle sea creatures (with appropriate supervision, of course) and also a great educational play area called Clownfish Cove, where kids can release their energy and parents can enjoy a small break. Hands down the top attraction at Vancouver Aquarium is the Beluga whale observation tank. With floor to ceiling underwater windows, you can watch the massive and gentle belugas swim past your face. The experience is awe inspiring and relaxing. Your kids will be cheering with delight as the Belugas swoop by them.

More than your standard aquarium, you'll find a variety of pavilions, each temperature controlled and specific to an area of exploration from the Tropical Pacific to the freezing Arctic. You can walk through the Amazon Gallery where you'll enjoy exotic birds and plants. The Pacific Canada Pavilion includes plant and animal life from the Strait of Georgia. The Wild Coast exhibit features dolphins, sea lions, otters and seals - all species found locally in British Columbia.

If you do visit this Aquarium, be sure you leave you and your family enough time to also explore around Stanley Park - it is an evergreen oasis of over 1,000 acres, uniquely located in the downtown core of Vancouver. The park has wildlife and plants and sprawling greenery and trees, it is a truly beautiful natural environment. There's always a lot going on at the Park so check out this events calendar for up to date listings to help you plan your visit.

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