Confessions of an Aquarium Addict

 

I have been to the aquariums in Monterey Bay, Vancouver, Baltimore, Sydney, Camden, Long Beach, Boston, and more.  I honestly could just sit and watch fish swim.  All Day Long.  I love it.  I am always on the lookout to learn something new about aquatic life, something I can bring to my science lessons.

Each aquarium has a unique style and experience.  The New England Aquarium in Boston has a really unique giant central tank and a giant spiral viewing walkway.  Plus adorable penguins!  Watching the veterinarians or handlers interact with the penguins there is really fun.

In the past month, we have been taking a lot of trips and we went to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, where the post picture was taken of my 2 year old son watching the dolphins.  It is a huge aquarium with so many different exhibits!  It takes a whole day to see everything.  The aquarium must get really busy because they have a mapped out one-way route that takes you through most of the aquarium.  One tip though: no strollers are allowed in the aquarium!  Luckily my 2 year old son can walk pretty far, but for parents who are thinking of taking a stroller in, bring a baby carrier instead.  (The aquarium’s sign said they can lend you a baby carrier too.  But I’m not sure how good the carrier is. so I advise bringing your own to the Baltimore Aquarium.)

We also went to the Vancouver Aquarium recently and saw this little guy.  It seriously was one of the most interesting fish I have ever seen.  It is called the Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker.  In these photos, you can see the suckers on the left side and the side view of the fish on the right.

The lumpsucker’s lower fins have a special shape that allows the fish to stick to rocks, like a suction cup!  They look like adorable little puffer fish and they look very silly when they swim.

What is your favorite aquarium to visit?