Baltimore Aquarium

[DMBillies]

I just got back from a conference in Baltimore and had a chance to visit the national aquarium while I was there. I had been there a few times as a kid on field trips (about 10-15 years ago) so I knew what to expect a little bit, but figured that a lot may have changed. I was kind of disappointed in the amount of coral they had (they only had two reef tank set-ups), but I remembered it being mostly fish when I went before, so I wasn't too surprised. The coolest thing was seeing the size of some of their fish. I'm used to looking at mostly juveniles in fish stores, and seeing their full-grown counterparts was pretty cool. They had some clown fish and all of the kids were talking about Nemo, which I can tolerate to some extent, but after the 20th kid walked past and said it I was ready to take a long walk off of a short pier. Another cool part of it was just the way that they had everything set-up as habitats, so that only fish that are found together in the wild are together in the tanks. I learned a lot about where certain fish/corals come from and a little bit about their natural habitats... which is what made the admission price most worthwhile for me.

While I am talking about aquariums, does anyone have any input on the aquarium in Atlanta? Worth the trip?

 

[TitansFan]

I have heard the Atlanta Aquarium rocks. You just have to be sure to buy your tickets before you go. Also I hear they have a behind the scenes tour which is great. I am waiting togo until the newness of it wears off abit. Too many poeple = not too much fun. I had the chance togo to the gatlinburg aquarium few months back. Were 1 of 4 groups in there at the time. It was like having the whole place to yourself! Did you get any pics of the Baltimore aquarium?

 

[crumbletop]

A guy that works down the hall from me used to work at the Baltimore aquarium (he was an intern there, or something like that). At one time he had the record for the length of time keeping an octopus in captivity (12 years, I think). He's been out of reefkeeping for a few years but is talking about getting back into it.

Jack

 

[DMBillies]

I didn't get any pics (forgot the camera in the hotel room), but it was crazy busy because I had to go on a weekend, so taking the time necessary to get a decent shot would have been a nightmare.

They did have a pretty large octopus in one of the tanks. I'd estimate the round head part (is it called a mantle?) was the size of a volleyball. Can't recall the species.

 

[Stinky2426]

I heard that the tickets for the ATL aquarium is about $28, but for another $22 u can get a season pass. I have not been so I can not wait to go.