The Georgia Aquarium (VERY Photo Intense)
- Thread starter jwedehase
- Start date
charlesjordanjr
New member
Awesome Pics!! Thank you so much! I can't wait to visit. I will have to check into the behind the senes tours. That would be great!
-Chuck
-Chuck
guitar_lord
New member
Amazing!
Thanks so much for sharing!
Im going to have to plan a trip there sometime soon!!!!
incredible :eek2:
Thanks so much for sharing!
Im going to have to plan a trip there sometime soon!!!!
incredible :eek2:
jwedehase
New member
Pupchow: I set the ISO pretty high (800), but I also have the image stabilization lens, which helps quite a bit.
Here are a few more that didn't make the initial cut.
The bowmouth guitarfish visiting the kids, up close and personal.
More of those beautiful rays.
Underwater viewing of the sea otters, and a mother teaching.
The Horseshoe Crab touch tank, and a docent sharing how to tell the difference between the males and females. Males have "boxing glove" arms up front, females do not.
Here are a few more that didn't make the initial cut.
The bowmouth guitarfish visiting the kids, up close and personal.
More of those beautiful rays.
Underwater viewing of the sea otters, and a mother teaching.
The Horseshoe Crab touch tank, and a docent sharing how to tell the difference between the males and females. Males have "boxing glove" arms up front, females do not.
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jwedehase
New member
The reef tank, I have to admit, isn't exactly photogenic at this point. It's still very young. However, sine you've asked, here's some of what I saw there.
The largest collection of coral in the tank was right in the middle. I saw the 2 foot colt coral, a couple of bleached crocea clams, some A. valida, millepora stag, frogspawn and hammer, candy corals, chalice, cat's paw, monti cap, and so on.
The largest collection of coral in the tank was right in the middle. I saw the 2 foot colt coral, a couple of bleached crocea clams, some A. valida, millepora stag, frogspawn and hammer, candy corals, chalice, cat's paw, monti cap, and so on.
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jwedehase
New member
And it seems there was a lot of concern about the crowds. Yes, the place was packed. But again, a sincere "Thanks and good job" goes to the engineers and architects who put this thing together. Flow was awesome. Or, as I mentioned to another reefer, maybe it's because I'm from California, and don't consider this very crowded 
.
You've seen the pictures over the last few pages, so you can see that access to all these viewable areas was not a problem. Maybe I've just gotten comfortable enough with a camera that I've learned to bully my way up front, or maybe I just have enough patience, but I never had a problem, even in these crowds. The first shot is (left to right) seahorses, puffers, and otters. The second shot is the bi-level beluga whale viewing.
.You've seen the pictures over the last few pages, so you can see that access to all these viewable areas was not a problem. Maybe I've just gotten comfortable enough with a camera that I've learned to bully my way up front, or maybe I just have enough patience, but I never had a problem, even in these crowds. The first shot is (left to right) seahorses, puffers, and otters. The second shot is the bi-level beluga whale viewing.
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jwedehase
New member
Every shot was with a Canon 20D and the Canon 28-135mm IS. Many were shot full wide (28mm), and I wish I had a wider lens a lot of the time. When flash was used, it was the Canon 420EX with Sto-Fen diffuser.
this is me
Active member
Very nice photo.
I think I'll be there during spring break.
But damn, I hate crowded places.
I think I'll be there during spring break.
But damn, I hate crowded places.
Cutiewitbooty
New member
Wow thanks so much for all the pics!!1 I have dial-up and I waited for all the to finally load and it was so worth it!! I'm going to have to tank a trip up there, it's about 600 miles i think? It would be a fun road trip 
I think I might wait for the crounds to die down thoug, i hate crouds....
I think I might wait for the crounds to die down thoug, i hate crouds....
Regarding a few of the questions posed earlier in the thread.
1) the waves are made for the reef tank by what has to be a 50 foot dump bucket apparatus. It fills and every other minute or so dumps over sending a surge over your head down the face of the reef. Calming music is also played in the background synchronized to the wave crashing. You can get behind the scenes upstairs (school groups are already doing this) and see it in action. It was designed by the former Director of the Waikiki Aquarium who is now the top person at the GA Aquarium (forget his name, sorry...but he's mentioned in Sprung's books.
2) the filtering system for the tanks cycles every bit of the water through the skimmers/filters every 90 minutes.
3) the whale sharks were actually trained in Taiwan (where they were captured) to approach a yellow ladle filled with plankton/etc. So, when its lowered into the water, they line up and they dump it out right in front of their mouths. They look like giant vacuum cleaners when they're eating.
4) an interesting tidbit on the reef. The green colored corals (plate) are actually "seeded" with some sort of gelatin-based vitamin enriched substance. You'll notice the tangs love it and are constantly picking at it.
5) the glass is cleaned daily by divers prior to the doors opening. I understand that local divers can sign up to "volunteer" to clean the glass on a rotating basis. There is always a safety diver in with them in case the sharks start getting aggressive...which they say shouldn't happen as they feed them at regular times.
6) the bottom feeders are fed by hand (again by divers)...otherwise all the other fish would eat everything and they would starve.
7) the vast majority of the reef fish were acquired from the Atlanta airport in a sting of illegally smuggled tropical fish last summer.
8) Bernie Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot donated the $250 million to the GA Aquarium and it opened up on day one debt-free.
All I can say is plan to spend 4-5 hours...I think the planners thought people would be in/out in about 3 hours...not so. Also, check the website and make reservations before you come. Trying to get a ticket at the door may not be possible, especially on weekends.
Last note: after seeing this my wife came home and said our 180-gallon looks really small now. I'm planning on knocking out the main floor and putting my own surge reef tank that will encompass the entire basement as soon as I hit the GA Lottery. Okay, but maybe I now can move up to the 500 I've had my eye on.
1) the waves are made for the reef tank by what has to be a 50 foot dump bucket apparatus. It fills and every other minute or so dumps over sending a surge over your head down the face of the reef. Calming music is also played in the background synchronized to the wave crashing. You can get behind the scenes upstairs (school groups are already doing this) and see it in action. It was designed by the former Director of the Waikiki Aquarium who is now the top person at the GA Aquarium (forget his name, sorry...but he's mentioned in Sprung's books.
2) the filtering system for the tanks cycles every bit of the water through the skimmers/filters every 90 minutes.
3) the whale sharks were actually trained in Taiwan (where they were captured) to approach a yellow ladle filled with plankton/etc. So, when its lowered into the water, they line up and they dump it out right in front of their mouths. They look like giant vacuum cleaners when they're eating.
4) an interesting tidbit on the reef. The green colored corals (plate) are actually "seeded" with some sort of gelatin-based vitamin enriched substance. You'll notice the tangs love it and are constantly picking at it.
5) the glass is cleaned daily by divers prior to the doors opening. I understand that local divers can sign up to "volunteer" to clean the glass on a rotating basis. There is always a safety diver in with them in case the sharks start getting aggressive...which they say shouldn't happen as they feed them at regular times.
6) the bottom feeders are fed by hand (again by divers)...otherwise all the other fish would eat everything and they would starve.
7) the vast majority of the reef fish were acquired from the Atlanta airport in a sting of illegally smuggled tropical fish last summer.
8) Bernie Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot donated the $250 million to the GA Aquarium and it opened up on day one debt-free.
All I can say is plan to spend 4-5 hours...I think the planners thought people would be in/out in about 3 hours...not so. Also, check the website and make reservations before you come. Trying to get a ticket at the door may not be possible, especially on weekends.
Last note: after seeing this my wife came home and said our 180-gallon looks really small now. I'm planning on knocking out the main floor and putting my own surge reef tank that will encompass the entire basement as soon as I hit the GA Lottery.
Okay, but maybe I now can move up to the 500 I've had my eye on.
jun41
New member
Ok. I just went this past weekend and I was going to put my pictures up but they are definitely not as high quality as the ones in this thread. jwedehase, you are a much better photographer than I am.
But I did go on the behind the scenes tours and have a few pictures of the top of the ocean voyager and the top of the reef tank, skimmers and lighting and a couple other things. I guess I will post them in here soon.
There's a couple in the other thread I started already. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=759797
But I did go on the behind the scenes tours and have a few pictures of the top of the ocean voyager and the top of the reef tank, skimmers and lighting and a couple other things. I guess I will post them in here soon.
There's a couple in the other thread I started already. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=759797
mr pink floyd
New member
ive been to the second largest aquarium in lisboa (lisbon) portugal while there visiting family, simply amazing!
