Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Journey with Gentle Giants...Whale Sharks!

Swimming with the "Gentle Giants", the four Whale Sharks at Georgia Aquarium—as well as thousands more animals in the same habitat—is one of those top-ranking life experiences that I will never, ever forget.

And a lifetime of gratitude to my best friend Barry for gifting the experience to me. Our Swim was a few weeks ago and I'm still in awe of just how close we were to the Whale Sharks and Manta Rays...and many others. "Incredible" just doesn't begin to describe how awesome an experience this was!


Swim with Gentle Giants, Whale Sharks, Georgia Aquarium
Swim with Gentle Giants, Whale Sharks, Georgia Aquarium

I've done some pretty cool things. Right up there with skydiving, a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon, attending a live satellite launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, and meeting Leonard Nimoy, the Swim with Whale Sharks experience at Georgia Aquarium is one that I'll cherish forever and always. It was that awesome!

In anticipation, we arrived early to explore the Aquarium, specifically to see the current special exhibition Sea Monsters Revealed: Aquatic Bodies, and of course we had to pop in to see the Whale Sharks...the ones we would momentarily be swimming with. 

We reserved spots on the 4:30 p.m. Swim on a Friday, and they ask that swimmers check-in a half hour early, which we did. One of the super nice things about this swim is that there are a maximum of eight (8) swimmers, which makes for an intimate experience.


Swim with Gentle Giants, Whale Sharks, Georgia Aquarium
Swim with Gentle Giants, Whale Sharks, Georgia Aquarium


The above photo is the top of the Ocean Voyager habitat, where the four Whale Sharks and various other residents had just made our acquaintance.

Everything you need for the Swim is included. A wet suit, locker rooms to change in, breathing apparatuses...and your ticket gives you access to see the dolphin show, Deepo's show, special exhibitions, all the main galleries, as well as a souvenir photograph, a t-shirt, and the option to purchase a DVD of your Swim (check out ours on YouTube). 

You won't soon forget the experience, but the mementos are nice to have.


Swim with Gentle Giants, Whale Sharks, Georgia Aquarium
Swim with Gentle Giants, Whale Sharks, Georgia Aquarium

Once we were checked-in there was an orientation. A very important orientation. The thing that sticks out most in my mind was the "don't touch" rule. The Whale Sharks get really, really, really close, but no touching! Most importantly, it could spook them and eventually make them leery of swimmers, meaning the end of such an incredible experience...for anyone!

The Georgia Aquarium Dive Team and other staff were incredibly helpful and put everyone at ease. I never once felt unattended. In fact, they were so amazing that I felt like a total VIP...during the entirety of the experience!

The Ocean Voyager habitat has two distinct areas. One is 20-feet deep and the other is 30-feet deep, with the acrylic viewing tunnel being the delineation between the two. 

You'll see in our video that you have the opportunity to wave at tourists in the tunnel, which is a great place for family and/or friends to view your experience if they're not themselves swimming.


Swim with Gentle Giants, Rays, Georgia Aquarium
Swim with Gentle Giants, Rays, Georgia Aquarium

"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming...swimming...swimming..."...should that little ditty pop into your mind, just try not to laugh. But how can you not laugh at Ellen Degeneres' humor?! 

While swimming you can see inside the acrylic tube perfectly, but you can't see the other side of the gigantic acrylic wall...apparently the angle of the wall doesn't work for swimmers, but of course the divers can see those visitors just fine.

The Georgia Aquarium Swim Team let on that it would be super cool to be grazed by one of the Whale Sharks, which is the only contact you get because of the "no touch" rule. Well, as close as I got, I had no contact, but was still blown away! 

BUT, Barry had the great fortune to experience a "snag and drag"—that's what I coined it anyway. The tail fin of one of the Whale Sharks snagged him and pulled him a few feet. Not alarming at all...they swim so slowly.

The Swim Team had told us a story about something similar happening to another swimmer, but he'd been pulled a while longer. When "rescued", he said something to the effect of, "Let's do that again!"


Swim with Gentle Giants, Sharks, Georgia Aquarium
Swim with Gentle Giants, Sharks, Georgia Aquarium

As a former Sailor in the United States Navy, water feels very natural to me and I love the ocean...I was born in St. Peterburg, Florida, so water is in my blood. However, I never took my eyes off the 'other' sharks. And, only half jokingly, I confirmed with our guide Jodi that our put-in point was NOT near the feeding station. 

Wouldn't want to confuse any of the carnivorous animals, right?! Speaking of which, some of my friends asked about the Whale Sharks...they're huge! Their throats are only the size of a walnut...so they're not going to swallow you, even if they tried, which they're not.


Swim with Gentle Giants, Grouper, Georgia Aquarium
Swim with Gentle Giants, Grouper, Georgia Aquarium

The Grouper, from what I perceived in conversation, are some of the the more worrisome of the animals in the habitat, BUT the support staff have "tools" to dissuade the Grouper. I've never felt safer in the water...these guys and gals know what they're doing!

The above photo doesn't show you just how humongous the Grouper...they're HUGE! Really HUGE! You can see it—in person—through the gigantic acrylic viewing window. I LOVE that window! 


Swim with Gentle Giants, Rays, Georgia Aquarium
Swim with Gentle Giants, Rays, Georgia Aquarium
When you're swimming, the Whale Sharks, as well as the Manta Rays, will sneak up on you...not trying to scare you, of course, because they've invited you into their home. But seriously...you're swimming along and "Pow!"...there's a gigantic creature a mere feet away from you.  

Just remember not to touch them and know that you have several of the Georgia Aquarium Swim Team there to help, just in case.


Swim with Gentle Giants, Operating Room, Georgia Aquarium
Swim with Gentle Giants, Operating Room, Georgia Aquarium

I mentioned that we'd arrived early to breeze though Sea Monsters. Breezing through is impossible...wonderfully surprising, it's a substantial exhibition! And we were invited to an unofficial pre-swim surprise tour where we got to see the Aquarium's operating room.

 Read more about our visit to Sea Monsters here.

Speaking of staying healthy, a quick word of advice...if you deal with blood sugar issues, like I do, arrive early to eat at the cafe, or dine before you arrive—there are some fantastic restaurants in the area!

On numerous occasions over the years, I've headed to Cafe Aquaria to discover that it was already closed. In this particular case, I'd brought a protein bar with me and that held me over until we were finished, around 7:30 p.m., when we headed to Max's nearby for a fantastic pizza dinner!


Swim with Gentle Giants, Behind the Scenes Tour, Georgia Aquarium
Swim with Gentle Giants, Behind the Scenes Tour, Georgia Aquarium

After we'd finished our Swim and had been 'debriefed', one of the volunteers, Mim, treated us to a little more of the behind-the-scenes of the Aquarium, including the roof of the "recreation of a tropical Pacific coral reef, complete with an overhead crashing wave" in the Tropical Diver gallery. We got to see the mechanics of what creates that wave...beyond impressive!

I know I haven't shut up, but I feel like I'm robbing you of so much of the enthusiasm that this experience deserves. Seriously...this is one of the most wonderful things I've ever done, ever experienced!


Swim with Gentle Giants, Sharks, Georgia Aquarium
Swim with Gentle Giants, Sharks, Georgia Aquarium

That's Barry in the above photo during our Swim preview. We were so excited that we were almost late, but ended up having plenty of time between check-in and the start of the program. But don't push it...you don't want to miss any part of this experience!


I didn't expect to have so much to "say" about this experience...and there's so much more to say! And there's so much that I can only feel...that there are no words for. If you find yourself wanting and able to Journey with Gentle Giants, then do! It was such an incredible experience.

Of course we opted for the video of our Swim. This version includes some of the Aquarium's 'glamour shots', which you don't want to miss, and then there's our Swim...



Friday, May 23, 2014

Atlanta Haas Four Seasons

At more than 15-feet tall each, Four Seasons—by American artist Philip Haas, inspired by 16th Century Italian artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo—is now on display at the Atlanta Botanical Garden through October 2014.

Four Seasons, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Four Seasons, Atlanta Botanical Garden

I think I've mentioned before that I was in quite a few art classes when I was in school, before college. It's pretty amazing how much art I've seen as an adult that I'd only before seen in text books, including Four Seasons

Well, not the sculptures that are currently on display at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, but the Four Seasons paintings by Giuseppe Arcimboldo. Even as a kid I found them amusing and fascinating.

To now see Four Season, the 15-foot tall sculptures by Philip Haas, is wonderful. They're fantastic! You can see just how enormous they are in the photo above.

Four Seasons, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Four Seasons, Atlanta Botanical Garden

I've heard many, many visitors say, "Winter is my favorite," over the three or four times I've seen them already. I like him a lot as well. This is the kind of exhibit where you appreciate all the pieces, but will very likely have a favorite...they're so much fun!  

Speaking of fun, I hope you enjoyed the humor in this post's title, "Atlanta Haas Four Seasons"...I thought it was quite clever. Given our relatively short and mild winters—if you don't count the two crippling snow storms earlier this year—we do have four distinct seasons in Atlanta, it just seems sometimes that spring and fall are just as short as our winters.

I for one would rather have 90 degree weather than snow...I'm quite grateful for our short winters. I love the snow, I've even seen it snow in August when I lived in Wyoming, but being born in Florida, sunshine runs through my veins. I have a strong preference for warmer weather...one of the reason I moved back to Atlanta!

Four Seasons, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Four Seasons, Atlanta Botanical Garden

These guys have traveled the world! Including New York, Milan, and the Gardens of Versailles.

The sculptures are quite spectacular and I am glad to know that so many people have and are experiencing the joy of seeing these remarkable portrait sculptures.

Four Seasons, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Four Seasons, Atlanta Botanical Garden

I went to the Garden recently with my best friend Barry who told me that he had seen the Arcimboldo paintings in the Louvre while on a Paris vacation (photo below)...the same ones that I'd seen in textbooks decades before!

The photos of his vacation are phenomenal! And his recounting of the visit totally reinforced my having Paris at the top of my "places-to-visit" list.

Coincidentally, while we were scanning Barry's Paris photos in search of the Arcimboldo paintings, we ran across Bosio's Hercules Fighting Achelous Transformed Into a Snake, which we'd just seen at the High Museum of Art in November! He'd seen it before it came to the High, so for me, having not yet traveled to Paris, it was cool to see it in its home setting.

Four Seasons, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, Louvre | Photo: Barry Holland
Four Seasons, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, Louvre | Photo: Barry Holland

To totally appreciate Haas' 21st Century Four Seasons, it helps to know a little more about Giuseppe Arcimboldo's Renaissance Four Seasons.

Giuseppe Arcimboldo was the son of a painter. I'd always assumed that Four Seasons were the only portraits of their kind, but it turns out that Arcimboldo did others. At the time of the paintings, he came under scrutiny of other artists...they didn't consider the paintings "art". They were too "amusing".

Fortunately for us, the paintings survived and Arcimboldo is to this day a revered artist.

Four Seasons, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Four Seasons, Atlanta Botanical Garden

While the portrait sculptures are phenomenal, I find the bases as fascinating as the faces. Each is fantastic, but I think I like the autumn base most. Who doesn't like a glorious glass of good wine? 

I've been on a number of winery tours, around the world, but I've not yet been on a multi-vineyard wine tour in Georgia. I hear good things about Georgia Wine Tours...which is on my list of things-to-do.

And I love that Winter features a humongous orange and lemon...it gives parents the opportunity to share with their kids that citrus is actually harvested in winter, even though we typically think of them as summer foods.

Four Seasons, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Four Seasons, Atlanta Botanical Garden

Details, details, details...

Don't be afraid to get close so you can really explore the sculptures, without violating the discernible boundaries of the exhibit, of course. Notice the details of each sculpture. The details of these, to me, are reminiscent of a Salvador Dali painting...you can stare at it for hours and continually see something new.

Four Seasons, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Four Seasons, Atlanta Botanical Garden

The original Arcimboldo Four Seasons paintings are all profiles, as you can see in Barry's photograph earlier in this post. However, there was enough detail—even though the paintings are hardly excessive in size—for Haas to extrapolate great detail for the monumental 3D portrait sculptures, with little liberty taken.

There are small models of the sculptures (photo above) in the Fuqua Orchid Center. If you've not yet seen their 15-foot tall counterparts, they're an enticing prelude to the wonderment of the gigantic Haas sculptures.

Four Seasons, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Four Seasons, Atlanta Botanical Garden

While you're in the Fuqua Orchid Center, be sure you visit all the display rooms and research areas. Even if you didn't pick up a map when you came in, you may not realize that there are distinct areas in the Orchid Center. 

There's the main 'exhibit' area immediately off the Fuqua Conservatory. Then there's the High Elevation Tropicals Display Room featuring plants and orchids  that grow 6,000 to 10,000 feet. And the main display room features plants and orchids that grow below 6,000 feet. There's also the art gallery (hallway), a classroom, and an orchid research center and orchid library. There's a LOT in the Center, actually! 

Four Seasons, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Four Seasons, Atlanta Botanical Garden

I was sharing with you earlier the illustrious career of Giuseppe Arcimboldo. Among his experiences, he was a court portraitist of Maximilian II in Prague.

Look closely and you'll see an "M" in the base detail of Winter, believed to be an homage to Maximilian, who Arcimboldo worked for when the paintings were created.

Four Seasons, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Four Seasons, Atlanta Botanical Garden

Four Seasons is on display at the Atlanta Botanical Garden now through October, in conjunction with Imaginary Worlds: A New Kingdom of Plant Giants. It's kind of cool that they're on display for three of the four seasons, but the Winter sculpture need not worry...it will get plenty of attention.

The kids are going to love these colorful sculptures, or if you prefer an adult evening out, perhaps enjoy a Cocktails in the Garden 'date night'! And may I recommend that if you go in the evening, get there early so you can see them in daylight, Garden's dramatic lighting, and moonlight.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

A Moment at the Zoo

I recently enjoyed another part of my Where Atlanta Magazine prize package, which I won in a Facebook giveaway. Gotta love Social Media! Social Media and all the super fun things to enjoy in Atlanta, such as a trip to Zoo Atlanta

When the tickets arrived from Where Atlanta, I immediately thought of the fun Mary Jo, Zach, Cam and I would have monkeying around at the Zoo. We started with a picnic in Grant Park...the Zoo is in Grant Park. It was a perfect weather day!


A Moment at Zoo Atlanta
A Moment at Zoo Atlanta

When we got to the Zoo, there was a sign posted that the Zoo was closing early for a special event. We had just over an hour before we would have to leave. 

A Zoo staff member heard us, not complaining, but disappointed...we'd been planning this outing for weeks. And MJ and the guys had come from OTP. For non-locals, that means from "outside the perimeter", beyond I-85. 

The lady from the Zoo explained that there was a special event that evening and that it was one of the very few days of the year that the Zoo closes early. She was super sweet and invited us in to enjoy the Zoo for the hour we had left AND gave us another set of tickets so that we could return to enjoy a full day! 

That day we got to hang with a certain famous gorilla...Willie B.


A Moment at Zoo Atlanta
A Moment at Zoo Atlanta

Our visit was perfect timing...we got to see, just in time, Xi Lan and Po before they were on their way back to China...how lucky were we?! All the pandas were in the habitat that day, and the babies, Mei Lun and Mei Huan—the only panda twins in the United States—were on display, but napping...adorable as could be!


A Moment at Zoo Atlanta
A Moment at Zoo Atlanta

So, the one attraction that the guys really, really wanted to see was the Reptile House, so that became our plan. With the limited time we had, we made our way to the back of the Zoo where the Reptile House is, stopping along the way to see a few other habitats.


A Moment at Zoo Atlanta
A Moment at Zoo Atlanta

The Reptile House is quite a sizable display that features an alligator snapping turtle, a Komodo dragon, a cobra, vipers and pythons...dozens of animals! 

I told the guys about the time I had a Boa Constrictor around my neck—I have a photo of it somewhere—when I was around their age. It was pretty cool...and snakes aren't slimy at all!


A Moment at Zoo Atlanta
A Moment at Zoo Atlanta

The Reptile House is a popular destination...and here I thought nearly everyone was afraid of snakes! It's a very well done habitat, and example of when the Zoo first started creating "natural" habitats for its animal residents—the move away from just cages.


A Moment at Zoo Atlanta
A Moment at Zoo Atlanta

Back to just before we got to the Zoo entrance... Of course I had to throw in a learning component. I shared with the guys the origin of Zoo Atlanta...but I kept it short and simple, so we could get right to the fun.

What I shared with them: In the late 1880s, a circus came to town, and unfortunately the owner had serious money problems and had to abandon the animals. A local businessman purchased the animals—a particularly fascinating collection—and donated them to the city. Very soon after, Atlanta's first zoological venue opened, destined to become today's Zoo Atlanta.


A Moment at Zoo Atlanta
A Moment at Zoo Atlanta

Just as we were approaching the Warthog habitat, after having just come from the Meerkat habitat, Mary Jo burst into ♪Hakuna Matata♪. The father of the family that was already at the habitat admitted he'd just sang the exact same ditty. 

That was a fantastic tie-in to the another element of my Where Atlanta prize package—tickets to see The Lion King at the Fox Theatre. I wonder how the tie-in is going to play out when I use the Hard Rock Cafe gift card. Hmmmm....that would be—or will be—an interesting story, I'm sure!



A Moment at Zoo Atlanta
A Moment at Zoo Atlanta

Giraffes have long been a personal favorite animal. They're such graceful animals, even when it's not easy to be.

I was a volunteer at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., when the Hall of Mammals reopened after being restored to its original 1910 state. The giraffes on display are stunning, and one of them is poised as it would be to drink water from a river...if you've never seen that, Google it!



A Moment at Zoo Atlanta
A Moment at Zoo Atlanta

Babies, babies, babies! There are so many babies at Zoo Atlanta. The Zoo posted a brilliant collage on Mother's Day...quite cute. My favorite is the orangutan...I've loved orangutans since I was a teenager.


A Moment at Zoo Atlanta
A Moment at Zoo Atlanta

There's a lot going on at Zoo Atlanta. Coming up are Brew at the Zoo and Wild on the Rocks...both look like great fun! Those are just a couple of the grown-up events. There are a bazillion events for youngsters and the whole family!

When you get your tickets, may I recommend arriving early in the day, so you have more than a moment at the Zoo. There's so much too see. We barely saw half of the Zoo in the fast-paced hour we had.

Thank you to Zoo Atlanta for the extra tickets—can hardly wait to return for a full day—and thanks again to Where Atlanta Magazine for the original tickets...we had a great time!

Monday, May 12, 2014

Stars Fall on Atlanta

December 1939 saw an unprecedented event in our fair and growing city. It was frenzy and fanfare unlike anything Atlanta had ever seen before...and perhaps since.

Once David O. Selznick made the decision to debut the film based on Margaret Mitchell's globally loved novel, the city excitedly engaged in preparations for Hollywood's soon-to-be most celebrated actors and actresses, and of course the author herself, who rarely made public appearances. 

Less than two months ago, to share the thrilling days leading up to the premiere, the Margaret Mitchell House opened the only exhibit of its kind, Stars Fall on Atlanta: Premier of Gone With the Wind.


Stars Fall on Atlanta, Margaret Mitchell House
Stars Fall on Atlanta, Margaret Mitchell House

This exhibit highlights the events and thousands of people in and visiting Atlanta surrounding the world premiere of the motion picture version of Margaret Mitchell’s novel, which sold a million copies in the first few months following its publication.

Modest in size, the exhibit is packed with volumes of information about the events leading up to the premiere. So, don't let its size mislead you into thinking that you won't need much time to explore and enjoy it to its fullest. 


Stars Fall on Atlanta, Margaret Mitchell House
Stars Fall on Atlanta, Margaret Mitchell House

The exhibition features video from the evening of the premiere, and you absolutely must see the clip of Clark Gable asking the roaring crowd of thousands to let him enjoy the premier "as a spectator." 

Watching that clip today, Gable's comments could easily come across as self-absorbed, self-important--that's not what I'm suggesting--but looking back, that was the heyday of Hollywood, when people were far more starstruck with actors than they are today. Unless you're talking about me meeting Kate Mulgrew...I'd be totally starstruck! And just for the record, Gable did note that the evening was for Margaret Mitchell.


Stars Fall on Atlanta, Margaret Mitchell House
Stars Fall on Atlanta, Margaret Mitchell House

This gallery is extremely well lit, which can create reflection issues on the glass covering artifacts when making photographs. But at the same time, this is also fantastic news for those who sometimes experience a lackluster visual experience at darkly lit exhibits. 

I'm not suggesting that you leave your camera at home...there's a LOT to make photos of at the Margaret Mitchell House, including the original door of Tara and the original portrait of Scarlett in her blue dress—both from the film.


Stars Fall on Atlanta, Margaret Mitchell House
Stars Fall on Atlanta, Margaret Mitchell House

The exhibit features tickets and programs from that evening, when approximately 2,000 lucky Atlantans and dignitaries saw the world premiere of Gone With the Wind at the Loew's Grand Theatre, where the Georgia-Pacific Tower stands today. 

Did you know that there are several rows of Loew's Grand Theatre seats in the balcony of The Fox Theatre? Did you know that Houston's Restaurant on Peachtree Street in Buckhead was built with bricks from the Loew's Grand Theatre? There's so much Gone With the Wind history here, for a fictional story that was filmed in California!


Stars Fall on Atlanta, Margaret Mitchell House
Stars Fall on Atlanta, Margaret Mitchell House

The Margaret Mitchell House itself has quite a history. The house where most of Gone With the Wind was written, was nearly lost. More than once. 

The house had been abandoned and fell into decline over the years. But local preservationists, fortunately, banded together to save the house. In 1989, the year that I first moved to Atlanta, Mayor Andrew Young designated the house as a city landmark.

The house burned in 1994, sustaining severe damage. Then, in preparation for the 1996 Olympic Games, hosted by Atlanta—I remember this so well—restoration had resumed, but it burned AGAIN, a mere 40 days before the Olympics. Atlanta was shocked and many of us devastated.

The Margaret Mitchell House officially opened to the public in May 1997 and has since been and forevermore will be an Atlanta treasure.


Stars Fall on Atlanta, Margaret Mitchell House
Stars Fall on Atlanta, Margaret Mitchell House

Without fail, when you visit the Margaret Mitchell House, whether visiting on your own or on a group tour, be sure to see Stars Fall on Atlanta: Premier of Gone With the Wind.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Sea Monsters

On a recent visit to Georgia Aquarium, I was expecting a modest exhibit of imaginary or mythical creatures. Instead, Sea Monsters Revealed: Aquatic Bodies is a remarkably brilliant and substantial exhibition of mysterious, ferocious, and fascinating sea animals...and a few cases of mistaken identity.


Sea Monsters, Georgia Aquarium
Sea Monsters, Georgia Aquarium

You'll get to see nearly 20 full-body sea creatures and more than 150 individual organs and smaller sea creatures...that's a substantial exhibit!

The exhibition leads with a masterfully appointed room that displays artifacts of 18th Century scientific study of aquatic animals, highlighting the creation of taxonomy—the classification system of grouping different and similar organisms all the way down to species. Occasionally, animals are re-classified because modern science has given us a greater understanding of certain animals—those cases of mistaken identity I mentioned.

The exhibition also bring a great deal of fun. It shares the fact that scientist can and do indeed have a sense of humor. Traditionally, the scientist who discovers a new genus or species gets to name it. A biologist at Duke University named an entire genus of fern 'Gaga germanotta'. It was named after Lady Gaga


Sea Monsters, Georgia Aquarium
Sea Monsters, Georgia Aquarium

I don't recall ever seeing an Ocean Sunfish, the heaviest bony fish in the world, which can weigh up to 5,070 pounds! I think if I'd seen one that I would remember.

With a relatively slender body, the Ocean Sunfish can reach 14 feet tall by 10 feet long. It hardly 'looks' like it can even swim, but from what I've read, it does so clumsily. Harmless to humans, they're quite curious and will approach divers, which has to be a little unnerving. A fish twice as tall as I am, coming toward me not-in-a-straight-line...I'm sure my adrenaline would surge!

Its large eyes remind me of the Star Wars humanoid-fish character Admiral Gial Ackbar. The Ocean Sunfish may not be a "Rebel", but it's certainly a fascinating creature. 


Sea Monsters, Georgia Aquarium
Sea Monsters, Georgia Aquarium

There are a number of fun creatures. The better-known aquatic animals, such as the Blow Fish, are also on display—which takes my mind immediately to Hootie and the Blowfish. You'll recognize other well-known creatures and some of them will seem like they're from another planet!

More and more—as a lifelong fan of science fiction and of science—I'm thinking that cinema creature creators look to botany and the animal kingdom for inspiration. No matter how bizarre an alien or monster looks in movies, I'd venture to stay that you can find a similar looking species somewhere on Earth. Seriously!


Sea Monsters, Georgia Aquarium
Sea Monsters, Georgia Aquarium

Did you know that you can get a college degree in Museum Exhibition Design? I only learned this in recent years, and it totally makes sense. I've seen some wonderfully remarkable exhibitions and this one falls into that category. 

It's not only remarkable, the corridors and display rooms are drenched in color and some in black light (above)...great fun! Note that the dramatic lighting make some of the creatures look a color that they're not in their natural habitats (see the pink octopus further below).


Sea Monsters, Georgia Aquarium
Sea Monsters, Georgia Aquarium

And yes, there were a few shudder-inducing artifacts, particularly these shark's teeth (above). If you're of the Jaws generation, you know what I mean. 

That aside, the exhibition is wonderfully educational. And shark teeth aren't exactly something we've not seen before. But this time, instead of a rack in a beachfront novelty shop, they're displayed tastefully, elegantly, and with purpose. Oh...and the shark teeth are in a case, out-of-reach of curious fingers.


Sea Monsters, Georgia Aquarium
Sea Monsters, Georgia Aquarium

Also in the exhibition—and the subject of much of the exhibition's marketing material—is a 15-foot long Mako Shark. There's not one on display in any of the Aquarium galleries, so this was a unique experience, as are many experiences at Georgia Aquarium.



Sea Monsters, Georgia Aquarium
Sea Monsters, Georgia Aquarium

The squid and octopus on display are amazing...and there are a lot of them! I've long found both to be fascinating, especially octopuses. Later in the day we got to see the octopus on display in the Aquarium's Cold Water Quest gallery and it was quite active...we got to see its chameleon properties in the act!


Sea Monsters, Georgia Aquarium
Sea Monsters, Georgia Aquarium

This bad boy (above) is a Grouper! They're one of the larger fish you'll see in the Ocean Voyager exhibit in the Aquarium. And just for the record, all the creatures in Sea Monsters "were carefully recovered in accordance with the highest animal protection standards."

There are many aspects of this exhibit that remind me of, also fascinating, Bodies: The Exhibition, which I saw when it was in DC, and it's on display at Atlantic Station.

I'm sure you've been wondering if the animals in this exhibition are real. They indeed are real. According to the Aquarium's website, this exhibition uses "the revolutionary polymer preservation technique commonly known as plastination to bring real sea animals onto dry land for an up-close look at these mysterious and compelling sea creatures."


Georgia Aquarium
Georgia Aquarium

When we were at the end of the exhibition, we got to chatting with one of the staff and it turned out that she and Barry share lots of interest, specifically marine biology. Next thing we knew, we were behind-the-scenes to see some world-class and rather amazing operations, including the animal operating room. Fortunately, it's quite rare that the Aquarium's animals require surgery, and seldom do they become sick. But when and if it happens, they're at the ready to respond.

There's a LOT more to explore and learn, but one thing that fascinated me was the number of times water tests are conducted on a weekly basis—that being 5,000-7,000 times! The number is so high partly because so many of the water habitats are independent, which greatly reduces or totally mitigate any animal health issues that might occur. 


Sea Monsters, Georgia Aquarium
Sea Monsters, Georgia Aquarium

The whole reason we were at Georgia Aquarium was to Swim with the Whale Sharks, one of their animal interaction programs. It'd been planned for more than four months, so it was pretty cool that Sea Monsters included a specimen of a Whale Shark, which we would be swimming with momentarily. 

Now, head over to Georgia Aquarium and get your tickets. I don't know how long the exhibition will be there—it opened last September—but Sea Monsters Revealed: Aquatic Bodies is included in your 'Total Ticket' purchase. 

Have fun!