Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium

For the first time since the event was first offered, Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium sold out at 4,800 Dragon Con guests! AND they were open to the public. Those members of the public got a Georgia Aquarium experience they'll be talking about for years!

YaYa Han | Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium

I first saw Yaya Han, one of the country's most prolific and talented cosplayers, on Syfy's Heroes of Cosplay and have been a fan ever since. So, you can imagine how excited I was to find out that she would be Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening's costume contest! 

Princess Amidala | Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium

The first time I saw Princess Amidala, in Star Wars: Episode I, which was at 5:00 a.m. opening day just up the street from where I now live, I was in awe at all the wardrobe changes. But probably not in as much awe as I was in at the cosplayer who perfectly replicated the above costume...100% hand-made! Totally deserving, she placed in the Top 3 of the competition!

Captain Nemo | Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium

I've said approximately a bazillion times now just how talented Dragon Con cosplayers are. Captain Nemo, above, spent 750 hours on this costume and it shows! During his presentation, one of the MCs opened the back panel of his costume to reveal...moving parts! Totally brilliant! He also placed in the Top 3. Whoo-hoo!

Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium

All the major galleries at Georgia Aquarium were open to Dragon Con conventioneers, which makes this tourism blogger beyond happy. I visited only two on this particular visit, but everyone else got to experience one of Atlanta's more magnificent attractions, while still enjoying everything Dragon Con.

Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium

I love, love, love Yaya's jellyfish costume! She told us that she'd always wanted to make a costume themed around jelly fish and she totally succeeded! You'll notice in the first photo of this post the coral color in her gown and the tentacles dangling from her "tutu". I was already a fan of her talent and now am even more so!

Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium

As is the case throughout the four-day convention, there are photo-ops galore! And Georgia Aquarium doesn't disappoint in that regard. I loved that there were so many ocean and sea themed costumes there that night. 

I didn't recognize the costume of the young lady pictured above, but this fish-eye portal makes for fantastic photos, no matter the costume! I've made a few of myself in the same window, but never looked as awesome as she does.

Whale Shark | Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium

One of the more incredible experiences I've had the pleasure of enjoying in life was swimming with the Whale Sharks at Georgia Aquarium. Seriously, it was on par with my experiences of skydiving at 120 MPH and soaring over the Grand Canyon in a helicopter. If you possibly can, I highly recommend the experience. I did the swim May of 2014 and you can see my post and video here: Travis's Journey With Gentle Giants (video at the end of the post).

Avatar | Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium

Sea blue, these Na'vi costumes, from the James Cameron blockbuster Avatar, were perfect in this setting. I'd seen them earlier in the Con, but got to say "Hello" (and "Thank you for the photo") at the Aquarium. Sweet couple. 

Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium

Georgia Aquarium was good to us, as they have been to me as a tourist since I moved back to Atlanta. I highly recommend you add them to your itinerary when visiting our fine city.

I'll post more about this year's fantastic Dragon Con soon!

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

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

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

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

"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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

ATLANTApix: Sharks, Sharks, Sharks

Hammerhead Shark at Georgia Aquarium

Every week is shark week at the Georgia Aquarium! 

Discovery Channel's annual Shark Week has stimulated public interest in sharks to the point of the shark-mania brought on by the 1975 blockbuster "Jaws." Georgia Aquarium, the world's largest aquarium (which still fascinates me given Atlanta is landlocked), offers to satiate any shark-lovers desire to (safely) observe a shark...quite a few sharks, actually.

Even remotely located shark enthusiasts can enjoy the sharks living at Georgia Aquarium through the Ocean Voyager Webcam. Ocean Voyager is one of the major galleries at Georgia Aquarium, built specifically to house the Whale Shark—the largest fish species in the world. 

Cohabiting with the Whale Sharks are "schools of jacks, squadrons of small and large stingrays, enormous goliath grouper, and sharks" in an ocean habitat containing more than six million gallons of saltwater.

But since we're talking about sharks, you may find it of interest that there are numerous kinds of sharks living in Ocean Voyager. They include: the whale shark, blacktip reef shark, spotted or tassled wobbegong shark, zebra shark, sandbar shark, sand tiger shark, and the recently added and a crowd-favorite—the hammerhead shark (photo).

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

ATLANTApix: Georgia Aquarium Photo-Op

Ocean Voyager gallery at Georgia Aquarium

I've been to Georgia Aquarium more than a dozen times over the last 12 months and I find it fascinating every single time...and I continue finding exciting photo ops!

Many of my friends have photos of themselves at numerous locales within the Aquarium on their Facebook accounts and one or two still have a photo from the Aquarium as their profile photo, even months after visiting...I like that.

My absolute favorite photo spot in the Aquarium is the huge concave window in the Ocean Voyager just down the hall near to the entrance to the gallery. It's so big that I can barely reach the top of the opening, but there's lots of room for fun and bizarre poses--quite of few of which I've seen! (and maybe I've indulged in a couple of them)

This particular photo is also in the Ocean Voyager gallery...the gallery I beeline to immediately upon arrival every time I go. Seriously and for real, of all the times I've been to the Aquarium I always go to Ocean Voyager first.

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Maybe I should mix it up a little bit for some diversity, but I'm thinking that will have to be a special occasion. Until then, I'll first offer a "Hello" to Yushan and Taroko, two of the Whale Shark residents and then continue with my regular visitation with the other creatures of this water wonderland.

ATLANTApix: The Dolphins are Coming, the Dolphins are Coming!

Whale Shark (top) and Giant Grouper (bottom)
at Georgia Aquarium

Exactly two weeks from today, on Saturday, April 2, 2011, Georgia Aquarium will unveil its new dolphin exhibit. The anticipation around the city is building at an alarming rate, or maybe that's just me. However, in chatting with friends and tourists, everyone I've spoken with is excited about their joining the Aquarium family.

AT&T Dolphin Tales promises to be a show unlike any other dolphin show on the planet. Their plans include some of the most accomplished dolphin trainers in the world, a signature 61-piece orchestra score, unique costuming, and an atmosphere only Georgia Aquarium could provide.

When you visit Georgia Aquarium to see the dolphins, remember to check out the five other galleries. I'm sure the dolphins will join the ranks of the Aquarium's other popular residents: the Whale Sharks (photo), the Beluga Whales, and the petting tank Cownose Rays.

I would be curious to know how many Douglas Adams fans are planning to go. Adams was the hilarious science fiction writer, known best for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, who postulated that dolphins are the second most intelligent creatures on Earth, mice, of course being the most intelligent (how else would they get so much free cheese just for navigating a simple maze), and humans coming in third.

I'm certain there will be many, many stories written about Atlanta's dolphins...by you, the press, Georgia Aquarium, and ultimately tourATLANTA, so come back in a couple of weeks for a full report on Atlanta's newest and most welcome residents.

ATLANTApix of the tourATLANTA blog features a "photo-of-the-day" of Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

ATLANTApix: The World's Largest Fish

Whale Shark in the "Ocean Voyager" exhibit
at Georgia Aquarium

The largest fish in the world is on public view in only one place on the planet outside of Asia...the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Whale Shark (pictured here, center) is that fish and it's one of seven species of sharks in the "Ocean Voyager" exhibit.

Visitors' exploration of Georgia Aquarium doesn't have to end when they leave. The Aquarium's website is information rich...it's filled with videos, webcams, databases, announcements, the latests updates on their conservation efforts, and lots of factoids.

For example, did you know that the viewing window of the Ocean Voyager exhibit is 27 feet high and 63 feet wide? Did you know that it's two feet thick? Did you know that the Ocean Voyager tank is the largest indoor exhibit of fish in the world? All true and there's lots more to learn on the website!

ATLANTApix of the tourATLANTA blog features a "photo-of-the-day" of Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

ATLANTApix: Whale Shark

Whale Shark at Georgia Aquarium

Several members of the largest fish species in the world call land-locked Atlanta home. Whale Sharks (one pictured here) are part of the Ocean Voyager exhibit at Georgia Aquarium.

Actually, the Ocean Voyager exhibit was built specially to house Whale Sharks, which share their home with thousands of other fishes, including other sharks, manta rays, other rays, grouper and guitarfish, to name a few.

Georgia Aquarium is the largest aquarium in the world and will be expanding with a dolphin exhibit in early 2011. I can hardly wait!

ATLANTApix of the tourATLANTA blog features a "photo-of-the-day" of Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!