Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Aquarium of the Bay

Aquarium of the BayI've wanted to check out the Aquarium of the Bay, even though its Fisherman's Wharf location makes it look like a tourist trap. I saw in the paper that they are having free days this week for SF residents, so I visited this afternoon. The main attractions are the 2 clear tunnels on the bottom floor that wind through large tanks, surrounding the viewers with sea life. I have to say it is pretty cool to see a school of anchovies or a shark swim close overhead. The tunnel path is curved, so one does feel immersed. It took me a while to realize that soothing space music was being piped in as well. The aquarium also has dramatically-lit jelly fish, touch pools, & some non-aquatic animals, including chinchillas & bees. There were several volunteers around to talk about the exhibits. I went through in about an hour & felt like I had done it full justice. The paper crowns available at the welcome desk were popular with many of the adult visitors.

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