Hotlanta!
There's been a lot of publicity for the new Georgia Aquarium since it opened earlier this year, so we, as a family of Fishpimps, had to check it out last week. First of all, it cost nearly $45 for two, and that doesn't include the interpretive guide. When I was informed that I'd have to fork over an additional $2 for a brochure that contains the information generally posted at the displays in other aquariums (like the names of the fish you're looking at!) I became indignant. The very Southern gentleman staffing the booth told me "I got these ones in Spanish for free, but you can't read them."
"Don't you tell me what I can and can't do! I speak Spanish!" I snapped back in an attempted homage to Monty Python's "Life of Brian" ("Don't you oppress me!"). And I do speak a fair amount of Spanish, especially when it comes to the fish. Unfortunately, it came out more vicious than humorous and I ended up with a Spanish guide looking like a full-on jerk. It's a good thing Mrs. Fishpimp wasn't within earshot, or I'd have a Spanish guide looking like a full-on jerk with a sore arm. I think I got my Karma today when a vending machine stole the $2 I had saved earlier.
The Aquarium itself is certainly above average. They pump the fact that it's the largest in the country, and second-largest in the world (behind one in Japan or some other country full or 'furriners' as they say down there), and that they have a pair of whale sharks in the main exhibit. The whale sharks and the main display definitely are the highlight -
so if you go, see them last, because everything else is a let-down afterward. In fact, other than the main exhibit, the rest of the place is rather pedestrian. And my favorite part of the whole display wasn’t the sharks, but the cow-nosed rays, they fly around in a large school like a flock of alien-looking sea-gulls. They’re totally-friggin-cool. They’ve also got some huge groupers – like 200-pounders. I did get some evil looks when I mentioned “You’d need a pretty big BBQ…”
You can take the fishpimp out of the fishhouse…
On the whole I was much more impressed with the Vancouver Aquarium (their Amazon exhibit is beyond description), but if you’re in Downtown Atlanta, have a lot of spare cash and an hour to kill, check it out.
"Don't you tell me what I can and can't do! I speak Spanish!" I snapped back in an attempted homage to Monty Python's "Life of Brian" ("Don't you oppress me!"). And I do speak a fair amount of Spanish, especially when it comes to the fish. Unfortunately, it came out more vicious than humorous and I ended up with a Spanish guide looking like a full-on jerk. It's a good thing Mrs. Fishpimp wasn't within earshot, or I'd have a Spanish guide looking like a full-on jerk with a sore arm. I think I got my Karma today when a vending machine stole the $2 I had saved earlier.
The Aquarium itself is certainly above average. They pump the fact that it's the largest in the country, and second-largest in the world (behind one in Japan or some other country full or 'furriners' as they say down there), and that they have a pair of whale sharks in the main exhibit. The whale sharks and the main display definitely are the highlight -
so if you go, see them last, because everything else is a let-down afterward. In fact, other than the main exhibit, the rest of the place is rather pedestrian. And my favorite part of the whole display wasn’t the sharks, but the cow-nosed rays, they fly around in a large school like a flock of alien-looking sea-gulls. They’re totally-friggin-cool. They’ve also got some huge groupers – like 200-pounders. I did get some evil looks when I mentioned “You’d need a pretty big BBQ…”You can take the fishpimp out of the fishhouse…
On the whole I was much more impressed with the Vancouver Aquarium (their Amazon exhibit is beyond description), but if you’re in Downtown Atlanta, have a lot of spare cash and an hour to kill, check it out.
posted by Fishpimp | 5:42 PM
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