A Visit to the NATIONAL AQUARIUM in Baltimore
by Don Zilliox
First published in Some Things Fishy, Newsletter of the Tropical Fish Club of Erie
County, N.Y.
Aquarticles
The Inner Harbor is a place where all cities like Buffalo, NY would like to copy. It is
a bustling area where thousands of people congregate daily where the main attraction is
The National Aquarium. Shopping and eating are the next most important parts of this
rejuvenated waterfront. We spent two days meandering through all the sites but we both
enjoyed the aquarium the most.
My wife and I have visited at least eight such aquariums and each has it's own
signature attraction that one takes home and remembers the most. From Belle Isle Aquarium
in Detroit, the oldest running aquarium that opened in 1904 which is dedicated to many
tropical freshwater fishes to the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, TN which opened in
1992 and displays mostly fresh cold water species, none impressed as much as the National
Aquarium in Baltimore. Entering the first floor you find yourself standing above a
gigantic tank with dozens of three-foot sharks and stingrays. On to the second floor we
find fishes of "Maryland: Mountains to the Sea" which exhibits aqua life from
the freshwater ponds to the Atlantic shelf off the coast of Maryland. Level three shows
the electric eel, giant Pacific octopus, tiny jawfish, sea urchins, anemones, lionfish and
clownfish to name only a few.
On level 4 is the Aquarium's newest permanent exhibit which recreates a section of a
blackwater Amazon River tributary and the forest that it seasonally floods. Along a
57-foot long acrylic wall, visitors can see schools of dazzling tropical fish as well as
giant river turtles, dwarf caimans, caiman lizards, pygmy marmosets - the smallest species
of monkey in the world - and a giant anaconda. Interactive computer stations explain the
ecology of this unique rainforest habitat and how human activities can protect or damage
it. This floor kept our interest as I recognized almost all the fishes as ones that I had
either maintained myself or have seen at our local fish stores. Of all the public
aquariums, we found before us more of this type species than any other four combined.
Upward to the fifth and last level we emerged in dense tropical foliage that contained
colorful birds, golden lion tamarinds (monkeys), two-toed sloths, red-bellied piranhas,
iguanas and other lizards, and even poison dart frogs.
Beginning our descent back to another fourth floor area we were accompanied by hundreds
of vividly colored tropical fish, schooling and swimming in a 335,000 gallon tank which
surrounded us on our trip along the downward ramps. Divers can be seen hand feeding the
fish several times a day. At the end of this journey we came face to face with the sharks
and stingrays that we viewed from above upon entering the aquarium a few hours earlier. Of
all the public aquariums we have seen, this one is recommended for having the most fishes
we maintain ourselves.
As a sidelight, I must say that my wife is an avid book reader and we continued on to
the Barnes & Noble Bookstore just a few steps from the aquarium itself. It's a huge
store with two floors connected by an escalator on which upon nearing the second floor you
come face to face with a fish tank. Those of you who have already seen it are now
beginning to chuckle because as we know, it is gigantic! It contains many large show
quality angelfish, discus and many smaller fishes such as Cardinal, Rummy-Nose and Rosy
Tetras. Just to give you an idea about the size of this tank, I happened to meet the young
lady who is an employee of the National Aquarium and is the custodian of this tank. It is
15 feet long and 6 feet high and contains 3000 gallons of water! There aren't just a few
fish here as she told me there are about 175 cardinals alone! And if necessary, she dons
her wetsuit to enter it and rearrange or remove items, as the situation requires. If you
are in the area, don't miss this free exhibit!
Visit the National Aquarium website
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