Maryland, The National Aquarium

 

 

Located on the Inner Harbor in downtown Baltimore, The National Aquarium is worth a visit and is a good place to spend a few hours on a lazy afternoon.

Today, I am fortunate because of a special admission price the aquarium is offering.

 

 

 

 

 

I Want You!

 

 

 

Celebrating it's 30^th Anniversary, The National Aquarium is offering a $5 admission after 5pm every Friday in October.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quoting a local resident, “I am telling you, with normal admission prices of $25-30, this is a steal and that’s no fish story!”

 

 

 

 

 

Interestingly, the aquarium is located in what seems like a normal downtown office building. With a controlled entrance program, visitors tour the aquarium in a flowing stream of crowd management.

 

 

 

Nice Dental Work

 

 

 

One of the first exhibits gives a nice view of giant stingrays then close ups of the ocean's most feared family members.

 

 

 

 

 

Escalators then moves the crowd between floor to exhibits that expands from fresh water marine life to species from various parts of the vast ocean habitats.

 

 

The exhibits are well done and easily transport you to the beach fronts or depths of the Atlantic Shelf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cool Cow Fish

 

 

 

Although, you might want to spend a good deal of time at a particular exhibit a following crowd naturally forces you to move on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, it is nice to sit back and watch the kids enthusiasm as they look for “Little Nemo”or “Dory”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I become interested in the California Sheephead and wonder if I can learn a thing or two from it. The Sheephead spends the first 7-8 years of it's life as a female and then becomes a male.

 

 

Who better to understand the opposite sex.

This turns Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus upside down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The California Sheephead is so lucky, I am just yellow!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another series of exhibit displays and I am experiencing life above and below a river in the Amazon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Under The Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you find the Emerald Tree Boa?

 

Knowing it's there, thankfully behind inches of plexiglass, I can easily see how birds, lizards and rodents might not be so fortunate in the wild. For them I think it often turns out to be a crushing experience getting to know the Emerald Tree Boa, I bet the California Sheephead has better relationships.

 

 

Going through the Rain Forest exhibit, guess who's having a lazy afternoon just hanging around.

This guy gives molasses going up hill a run (well, not quite) for its money.

 

 

 

 

 

Two-Toed Sloth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Rain Forest provides colorful species of birds many of whom I am sure are yet to be discovered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Terrible Poison Dart Frog

 

 

I think it would be a safe to assume that Kermit The Frog and Ms Piggy don't invite this member of Kermit's family over for Thanksgiving Dinner. Not only is he terrible to hang out with, he also has a poisonous personality that can be difficult to deal with.

 

 

Lion Fish

 

 

 

Leaving the main exhibit area, nature provides a gentle reminder that things that are beautiful can sometimes also be venomous.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you want to see a bit of “The Outback” without going to Australia? As you leave the main exhibit area take a detour to the right and visit a part of the aquarium sponsored by the Australian Trade Commission.

 

 

I am not sure I am impressed by one of it's welcoming spokesman but he does seem to take a liking to my Canon Rebel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Headed Python

 

 

 

Although I never tasted it while visiting Australia a few years ago, I get a close up of the fish some Aussie's rave about.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think I might have a tough time getting this Barramundi on my plate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starting life as a male he might just get along well with the California Sheephead although for some reason the aquarium keeps them quite separated. Maybe even changing sexes over a lifetime still does not make it any easier to understand the opposite sex.

 

 

Fresh Water Alligator

 

 

 

Eastern Carpet Python

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earlier seeing the California Sheephead, I had some hope of a ground breaking relationship discovery. Leaving The National Aquarium, my disappointment is comforted by the fact that I only paid $5 for an enjoyable marine life education.

 

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