Sometimes it is a rainy day on vacation and what better way to spend the day then at the Georgia Aquarium. It is one of the top five, if not the top aquarium in the country. It is housed in a building, in the shape of a large steel and glass slatted bow of a boat. You enter by stepping down an outdoor staircase shaped in a half-circle or an outdoor amphitheater. You enter through the haul of the steel boat. When you get to the bottom, be ready to empty your pockets and open up your backpacks. There is a light security search with a metal detector. I always have to remind my kids to keep their hands at their sides while going through the metal detector. Prepare to be delayed during the busy times. They have rows of ropes set up for heavy lines. They were completely empty when we arrived because, we decided to head there early and take advantage of the early entrance discounted ticket prices. I’m always up for saving $5 and not dealing with busy crowds. It is also great if you have a kid that needs a little extra space and quiet.
You enter through a very calm dark cavernous hallway surrounded on both sides by large silvery fish swimming in a school. Adding to the fun was a diver with a suction cup and sponge cleaning the walls of the aquarium. As you turn the corner, the room opens up into a two-story mall like atrium. There are large signs leading to the different areas of the aquarium. This can be completely overwhelming to a typical kid as well as a sensory sensitive kid. Be prepared and run towards the nearest opening with a large sign. Most of the areas at the aquarium have lower ceilings, low lighting and are much more calming than the large atrium.
They have a Tropical Diver area that focuses on the coral reefs around the world where you can see jellyfish and starfish. There is also a River Scout area that focuses on the rivers around the world and where you can see piranha. Another fun area is the Cold Water Quest. Here you can see a Beluga whale, Pacific Ocean otters (they are the big ones), African penguins, and puffins. There is a large whale skeleton in this area giving you the feeling of being on the floor of the ocean.
One of the highlights of the museum is the Ocean Voyager area. This is something you can’t see anywhere else in the states. It is the largest single aquarium tank in the country with four whale sharks, that were saved from being dinner in Thailand. They have learned a lot by spending time and watching the whale sharks, but they still have no idea how they breed or how they deliver their life young. It is believed whale sharks can deliver up to 300 young. Remember they are sharks not mammals. It is all theoretical at this time. There is also a manta ray with a wing span over 18 feet. The manta ray is originally from South Africa, where it was caught in a net and can’t be released back into the wild. This is where you can walk through a glass tunnel and look up to see the fish and sharks above you. Half of the walkway is a conveyor belt to move you along, but you can also walk on the right. At the end of the trail through the Ocean Voyager area there is a small amphitheater where they have a volunteer at the aquarium to explain what you are viewing in the tank. There is a railing in the back to lean on or carpeted steps to sit upon. It is dark and mostly quiet, except for the volunteer on the microphone.
Make sure you watch the schedule for the Dolphin Celebration show in their main arena. They had two shows the day we visited. Get there at least a half an hour early for the early show. They have multiple Marine Biologists that work with their Dolphins. This was a show worthy of SeaWorld. They also have a splash zone that consists of the first ten rows. Yes, we sat in the splash zone in the fourth row (but there was no row in front of us). We had our rain jackets because of the weather outside and they came in handy, because you will get wet. They made sure of that. They had a lot of interaction with the audience: the preshow announcer was engaging the crowd; a dolphin trainer invited a child from the audience to interact with a dolphin during the show; and near the end multiple dolphin trainers invited some of the kids down to dance in a circle with the dolphins. There was a strict rule of no video or photography during the show. The arena is indoors unlike the shows at Seaworld. It can be very loud during the show, and there is a lot of clapping to the music and loud music. There are quiet moments, but you need to be prepared for the loud ones.
There is also a sea lion show at the aquarium at Pier 225. It is another smaller Seaworld equivalent show. They even have a set that replicates the California pier environment. The sea lions at the aquarium were rescued from the California Pacific coast area in 2015. Sometimes animals just can’t survive in their natural habitat, so they are taken in by aquariums across the country and used to educate marine biologists. It is also a great way for us to learn to appreciate an animal that we wouldn’t be able to get to know any other way. How can you not fall in love with their playful attitude?
Like most museums, they have a 4D movie available to view and they have a virtual reality experience for an additional cost. The day we went they had a 45-minute wait for the virtual reality experience. We usually skip these activities due to the cost times five. Sometimes museums will have package deals with your admission, but the Georgia Aquarium didn’t provide that on this trip. If a museum does have a new 3D educational movie that is making the rounds, we will try to catch it. They can be really entertaining, and you will learn a couple of new things about the past, present or what is to come on this earth that we call home. These movies can be a little slow at times for younger kids around preschool age. They may have exciting high pace moments, but there will be slower contemplative scientific moments.
Our last experience was the Café Aquaria. Be prepared to spend $15 per adult and around $10 per child. It is a lot to pay for the quality of the food. The Hot Buffet food is your best bet but you pay by the ounce. We placed a conservative amount of food in our small trays and still spent from $10-$15 per person. The special for the day was inedible. There is very limited seating on the lower level but there is additional seating upstairs in the atrium. It is crowded during lunch time on the weekend and it is competitive to find a place to eat. The day we were there they opened up the Oceans Ballroom, which is upstairs and past the traditional eating area in the atrium. If you need a quieter space head upstairs and toward the ballroom to see if it is open. If at all possible, I highly recommend scheduling your day around eating outside of the aquarium.
If you need help deciding if this is for you, feel free to contact us about your sensory or cognitive disabilities. We would love to help you with your questions. comments@twoweeksayear.com
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