I have been fascinated with fish since childhood; I used to have pet goldfish and guppies. I tended to them – tank cleaning, feeding, water changing, the works. Their colorful selves and fluid movements attracted me. But all I ever knew and saw were these personal fish tanks at people’s homes or some semi large ones used as decorations. I never knew such official aquariums housing millions of sea life even existed. Until I saw a tiny portion of the Dubai Aquarium and was stunned.
The first and only one that I visited full fledged is the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago when I took a trip to Chicago to visit my friend and went for a Chicago sightseeing day.
On The Shores of Lake Michigan
The location of the aquarium itself is a stunning one – on the shores of the beautiful Lake Michigan. The day was a gloriously sunny day with gusty breeze from the lake. We did try to book tickets online but unfortunately that was only available for Chicago residents (at that time atleast or we were looking in the wrong place?) and we stood in line. The wait wasn’t too long and we bought were soon inside.
Tip: Tickets can now be booked online here.
The Amazing Diversity of Sea Life
The aquatic ecosystem is so diverse and astounding! The Shedd Aquarium opened my eyes to the truly enthralling world of underwater. There were seahorses and sea-dragons with transparent paper thin fins and bodies, corals housing plethora of organisms, jellyfishes, seawater fishes like angelfish, clownfish, freshwater fishes like paddlefish, sturgeons, starfish, octopus, and many many more.
Then there were the shellfish, turtles, sea otters, sea lions and the reptile section – which I did not visit because I am terrified of them, unlike my childhood! There were those utterly cute creatures – penguins! And, last but not the least – sharks! – feared but revered.
The Whales and The Dolphins
Two of the best parts of the visit though, were the Beluga Whales and the Dolphin show. The beluga whales are cared for by dedicated staff of the Shedd Aquarium. It was such fun watching them frolic around and play and interact with human beings.
The Dolphin show was about a 10-15 minutes’ show where trained dolphins danced to music, showed their tricks and entertained us in general in tandem with their trainers. It was such a remarkable event!
The 4D Show
There were a few 4D experiences to choose from – we chose the Coastal Predators show. It was a novel experience where, apart from the realistic feel using 3D glasses, the chair vibrates, there’s water squirting, wind blowing – all to create that full lifelike atmosphere.
Care and Conservation
Shedd Aquarium takes the conservation of nature and care of creatures very seriously. At the time of our visit, the aquarium had several larger-than-life sculptures made entirely of plastic waste from oceans! The aim was to raise awareness of the harmfulness of plastic and just how much we are polluting the ocean – home to these magnificent creatures.
They also:
- Rescue and rehabilitate animals – turtles, belugas, penguins
- Contribute towards research which benefit these creatures.
- Have an animal response team who work with conservation partners.
I am doing my bit by raising awareness through this post via Blogchatter’s Cause A Chatter campaign.
