Ocean voyager, Journey with Giants

The big tank. The really big tank. I mean, this tank is so big. How big is it. We spent at least an hour here at the different viewing stations. Later on we came back to see it again, and overhead went a school of 25 or more rays. They looked to be 2-3 feet across. How could I have not seen them in all this time? They were off somewhere else in the tank. It is the size of a football field. It is tall (or deep) and it has something like 100,000 fish in it. And still has room to swim around.

You start your journey into this tank with a tube walkway that has fish to the left, over head, and to the right. Not just a couple of fish, but thousands of fish. They must like the lights in the clear tube. They are right there, eyeball to eyeball. And overhead is a continuous show of amazement. Huge sharks, rays, all kinds of fish swim overhead. and then, the sky darkens, and vague shape off in the watery distance slowly takes shape. It is one of the monstrous whale sharks. Following behind comes the other one. You have to see it. It can not be imagined. Lots of people just camp out here. Stroller parking is everywhere with kids looking and talking and being totally emersed in the experience. It is something for all ages.

Bear in mind, this is all around you. It is hard to remain standing.

Once you break yourself away from here, you get teased with some bubble shaped openings into the big tank. Great sights can be seen. Lots of people here, all oohing and aahing. Then a short walkway, the lighting is dimmed. You hear the theme music going in the background. You round a turn and are struck dumb. It is all you can do to slide to the side so the person behind you can get nailed too. It takes a moment to comprehend exactly how incredibly huge the window into the big tank is. There is room to sit, with these great big steps down to the base of the tank. People everywhere, cameras everywhere, I never want to leave. One magical moment after another swims past. The two monster whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, all kinds of rays, largetooth sawfish, bowmouth guitarfish and thousands of other fish are in you viewing range all the time. When some swim out of sight, another set swim in. Be sure to get some pics of the giant grouper surrounded by the golden revally. He is such a ham. He will swim right up to the crowd, broadside for perfect focusing, and just hang. He is going to be a favorite for years to come.
When you finally manage to stop taking pics here, switch to the video camera. It actually will take it all in better than your camera. But nothing can truly convey the sheer magnitude of what you are seeing.

You might think that leaving this gallery would have you jaded to anything else. Think again. After seeing the biggest, we went to the next gallery, which had some of the smallest and most sedintary of the exhibits.