Feature: Canada's biggest aquarium exposes mystical underwater world
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E-mail Xinhua, December 2, 2013
Whether it's the unusual sleeping habits of the wobbegong sharks, or simply the beauty of dozens of jellyfishes gathered together in a tank, it's safe to say there's a certain universal appeal to the mystical underwater world.
With Canada's largest Ripley's Aquarium opening last month in Toronto, aquatic lovers of all ages have been flocking to the new family attraction to take in the 16,000 marine animals featured in tanks across the 135,000 sq. ft space right by the CN Tower.
The aquarium's general manager Peter Doyle said with nearly 40, 000 visitors coming in every week and lineups outside becoming the norm, they've even had to extend their operating hours to accommodate the high volume of people.
"I find that aquariums appeal to young children and senior citizens," said Doyle. "Three generations can come to the aquarium and have a shared experience, which is very difficult these days."
And it's not hard to understand the fascination and curiosity to see the 450 species they have out on display, Doyle said.
"People are mesmerized by the oceans and love seeing sharks and rays up close, and the aquarium allows you to see this green life, especially the large ones (like) sawfish, sea turtles up close," he said. "Closer than you would see if you were actually scuba diving, and it's a clean, safe environment."
The 50 live exhibits and 10 galleries start off with a look at the Canadian Waters gallery, which has 17 tanks displaying aquatic animals from "Canada's own backyard." There, visitors can get a glimpse of some hundred-year-old lobsters, and blue, white and orange lobsters, a giant pacific octopus and much more.
There are also the Shark Reef and Perfect Predator galleries which showcase the largest shark collection in North America, with 12 different species including sand tiger, zebra, and wobbegong sharks.
But the one that offers the best view to various species is the Dangerous Langoon gallery, which has the largest tank in the aquarium. The football length viewing tunnel combined with a moving sidewalk allows visitors to take in the beauty as they move along.
"You see our sawfish sleeping right on top of the acrylic tunnel, the sea turtle swimming by and the sharks, and it's all very harmonious and it's all very peaceful," Doyle said. "I believe that really is what makes the aquarium special."
For those who haven't been to the aquarium yet have mostly likely seen photos of their most popular gallery of all, said Doyle, who pointed out their jellyfish exhibit as a visitor favorite.
"You go on social media and you see it's (the Planet Jellies exhibit) our number one photo that's uploaded," he said.
Four jellyfish species, namely the pacific sea nettles, moon jellies, upside down jellies and spotted jellies, are displayed in the world's largest kreisel tank made specifically for them. The changing LED lights reflecting onto the jellyfish combined with their elegant movements creates a mesmerizing sight for visitors who often end up sitting on the benches in front of the tank for hours, said Doyle.
Sara Smith, one of the four marine biologists caring for the jellyfishes at the aquarium, said there's a certain mysteriousness that makes them particularly fascinating.
"It's not necessarily something you get to see a lot of, and it 's a little bit of a mysterious animals because they're not only surviving, but they're also thriving without a brain or any kind of organs that we typically think you need to survive," she said. "I think people are really fascinated by that."
Besides ensuring the tanks are in pristine condition, Smith is also responsible for feeding them two to three times a day. One of the most important tasks she has is to observe their feeding behavior and make sure they're all getting the same amount of food, which in her case, isn't too difficult.
"The cool thing about jellyfish is most of them you can actually see their stomachs," she said. "So you can actually tell if they're eating or if they're not so it makes it a lot easier to tell which ones we need to target a bit more."
For those who aren't satisfied with just looking at the aquatic animals from behind a glass can also get their hands wet with over a hundred interactive displays, some of which even allow people to pet sharks. Of course, they're the smaller ones like the white- spotted bamboo sharks which grow to roughly one meter in length.
Grace Hunter, who educates people who come to pet the bamboo sharks, said there are two sections in the tank: one where the sharks go when they're feeling friendly, and another where they go to rest.
"They can move back and forth," said Hunter. "If they are getting a little tired and want to rest they can move to the back section. I don't let people touch them there. And if they want to be pet they'll come to this front section to interact with people. "
Caring for such a large number of aquatic animals isn't an easy task. Doyle stressed that it's made possible with the help of 24 aquarists on staff, and a life support system with over 93 pumps and filters that turns the water over every two hours. It's a lot of hard work, but he believes it's all worth it in the end.
Besides sending a strong educational conservation message, Doyle said he's hoping it'll also give visitors a glimpse of the beauty Mother Nature has to offer.
"If we can just make just a little difference in how they think about, whether it's recycling or reusing things, and appreciate Mother Nature and all the things that go around the world, we can make a difference," he said. "You know every small difference makes a big difference globally." Endi
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