The WAIKIKI AQUARIUM - A Nice Respite From Beach Activities

The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Exhibit is the Waikiki Aquariums first new exhibit in 6-years. The Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, which includes the chain of 120+ islands and atolls that string some 1200 miles to the northwest of Niihau, is home to over 7,000 marine species, a quarter of which are found nowhere else on Earth. The 4,000 gallon display will feature many species of fish rarely seen outside of this protected area.

The Waikiki Aquarium...3rd oldest aquarium in the country.

The Honolulu Aquarium, as it was known when it opened in 1904, was a state-of-the-art facility with 35 tanks and 400 species in its collection and was proclaimed to have the finest collection of fishes in the world.

"Waikiki Aquarium entrance"

Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons.

Its tradition as a research facility began in 1912 with a donation from the C.M. Cooke Estate for a marine biology research laboratory. When its lease expired in 1919, the Cooke Estate ceded the Aquarium's property lease to the Territory of Hawaii and operations were turned over to the then newly formed University of Hawaii.

In 1949, the Territory Legislature funded construction of a new aquarium to the south of the original structure and in 1955, the Waikiki Aquarium opened. This is the building that I originally visited back in the 60's and which still stands today. The 1990's brought a focus on more naturalistic exhibits that focused on the marine life of Hawaii and the western Pacific, as well as significant renovation of the facilities, and in 2000 the Aquarium was designated a Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center of the Coastal America partnership.

During this period they instituted the coral propagation program, for which the Aquarium is now world-renowned. The purpose of this program is to supply aquariums and researchers world-wide with live coral specimens while protecting coral in the wild. The ultimate goal of the program is to reach the point where they can re-introduce corals back into the wild to help propagate dying reefs.

The Waikiki Aquarium Houses Six Main Areas:

• The Corals Are Alive: Hawaiian coral reefs are unique in that they are geologically young reefs and are the most geographically isolated reefs in the world.
• The Galleries at the Aquarium: highlight the aquatic communities of the tropical Pacific and Hawaii.
• The Edge of the Reef exhibit is a 7,500 gallon (28,400 liter) outdoor exhibit that recreates a typical Hawaiian shoreline.
• The Hawaiian Monk Seal is one of the world's most endangered marine mammals.
• The Ocean Aquaculture display focuses on the raising of a Hawaiian favorite, the "moi", aka Pacific Six Fingered Threadfin (Polydactylus sexfilis).
• The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Exhibit

The Waikiki Aquarium also offers a number of educational and fun activities and events for the family. These range from night viewings of some of the nocturnal residents in the aquarium to exploring the nearby tidal pools. The seahorse exhibit takes viewers behind the scenes at Waikiki Aquarium to talk about the care and feeding of seahorses. Or, you might want to get involved with NOAA's Ocean Exploration Curriculum Workshop or the Marine Educators' Night at the Waikiki Aquarium for adults.

So, while the Waikiki Aquarium may not rival its larger counterparts on the mainland in size, it still warrants a visit if you have any interest in the local sea creatures and the many conservation efforts being led by this University of Hawaii operated facility. What it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in its world renown status!

And, its one of the most affordable attractions that is also walking distance from most Waikiki hotels. Admission for adults...$9; for locals (kama'ainas), seniors (65+), and active military...$6; youths (13-17) or those with a disability...$4; juniors (5-16)...$2; and children (4 and under)...FREE. Open 9:00 to 4:30 pm daily; closes early at 2:30 Thanksgiving Day; closed for the Honolulu Marathon and Christmas. Located at 2777 Kalakaua Ave., call for more information, (808) 923-9741.

Check the actual information on the website: http://www.waikikiaquarium.org/

By Randy Yanagawa Article Source: EzineArticles

---

---

Did You Know How Much Fun Your Family Could Have at the MAZATLAN AQUARIUM?

Great Family Fun at the Mazatlan Aquarium

The Mazatlan Aquarium (Acuario Mazatlan) is a great place for your family to visit while vacationing in Mazatlan. While it's not big or fancy, it offers several aquarium tanks with a large variety of marine life, including the Ocean Tank which is the largest in Latin America. In addition, it also has several entertaining shows like a tropical bird show, seal show, shark diving show, and several other attractions.

Photo: Aquario Mazatlan

New Ocean Tank makes a great aquarium experience

The Mazatlan Aquarium (Acuario Mazatlan) has several large tanks which display a large variety of different types of marine life. But the most impressive is the new Ocean Tank. Completed fairly recently (in October 2008), it allows a view into the depths of the ocean, housing many different types of ocean life all living together as they do in the ocean.

Because of the large size of the tank (1,600,000 liters of water), it has room even for large sizes of marine life, like sharks, sea rays, and giant sea turtles.

Other shows and exhibits are the icing on the cake!

Diving Exhibition - in the Shark Tank!

Enjoy the excitement of watching a diver enter directly into the tank with the live sharks. He also interacts with the turtles and other large sea creatures. And to top it off, he teaches how scuba diving equipment works (You just might get the itch to take some scuba diving classes as well while you're in Mazatlan!).

Tropical Bird Theater

This is true entertainment for you and your family! The show consists of a group of tropical birds (Macaws and Cockatoos, along with their trainers) singing and dancing to prove just how intelligent they really are.

Seal Show

The Sea Lions are also delighted to put on a good show for you! In the water and in the air (with plenty of splashing in case you wanted to get wet yourself), Bony, Toby, Cili, Ely, Lili, and Tito know how to move!

What's really special is that each of these sea lions were rescued. They arrived at the aquarium with different injuries, and the Aquarium staff nursed them back to good health and trained them to do the show.

And More!

There's also a botanical garden to explore, crocodiles that you can watch, and a frog habitat.

All in all, the Aquarium is sure to be a fun event for your family during your vacation in Mazatlan. If nothing else, do it as a break from the beach and sun.

By Larry Flathmann Larry Flathmann helps families to enjoy vacations together in Mazatlan. For more tips and useful info about the Mazatlan Aquarium, including photos, contact info, hours, and links to reviews, see the full blog post http://elrancho.com.mx/blog/mazatlan/family-fun-at-mazatlan-aquarium.html Article Source: EzineArticles

---

---

BERLIN's Many Zoos And Aquariums

Berlin Zoo is a very attractive park, lying to the east of Berlin. Here, great attention has been paid to the various habitats so that they complement the surroundings and enrich the lives of the animals who live in them. To the west of Berlin lies the city centre zoo, Germany's longest operating zoo, in which a very large number of animals of various species live. These two zoos are the result of years of division in Germany, when it was split along east/west lines. When the country was unified, the zoos lived on. Between the two of them, an amazing number of species can be seen which you would be hard pressed to see anywhere else, making this city a must-visit for lovers of animals.

Main entry of Tierpark Berlin Deutsch: Haupteingang des Tierpark Berlin
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Zoo Aquarium is more than just an attraction to entertain all the family - it is also playing its part in conservation, with a wealth of animal life spanning more than 9000 individuals from nearly 800 species, spread across a mix of vivariums and aquariums. The wonder starts immediately when you walk in the door - in the lobby is the ornamental koi carp, who love being given food and gently stroked. On the same floor live a stunning variety of fish (including jellyfish, cow nose rays and black tip reef sharks) and corals. On the 1st floor are the reptiles, where the crocodile hall (the world's first public vivarium) has been entertaining the public for nearly a century now. A variety of lizards, turtles and boas, to name just a few, also live here. On the upper floor are the insects and amphibians, including the amazing leaf-cutter ants display. Here you can see the ants carrying the leaves through long transparent tubes between the terrariums.

The Tierpark Berlin, Europe's biggest zoo spanning several hundred acres, is renowned for its success in breeding elephants - welcoming 15 babies since 1999. Approximately 7800 creatures, representing almost 900 species, live here. They include unique species such as sun bears, Indian giant flying foxes, lemurs and red and black varis, which live in habitats such as the Hummingbird-Crocodile House, Afrikanum, Tropical Hall, Snake Farm and Vari Forest. The zoo has been showing animals to the public since the mid 50s, when it was located at Friedrichsfelde Palace, dating from the late 17th century. Since 2009 the palace has again been subsumed into the grounds of the zoo and is a venue for regular events, such as concerts.

From the moment you walk through the Elephant Gate entrance of the Zoological Garden, which consists of two elephants holding up two massive columns, under a ceiling which features carvings and paintings, you know you are somewhere special. It was the country's first zoo, opened in the late 19th century and today is home to about 16000 animals from 1500 species. There are hippo, predator and nocturnal houses, and Europe's biggest aviary. The aquarium features a huge variety of sea life, such as piranhas, coral fish, and sharks.

At Sea Life aquarium, thousands of sea creatures such as jellyfish and sharks can be seen in a carefully recreated habitat. Some of them even enjoy being stroked! The building is designed and constructed so that one feels they are going on an underwater trip, following the Spree River to the Atlantic Ocean, before spanning out to the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Over 5,000 animals live here. The AquaDom is the world's biggest freestanding aquarium, served by a glass elevator which lets you see shoals of exotic fish swimming in 1,000,000 litres of saltwater.

By Christine Brookes Christine Brookes writes for various travel journals and websites including Hotel Reservations Global where best prices for hotels in Berlin can be found in a range of hotels in Germany. Article Source: EzineArticles

---

---

BALTIMORE AQUARIUM

The Baltimore Aquarium, opened in 1981, is world-famous, and is Baltimore's leading tourist attraction. Built on the Inner Harbor, the National Aquarium is located within a triangular glass building that is a Baltimore landmark. The Aquarium provides cultural, recreational, and educational experiences that meet the needs of various communities. The aquarium is a major factor in the economic revival of the region; it has created jobs and demonstrated a viable model of business profitability. 

National Aquarium, Baltimore, USA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Aquarium blends naturalistic exhibitions with the most modern interpretive techniques, enthralling visitors by highlighting the beauty of the aquatic world and soliciting an emotional response in visitors, and the awareness that all of us have a responsibility towards the environment.

Exhibits create a natural-looking environment for all varieties of species. Specimens are carefully selected, and explain biological concepts in an interesting and accurate way. 

The collections have a representation from diverse worldwide habitats. The exhibits start with samples of marine life from local waters, followed by eye-to-eye views of sharks, dolphins, rays, stingrays, sea turtles, bullfrogs, phytoplankton, iguanas, puffins, poison dart frogs, and other tropical fish among the more than 10,500 creatures in naturalistic exhibits, including a simulated rainforest ecosystem, and regularly scheduled dolphin shows. 

The admission charge is a bit expensive and there is often a long wait to get in, but the visit is worth it. Even disabled people can visit the aquarium through a separate entry.

Of all the aquariums of the country, the Baltimore Aquarium is rated No. 2 with the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, California at No. 1. The Zagat score rates the Baltimore aquarium at 26, the Camden Yards are rated at 25; the Maryland Science Center is at 24; the Baltimore Zoo is at 23 and the American Visionary Art Museum is at 22. The Baltimore Aquarium is also available for rent; it's an ideal place for corporate events, banquets, and special celebrations. Whatever the reason for the visit, the Baltimore Aquarium is sure to win everybody's heart.

By Alison Cole Baltimore [http://www.z-Baltimore.com] provides detailed information on Baltimore, Baltimore Aquarium, Baltimore Inner Harbor, Baltimore Hotels and more. Baltimore is affiliated with Atlantic City Casinos [http://www.z-AtlanticCity.com]. Article Source: EzineArticles

---

---

Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA)

The Association of Zoos & Aquariums was established in 1924. Known simply as AZA, the organization is not for profit. It is dedicated to ensuring all of the animals at the various zoos & aquariums have the very best elements in place. They have strict guidelines for the way these animals are to be cared for. They offer their accreditation only to those locations that continually strive to follow or exceed those guidelines. 

Fishes in Aquarium (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This type of accreditation is very important. People that visit zoos and aquariums are very interested in the efforts for wildlife conservation. They won’t frequent a place that doesn’t uphold the very best of standards. Not having such an accreditation can prevent a zoo or aquarium from getting the animals they want. This can result in lower attendance too because they don’t have the main attractions that appeal to large audiences.

The AZA is also very involved in educational programs that promote the well being of animals. They like to make people of all ages more aware of the impact that animals have on our own lives. They want them to be aware of how their own actions can be a positive or negative impact on such animals. This is why so many zoos and aquariums allow schools to bring in bus loads of children for field trips on a regular basis. The images of what is taking place and the educational materials can be planted into their young minds for them to carry with them as they become adults.

AZA takes any complaints from employees and guests at zoos & aquariums very seriously. They will take the time to look into such issues and explore the options for effectively resolving them. They will also randomly send representatives out to the various zoos & aquariums to make sure they are indeed doing thing correctly.

AZA continues to develop and implement better ways to house the animals at zoos & aquariums. They want to give them the best environment to live in that is reflective of their own. They also want to ensure people are able to get a good view of these animals. Safety is a very important part of making sure both people and animals can enjoy the atmosphere at a zoo &  aquarium.

---

---

Take a Dive Into a Marine Wonderland - MELBOURNE AQUARIUM

Dive into a wonderland of underwater fun, while at the Melbourne Aquarium. Commonly known as MAQ to locals this wondrous attraction is the most recent addition to the school of aquariums in Australia as well as the most state-of-the-art.

Melbourne Aquarium view near the Queens Bridge (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Melbourne Aquarium is home to over ten thousand exotic sea creatures and synonymous with the MAQ tagline, there is "Always Something New to Sea". Home to many beautiful animals, the main attractions of the Melbourne Aquarium's Underwater Zoo are the King & Bentoo Penguins and Broadnose Sevengill & Grey Nurse Sharks. Other splendid sea creatures include Weedy Seadragons, Big Bellied Seahorses, Eleven Armed Sea Stars, Green Moray Eels, Moon Jellies and much more.

This marine wonderland in Melbourne includes an array of activities for visitors. A truly amazing journey, the Melbourne Aquarium offers a complete interactive experience to visitors, both young and old. With group tours for every age and category be it a group, senior visitors, corporate tours, family tours or even glass bottom tours, MAQ has it all for you. If you prefer a more interactive, take a dive with the sharks and other marine creatures or even indulge in 'Hands on Activities'. The Melbourne Aquarium also offers educational programs for Kindergarten children and adults, such as "An Aquarist for a Day", "Smart Water", "A Watery World in your Classroom", "Melbourne Aquarium's Underwater Zoo IMAX adventure" and much more.

Apart from the interactive activities and educational programs, the Melbourne Aquarium Underwater Zoo has more to offer. Partake in the 360 degree Oceanarium filled with sharks stingrays and walk through the tunnels while viewing the live feeding session occurring twice a day. Also, indulge in the likes of the Great Barrier Reef display, Australian Billabongs, touch tanks and simulator rides to thrill each and everyone one.

This wondrous location offers an array of function spaces to host functions along while in the company of marvellous sea creatures. Whether it is the Fishbowl or the Coral Atoll, or even the entire aquarium, guests are sure to experience an event like no other.

Taking visitors to a land like no other, the Melbourne Aquarium and its Underwater Zoo truly offers a marine wonderland to indulge on while in Melbourne. With serviced apartments such as the Somerset Gordon Place, indulge in the comfort and warmth of staying in Melbourne serviced residence catering to all your needs and wants and visit the many attractions nearby.

By Naveen Marasinghe Naveen Marasinghe is an e-marketing executive at eMarketingEye(Private) Ltd. eMarketingeEye is an search engine marketing company offering integrated Internet marketing solutions, specializing in serving the online travel and hospitality industry. Article Source: EzineArticles

---

---

BEIJING (Peking) AQUARIUM

Covering an area of 120,000 square meters, Beijing Aquarium is the biggest aquarium equipped with the most advanced facilities in Asia, and it is located in Beijing Zoo with Beijing Exhibition Center and Beijing Planetarium to the south, which combines recreation, popular science education with tourism perfectly as one.

"Beijing aquarium". Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons.

The aquarium is trumpet shell-shaped with blue and orange colors as background, fully representing the vast ocean and the infinite vitality of the marine creatures, and there are over 50,000 fishes available in the aquarium. Beijing Aquarium is composed of six theme exhibition areas, namely, the Tropical Forest Wonder, the Touch Pool, the Undersea Loop, the Shark Hall, the Dolphin-Whale Bay and the Oceanic Theater.

It seems as if you were in the mysterious Amazon Primitive Forest when walking past the winding path, vivid rockery, tumbling waterfalls, the old bridges, the gentle streams and exotic sculptures in the Tropical Forest Wonder, and there are 22 tanks collecting different kinds of fishes from the oceans and the freshwater rivers scattering among the "forest" and "rocks", including Blood parrot fish, sea elephants, giant salamanders, and anglerfishes. The simulated coastline in the Touch Pool is 48 meters long, where you can touch various marine creatures in person, including sea hedgehogs, sea anemones, starfish, soldier crabs and horseshoe crabs, and you can also walk on the "white sand beach" and listen to the murmuring of the sea waves here.

The main exhibits in the Shark Hall include white-tip sharks, tiger sharks, white sharks and Carcharhinus melanopterus, where the interactive activities are available at regular time in the forms of Man Dancing with Sharks and Feeding Sharks, creating an happy atmosphere for the visitors. The Dolphin-Whale Bay is the home to many marine creatures, where the clever dolphins practice their dancing postures and the clumsy sea lions play with the balls, receiving one ripple of laughter after another from the visitors.

The Oceanic Theater affords a romantic Hawaii-style seafront view and it can accommodate 3,000 visitors, which is the favourite of the children, and the main performances include Rocket & Flying Man Performance (two dolphins lifting men to a great height with their mouths as if launching a rocket), Dolphins Dancing with Man Performance and Dolphin Heading Balls.

The attractions nearby Beijing Aquarium include Beijing Zoo, Great Awakening Temple, the Phoenix Mountain, Capital Indoor Stadium, the Fragrant Hill Park, the Ruins of Yuanming Garden (the Old Summer Palace), Azure Cloud Temple, Chinese Millennium Monument and Baiwangshan Forest Park.

By Young M Qingwei I am a professional writer to write articles on tourism, and more information about Beijing Travel and Beijing Aquarium are available in my service. Please free free to ask any question on tourism, and your questions are always welcome. Article Source: EzineArticles

---

---

---