Visiting Ripley's Aquarium - III

an article by Carli Flenniken

     Next came the Shark Lagoon.  It’s probably impossible to explain accurately without actually seeing it! It is the largest “tank” in the Aquarium…and even describing it as a tank seems wrong somehow!  It holds nearly 750,000 gallons of water and is home to the largest animals in the aquarium. The top is open, and no matter where you are in the aquarium you seem to have a view overlooking it. Underneath this mammoth tank runs a 379-foot acrylic tunnel.

     This ugly but intriguing character, a jewfish (Epinephelus itajara), was the first to greet us in the tunnel. These fish can grow up to 8 feet in length and can weight over 700 pounds. Jewfish have been known to charge divers.

     Several species of Moray eel were present, shown above is a huge Green Moray (Gymnothorax funebris).

     After several attempts to photograph the sawfish (family Pristidae) and being unable to get far enough away to capture the entire body of the animal resting above my head, I laid down in the tunnel to get this picture. Luckily, it wasn’t very crowded yet and not many people had to walk around me!

     What would the Shark Lagoon be without sharks? This sandtiger shark (Odontaspis taurus or Eugomphodus taurus or Carcharias Taurus) is immediately recognizable by its exposed teeth and fierce appearance. It is the largest shark in the Aquarium, capable of attaining sizes of over 10 feet. Nurse, Sandbar, and Atlantic and Pacific blacktip sharks are also displayed.

     This Green Sea Turtle (Chelonea mydas) was spotted on several occasions in different locations on our trip through the tunnel. I feel fortunate to have seen him for long enough to photograph, as he is the only one they have at the moment!

     Another intimidating looking fellow in the Shark Lagoon is this barracuda (genus Sphyraena). We witnesses a short domestic dispute between two members of this school, it was quite a sight!

     Continued in next page