As I strolled through the facility, it occurred to me that Museum would have been an apt title to keep in the name of the Aquarium. I don't think I've ever seen an aquarium that seemed to have such a scholarly focus. One of the first takeaways I had of the building was how light it was - all the better to read the signage. Of which there was a lot. And, I might add, of excellent quality. Nor were the educational materials limited to signs. There are interactive devices, such as one the replicates the tides and waves, models of animals that are too hard to keep or preserve, and preserved specimens of others. Among the later was a small (five foot or so) great white shark, which as far as I can recall is the only one I've ever seen (I've never seen a live one). There's also a laboratory open to the public and an excellent library, which was unfortunately closed during my visit, as I'd loved to have browsed it.
It's considered common knowledge in zoos and aquariums that no one reads signs and that educational features are never utilized. Perhaps, but in Cabrillo (which was fairly crowded that day), I saw lots of people reading them and interacting, so maybe visitors are more intellectually curious than we give them credit for being.
Cabrillo's collection is limited to the species native to the immediate area, and only consists of fish and invertebrates - no sea turtles, no shorebirds, no marine mammals. Most of the tanks are of a fairly small size, which makes sense given the size of the inhabitants. There aren't the massive ocean tanks that are seen in many larger aquariums, so no grand vistas of coral reefs or kelp forests (there is a tidal pool touch tank, one of the staples of virtually all aquariums). Instead, these tanks offer smaller, more intimate views of sea life. The emphasis of the collection also means that, instead of the handful of marine species which are so often displayed at so many aquariums, there's a unique variety of creatures that aren't typically seen. I don't pay as much attention of fish and inverts as I do mammals, birds, and herps when visiting facilities, and don't keep as careful of a count of new species, but I know that I saw several new species within the first few minutes of exploring.
Among these was a species which is closely associated with the history of the aquarium, the grunion. These tiny little silversides have a unique breeding ritual which sees the fish crawling onto the beach itself. It was the fascinating life cycle of these local fish which initially led to the interest in the aquarium. It's one of the coolest fish behaviors I know of, and I had no idea that it even existing until I visited this place. Leopard sharks may be the star of the aquarium in the eyes of most visitors, they're big and beautiful, after all, but I've seen those in dozens of places. This was something new and exciting for me - as were many of the other strange fish and invertebrates here.
I love big, fancy aquariums and zoos which pull together creatures from around the world. But there's also something to be said for a facility like Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (which I have come to think of as the aquatic version of the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum) that focuses on its own backyard and on the education of the visitors. There's less grandeur and overawing magnificence in its exhibits or animals than at the big facilities. Instead, there's a special peek into a smaller, more unseen world that many of us would never suspect existed.
No comments:
Post a Comment