Until 2005, the focus of the Tennessee Aquarium was solely on freshwater ecosystems. That changed with the opening of a second building on the campus, this one devoted to the world's oceans, Ocean Journey. It could easily serve as a stand alone aquarium (I've been to aquariums that I've enjoyed less), though it does come across as a lot more "typical" and less unique than the original, freshwater building. Still, this building does house most of the more popular, crowd-pleasing species of the aquarium, and certainly as its devotees.
The top floor of the second building (like the first building, we begin at the top and work our way down) is home to a rainforest habitat under skylights similar to those of the Appalachian Cove Forest. This forest, however, is the home of ring-tailed and red-ruffed lemurs, which can cross between habitats using an overhead tunnel system. In keeping with the aquarium's commitment to rare chelonians, the lemurs also share their habitat with radiated tortoises; a variety of (non-Madagascar) fish inhabit the moat of the exhibit. Interactive features of the floor include a walk-through butterfly habitat (with chrysalis chamber on display) and a stingray touch tank.
Visitors will be especially drawn to the sub-Antarctic penguin exhibit, home to Gentoo and macaroni penguins in a fairly typical habitat. Much of the rest of Ocean Journey is standard marine aquarium exhibits, featuring many of the commonly-seen fish and invertebrates. I especially liked the Japanese spider crab exhibit, which featured pop-up bubbles reminiscent of those often seen in prairie dog exhibits. The spider crabs are a part of Boneless Beauties, an invertebrate gallery, which also includes jellyfish and giant Pacific octopus. This invertebrate display is often supplemented with glass artwork from Chattanooga's Hunter Museum of American Art (I always enjoy it when zoos and aquariums form partnerships with other local cultural and educational facilities). I also got a kick out of the seahorse exhibit; I recalled reading about the Tennessee Aquarium's seahorse breeding program years ago in the book Poseidon's Steed, one of my earliest introductions to the facility. There is also a small island gallery, which mostly serves as an opportunity to display some terrestrial reptiles, as well as a coastline exhibit with cascading waves hammering rocky cliffs.
The largest exhibit in both the ocean building and the aquarium itself is Secret Reef, the aquarium's obligatory shark tank. Styled after the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico, the nearly 620,000 gallon tank houses a variety of what I like to think of as "the usual suspects" that feature in most aquarium big shark tanks - headlined by the ever-popular sand tiger shark - as well as non-releasable sea turtles. What set Secret Reef apart for me compared to many aquarium shark tanks was the viewing. At most facilities, you get a big window into the tank. Here, the visitor instead snakes alongside the tank, getting periodic glimpses through caverns and crevices. I actually liked this approach better in some ways - it made viewing more intimate and created lots of senses of surprise and discovery, rather than taking in the entire scene in one glance. I also appreciate it when zoos and aquariums try to tie their exhibits to a specific habitat, rather than some nebulous wild place.
Outside, yet another building houses an IMAX theater. The Tennessee River itself is steps away from the aquarium, with beautiful views available. It's well worth a walk, especially if you're a history buff - not only can you learn about Chattanooga's mercantile history, but the city features prominently in both the Trail of Tears and the US Civil War. The Aquarium itself offers daily tours of the Tennessee River Gorge on its 65-foot catamaran.
Aquariums, much more so than zoos, have a tendency to be somewhat repetitive and monotonous - there are only so many ways that you can house a fish, after all. And, as much as I enjoy aquariums in any capacity, it makes me all the more appreciative when I visit an aquarium that's very different or unique from the rest. Monterey Bay Aquarium is one such facility, with its unique collection and beautiful exhibits, as well as its robust research and discovery programs. Tennessee Aquarium, while much less-celebrated, impressed me just as much as a unique, extraordinary aquarium. It may not have the scale and grandeur of the Shedd Aquarium, or the big-name species of the Georgia Aquarium, but it has a unique collection that it supports through involved conservation work. It's focus on the freshwater makes it an aquarium like few others in the country, and one which I highly recommend seeking out.
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