Zoo Review: OdySea Aquarium, Part II

Continuing the exploration of OdySea, visitors descend to the second floor.  The journey is carried out through a tunnel-enclosed escalator, which passes through a large tank of small sharks, rays, and other fish.  It’s a cool experience, but not, perhaps, the best opportunity to really observe the animals.  For that, visitors can step off the escalator and take a seat at the Deep Ocean Theater, where they can rest and watch the marine life cruise by through giant windows.

Next, visitors will pass through a room of conventional aquarium tanks, featuring species that do best housed alone or in small community groups, such as lobsters and seahorses.  At every aquarium I’ve been to, a lot of focus is placed on the massive tanks of sharks and sea turtles and schooling fish, but I feel that these smaller jewel-case exhibits can be a lot more fun and can provide a more intimate view into the lives of smaller, secretive fish and invertebrates.  Perhaps the most popular of these is the giant Pacific octopus display.  Continuing down the hall, the path leads through a tunnel that passes through a Great Barrier Reef display, before coming to a halt at what is likely the most memorable encounter of the facility.

OdySea Voyager is billed as “The World’s Only Rotating Aquarium Experience.”  That’s not entirely accurate.  The aquariums themselves don’t rotate.  You do.  Taking your seats in a theater-like room, your narrated tour slowly circles through four large marine habitats, stopping at each for a brief educational presentation.  The twenty-minute tour is free with admission to the aquarium.  The first stop features goliath groupers, stingrays, and other large fish.  The second houses non-releasable sea turtles, with a focus on how these turtles came to be under human care.  The third displays California sea lions; the sea lions are visible only underwater; presumably the land portion of their environment is above the eye level of the theater.  And then, as a grand finale, the last tank displays the sand tigers and other sharks.  Of the four exhibits, only the sharks are visible without going on the ride (though some sea turtles may be seen in the Deep Ocean tank – the one that the escalator goes through).  The sharks can be watched through windows just outside the theater… and, of course, from the bathroom.

I will admit, as cool as the experience was, I wish that the OdySea Voyager did allow visitors to experience it at their own pace.  There were some exhibits that I wished I could move through more quickly, and others that I would rather have spent more time at.  Also, it would have been nice to have the chance to opt in or out of the cartoony, very much made-for-kids narration, in which we are supposedly on a submarine exploring the ocean depths.   It also would be cool to have the opportunity to see the sea lions on land – they are marine mammals, to be sure, but land is still an important part of their lives that it would be good for visitors to be able to observe their behavior above the surface.   I know Voyager is the aquarium’s signature exhibit and I’m sure that many kids love the ride, the thrill of watching new habitats slowly glide into view while they watch from their seats; maybe some even really get into the narration.  I also feel, however, that different visitors process and interpret exhibits their own way, and it would be nice to allow them the opportunity to experience these animals at their own pace (to their credit, the aquarium is also unique in being certified for its autism inclusiveness, showing that they are being mindful of the needs of various guests).

Especially compared to zoos, were in somewhat of an aquarium renaissance now, with new facilities under construction around the country.  Many are fairly small facilities, such as the SEA LIFE Aquariums.  Others, like the soon-to-open facilities in St. Louis and Gulfport, Mississippi, are massive.  Even among these, OdySea certainly has made a splash (pun intended) with its innovative, interactive exhibits.

OdySea easily took its place as one of the most memorable aquariums I’ve seen.  I did find myself wondering about the sustainability of maintaining such large aquatic habitats in the desert.  It is a new aquarium, and that’s the thing about sustainability – you find out if it works as you go.  At the same time, that’s probably what makes OdySea so special.  Americans living in the middle of the desert can now get a peek into the world under the seas.  Based on the rave reviews they’ve received, their future seems bright, and talks of expansions are underway.

None that include dolphins, of course.

OdySea Aquarium