When I visited Denver’s Downtown Aquarium last year, some of
the literature that I read boasted that it was the biggest aquarium between the
Mississippi River and the West Coast. I
suspect that the literature might have been a little out of date. In 2016, Scottsdale, Arizona (just outside of
Phoenix) made a splash with the opening of OdySea, an enormous new
aquarium. With over 2 MILLION gallons of
water in its exhibits, it is the largest aquarium in the very arid
southwest. For visitors hailing from the
desert regions around Phoenix, OdySea is a transport to an entirely new world.
Before we begin the tour, however, a moment to address the
cetacean in the room. The quickest way
to annoy a staff member at OdySea? Ask
about the dolphins. You see, OdySea is a
part of an entertainment complex which also, until recently, featured a dolphin
facility. The dolphins were sent away
and the facility shuttered after a series of deaths. The dolphins were not a part of OdySea, which
hasn’t stopped the aquarium from getting a lot of flak from people about
them. I don’t know, but to me it feels
like going to a mall food court and complaining to the staff at Taco Bell that
your Whopper (purchased at the Burger King next door) was awful. So, in conclusion, no matter how you feel
about dolphins in aquariums, there are not and never were any at OdySea (I’m
only emphasizing this because I feel a great swell of sympathy for whoever
manages their facebook page and has to politely and patiently answer this
question several times a day).
Even compared to zoos, aquariums tend to be somewhat
formulaic – the same animals in the same types of exhibits. I think the reason that I’ve always loved the
Shedd Aquarium is that it felt so different from other aquariums to me. Well, OdySea is in a different class as
well. Open entering the building, you
are greeted by a series of massive, globular aquariums hanging from the
ceiling. It’s as close to being immersed
in water with water as you can get without getting wet. Oh, and make sure you use the bathroom before
you start your tour.
At most aquariums, I wouldn’t think to mention the
bathroom. Here at OdySea, they are
spectacular, officially ranked “America’s Best Restroom”. Both restrooms on the first floor have
windows into the main shark tank, which means that if you glance up while
washing your hands, you could find yourself eye-to-eye with a sand tiger shark
cruising silently past you. Of course,
if you were in a bathroom and suddenly confronted with a shark, maybe a toilet
would be a safer place to be stationed.
Side note: I’ve never been so not-weirded out to be in the bathroom and
suddenly have everyone else in the room pull out their cameras.
Heading up the escalator, you will find yourself in the
freshwater section of the aquarium. Here
you can admire endangered native trout in an exhibit by the Arizona Game and
Fish Department, meet the sturgeons in a touch tank, and watch small
crocodilians and turtles above water and below. The collection is an impressive selection of
river fish from around the world, including piranhas from South America, blind
cavefish, and paddlefish swimming beneath the wheel of a recreated
millpond. Terrestrial side exhibits
feature toucans, parrots, and sloths, who double-function as ambassador animals
– if the exhibit seems empty, just keep strolling, because you might suddenly
find yourself meeting the animal elsewhere in the building. The freshwater section cumulates in an
exhibit of Asian small-clawed otters, which can be observed swimming below the
surface, frolicking on land, or snoozing inside their den.
Continuing along the hallway, there is a stingray touch
pool. Past that is the exhibit for
African penguins, with a small seating area providing a theater-like view of
the birds swimming underwater. Like an
increasing number of zoos and aquariums, OdySea offers penguin encounters as an
educational feature and revenue generator.
Small groups can arrange to have access to the penguin exhibit,
accompanied by a staff interpreter to learn more about the black-and-white
birds. Having worked with penguins many
times I passed the opportunity by, but there happened to be a group in session
when I was passing the exhibit, and I have to admit, watching them briefly made
me smile. I’ve spent so much of my life
with zoo animals that sometimes, to my embarrassment, the encounters seem
almost commonplace to me. It’s good to
see someone else from outside the field experience moments like this sometimes
and recapture a little bit of that wonder and magic. For a keeper or an aquarist, meeting a
penguin or touching a stingray is… well, Tuesday. For a visitor, it can be an experience that
they remember for the rest of their lives.
Past the penguins, an escalator descends back to the ground
floor of the aquarium – but not the exit.
Here, there is an entirely separate floor of animals and exhibits to
explore – including one of the most innovative aquarium experiences I’ve ever
seen. To be continued...
No comments:
Post a Comment