Zoo Review: Oklahoma Aquarium, Part II

Continuing the tour of the Oklahoma Aquarium, we now come to the galleries dedicated to Oklahoma's aquatic life.

Oklahoma is - as signage in the aquarium frequently reminds us - a landlocked state.  Even so, it possesses an enormous and impressive array of freshwater life, including fish, reptiles, and amphibians.  One species which many folks may be surprised to see is the American alligator - the species has a toehold in eastern Oklahoma, making it the northwest limit of the range.  The exhibit here features smaller specimens.  Much larger and more visually impressive is the colossal alligator snapping turtle.  Signage claims that the individual on display here is actually older than the state itself (Oklahoma gained statehood in 1907).  There are also exhibits of smaller native herps, including banded watersnakes, which the aquarium hopes will encourage visitors to learn the difference between this (harmless) species and the venomous cottonmouth, which it is frequently confused with.  

In a unique exhibit/interactive features, there is a large pool of mixed-species smaller freshwater turtles, which visitors can have the option to help keepers feed.

The rivers and lakes of Oklahoma also hold a variety of fish, including some truly gigantic species.  I'm not a fish-person per se, but I always enjoy seeing those two prehistoric-looking freshwater monsters, the alligator gar and the American paddlefish.  The species that interested me the most in this section, however, was the gargantuan blue catfish.  Actually, it wasn't even so much the catfish that caught my interest as it was the sign on the exhibit, which described the practice of noodling.  Noodling consists of shoving your bare arm in a catfish hole, waiting for the catfish to bite onto it, and then yanking it out - attached to your arm, of course.  From the size of the individual shown here, I wasn't entirely sure that the average fisherman would be able to pull that fish out for dinner - more like vice versa.

I was considerably less impressed with the Ozark Stream, a trio of mammal exhibits that featured beaver, raccoon, and North American river otter.  They all struck me as fairly small and lacking in complexity.  On one hand, I've seldom gotten as good of a view of a beaver - either on land or swimming at the underwater viewing window - as I've gotten here.  On the other... where else would it have gone?  The otter exhibit was somewhat unusual, consisting of a tall cylindrical tank that the otters would dive into the top of, spin around, and then jump out.  It felt like they were mostly doing it for lack of options to go anywhere else.  The aquarium has a large lawn outside by the playground, sloping down towards the river.  It would be nice to see some of that space used to create larger, more naturalistic outdoor habitats for these species.  Maybe they could even add additional habitats, such as an outdoor exhibit to facilitate housing larger alligators, or an aviary for waterfowl and other aquatic birds of Oklahoma.

Towards the back of the building is the aquarium's signature exhibit, and a deviation back away from the Oklahoma theme, Shark Adventure. The exhibit consists of a walk-through tunnel curving through a habitat of rarely-seen bull sharks.  Famed both for their aggression and for their tolerance of freshwater, which allows them to pop up in some unexpected habitats, bull sharks aren't seen often in aquariums - I've only seen them before at Dallas World Aquarium, and I believe those individuals are now here in Jenks.  One thing that struck me as a little odd about the bull shark tank was how barren it seemed - signage stated that the aquarium wanted the tank to be easy to clean to minimize the amount of time divers had to spend in the water with the potentially dangerous species.  I'm not sure how beneficial a complex tank is to bull sharks - which swim continuously - one way or the other.  It felt a little lacking compared to most large shark tanks I've seen, but most of those exhibits at other aquariums have also housed other fish besides the sharks, so was the complexity there really meant for the other species, to give them places to feel secure?  I don't know.  The bull sharks did share their tank with nurse sharks, which do spend more time resting at the bottom of the tank.

Smaller, more tractable bamboo sharks, as well as rays, can be found in a touch tank nearby.

I overall enjoyed Oklahoma Aquarium, appreciating its unique exhibits and collection, good signage, and charming atmosphere.  My main quibble (which I won't call an unsubstantial one) is aimed at the trio of mammal exhibits, which I firmly believe could be done better (or, if outdoor exhibits aren't possible for some reason, perhaps consolidate into one large otter exhibit).  The aquarium is not currently a member of AZA; along with SeaLife Mall of America in Minnesota, it's the largest aquarium I've been to that isn't a member.  I hope that they do consider joining up at some point (after addressing the mammal exhibits).  I feel AZA could benefit from having additional facilities to work with, while the aquarium could benefit from having more resources and expertise to draw from.  That said, it was still an impressive facility, and I'm glad that I stopped by on that stormy evening.