And as I mentioned couple days ago, I visited Baltimore with my niece and nephew recently and while there, we also toured the aquarium.

The 2 million gallon aquarium is home to over 600 species of fish, rays, sharks, and other marine life, including birds, penguins, amphibians and reptiles.

The aquarium is split into several major sections and levels. Some of the more interesting include:

• Atlantic Coral Reef -  This area is most children’s favorite stop, as they get to visit with their pals, Nemo, Marlin and Dory. Adults can marvel at the more than 500 colorful salt-water fish. Check out the strong-jawed triggerfish, the cute hovering cowfish and the psychedelic Mandarin fish.  Walk inside the ring tank and watch larger fish swim by, seemingly with somewhere important to go.
• The quarter million gallon Open Ocean tank is home to larger sharks, that lets visitors walk inside the circular tank, giving you the feeling you are in the water, as you come face to face with infamous man-eaters.
• Wings in the Water – stingrays, skates, turtles and small sharks can be viewed from above or below water level.  Try to catch the periodic feeding by scuba divers. And look for the rescue turtle, missing one of its front flippers.
• Maryland: Mountains to the Sea, covers the Chesapeake Bay region from tidal marshes to the fishing and crabbing industry.
• Amazon River Forest – See some of the worlds largest river fish of the Amazon.
• Surviving through Adaptations – Shows people how fish adapt to survive form built in fishing lures, electric eels and fish that create their own light.
• Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extremes – Take a tour of the land down under and the great barrier reef.
• North Atlantic to Pacific – Watch puffins play on a simulated Atlantic sea cliff, and check out the undersea kelp forest and Pacific reef.
• South American Upland Tropical Rain Forest – Poisonous frogs,
  man-eating piranhas, sloths, birds and monkeys all play in the rainforest.

And don’t miss the entertaining Atlantic bottlenose dolphins show, and if you want to remain dry, avoid the “splash zone” (the first few rows). 

The National Aquarium
501 East Pratt Street at the Inner Harbor
Baltimore, MD 21202

Dates and Times - Friday, March 23rd – 4:30 p.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Tickets - Adults – $21.95, Seniors – $20.95, kids 3-11 – $12.95, add $2.00 – $7.00 for including the dolphin show, the 4-D Immersion Theater or both. Timed tickets can be purchased online, avoiding any ticket counter lines, or sell outs of sp

Parking – Paid garage/lot parking is available in the area, for around $14.00.

Images – from personal collection – ©2008, Jon Rochetti 

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Post from: The DC Traveler

This private sleepover includes dinner, snacks and breakfast the following morning, as well as a behind-the-scenes tour of how they feed and care for sharks and rays, and a private walk on the catwalk just inches above the shark tank.

Sponsored by Things To Do DC, this event is geared towards young professionals. You’ll need to supply your own (warm) sleeping bag as you’ll be sleeping on the carpeted floor of the aquarium.

The world-class aquarium houses more than 600 species of fish and marine life, birds, amphibians and reptiles and its multiple marine tanks hold 2.2 million gallons of water.

Overnight Sleepover with the Sharks at the National Aquarium
The National Aquarium
501 East Pratt Street at the Inner Harbor
Baltimore, MD 21202

Date – Friday, March 23rd – 4:30 p.m. – 9:00a.m.

Cost – $130, reservations are available online.  Space is limited.

Photo credits: all photos courtesy of The National Aquarium __________________________________________________________

Post from: The DC Traveler