A visit to the Georgia Aquarium

We have only been twice before and we really need to go more. The kids love it and the photo opportunities are everywhere!

I honestly don’t know where to start and right now it is more about the pictures then anything I can tell you about the visit other than the kids had a blast and I can’t wait to go back and shoot a lot more – hopefully with less people -

This guy loves the attention, everywhere Brandon moved the turtle was sure to go.

My favorite room in the whole place! I could sit for hours and watch the fish and watch the people and watch the people watch the fish!

From the Georgia Aquarium website: The whale shark is found in tropical and warm temperate seas worldwide. It is considered the largest fish in the world. Despite the name, it is a shark not a whale. The largest individual that was accurately measured was 40 feet 7 inches long. There is a report in 1925 of a 60-foot whale shark, but it is undocumented.

A whale shark can be recognized in the wild by its size and the two-toned pattern of light spots on its dark gray back. Its mouth is huge and can reach four feet across. This shark is not a threat to people because it feeds only on plankton, small fish and squid, which it filters from the water through its gills.

From the Georgia Aquarium website: Nandi is the first manta ray to ever be in a United States aquarium, making Georgia Aquarium one of only four aquariums in the world to house them. Nandi was rescued from shark nets off the coast of Durban, South Africa and rehabilitated by uShaka Marine World, the largest marine park in Africa. She has lived in uShaka for the past year, educating and inspiring conservation in more than 500,000 people.

Manta rays are the largest rays in the sea, but Nandi was very young and small when she was rescued at just eight feet across. In just one year, she doubled in weight and outgrew her 580,000 gallon exhibit. In order to raise world-wide awareness about manta rays, Georgia Aquarium and uShaka created an international partnership to bring Nandi on a 9,000-mile journey from South Africa to her new 6.3 million gallon home in the world’s largest exhibit, Ocean Voyager.

It is not all about the fish! These guys, if I remember correctly are part of the Georgia Explorer, Discover our coast exhibit. They were pretty mellow and either slept or swam back and fourth.

I would really like to get back soon, with a few less people and spend the day shooting a lot more!