The exhibit descriptions will be shortened more than usual but hopefully they can be understood. Unless I'm specific about it, the base of every tank is placed at waist high and also almost every single tank is built within the walls. Anything labelled red represents a completely new species to the complex and orange represents a returning animal back on display. Green represents an already present species that was moved into another exhibit. Anything, again unless stated, in a list without a comma means that the species coexist. This list is around 99% complete, with only two species missing from the list. If there was a change since November 2015, then it is mentioned. I apologize if there are any mistakes.
Enter this uniquely designed building as you are surrounded by hanging statues of threatening sharks such as the blue, hammerhead, and the great white shark. To the right corner there is a 25 ft high humpback breaching into the air as the statue settles in perfectly with a full scale mural of the Arctic terrain. Water flows from its pectoral fins and drops into a coin pond. I believe this pool once held horshoecrabs.
Buy your tickets, enter the gate, and venture down into an escalator. At the bottom, you are annoyed with one of their sales photographers that attempt to trap you into taking a much overpriced green screen set photo (I was recently one of them). The entrance to the galleries is 10 ft away from your last foot off the escalator and your adventure has immediately begun as you walk under a beautiful (but old) sea turtle statue.
Small hallway - Two identical medium sized tanks - one on each side
Sand Dollar
Green Severum
Enter into the first gallery
World Rivers
Opened up originally as the aquarium's first exhibit and has rarely changed since its opening. The room/gallery path goes into a small circle and leads to the next room.
Two medium sized, non-adjacent tanks
1. Australia:
Goyder River Rainbowfish
Bleher's Rainbowfish
Dwarf Rainbowfish
Red Rainbowfish
Boeseman's Rainbowfish
Threadfin Rainbowfish
Lake Kutubu Rainbowfish
2. Licking River:
Bluegill
Emerald Shiner
Longear Sunfish
Creek Chub
Fathead Minnow
Shorthead Redhorse
Rainbow Darter
Greenside Darter
Four medium sized tanks - cubed shaped with one of the corners facing outwards - giving view of two windows per tank. The first two are filled up halfway with water
1. Mata Mata
2. Underground Rivers:
Blind Cavefish
Electric White Lobster
3. Mekong River:
Pearl Gourami
Moonlight Gourami
White Cloud Mountain Minnow
Snakeskin Gourami
Redtail Sharkminnow
Zebra Danio
Dwarf Botia
Herlequin Hasbora
4. Rio Negro:
Cardinal Tetra
Marbled Hatchetfish
Emerald Catfish, Discus
Rummy-nose Tetra
Red Humped Eartheater
Scalare Angelfish
Panda Corydoras
Medium, open topped tank that lies on the floor, in the center of the room - the shape is a perfect circle but guests my only go around 75% of it
Lake Malawi:
Chambo
Cichlids
Mbuna
Kampango
Medium sized wall tank
Congo River: Silver Disichodus, Longfin Tetra, Gray Bichir, Longbelly Buffalo Head Cichlid, Koskiahven Cichlid, Snakefish, Sixbar Distichodus, Angel Sqeuaker, Clown Squeaker, Barred Bichir, Lionhead Cichlid
Last exhibit - semi-large lengthy tank
Lake Tanganyika:
Blunthead Cichlid
Lemon Cichlid
Brown Julie
Humphead Cichlid
Many-spotted Catfish
Moore's Lamprologus
Brichard's Cichlid
Yellow Calvus
Enter into the next gallery - in between the two however, is a very short tunnel tank
Caribbean Tunnel:
Lookdown
Florida Pompano
Porkfish
Cottonwick Grunt
Pinfish
Mutton Snapper
French Grunt
The Shore Gallery
Also part of the aquarium's opening and has rarely changed since.
Short height, but somewhat lengthy tank - placed on a pedestal - chest high
[EMPTY] - But occasionally will hold juvenile species such as horshoecrabs, spider crabs, Vermillion sea stars, etc.
Medium sized tank - above and underwater viewing
Salt Marsh:
Diamondback Terrapin
White Mullet
Medium size - cubed tank with two walls viewable to guests - above and underwater view
Tidal River:
Largescale Foureyes
Diamond Tetra
Medium size - above and underwater view
Mangrove Forest:
Shuttles Hoppfish
Silver Moony
Jarbua Terapon
Medium size tank - filled up halfway
River Delta:
Spotted Archerfish
Featherfin Squeaker
Asian Upside-down Catfish
New Guinea Snake-necked Turtle
Two identical, medium sized non-adjacent tanks
1. Eelgrass:
Atlantic Spadefish
Sheepshead Minnow
Atlantic Bumper
Striped Killifish
2. Reefs:
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Achilles Tang
Snowflake Moray
Raccoon Butterflyfish
Stripey
Indian Sail-fin Surgeonfish
Indian Mud Moray Eel
Large, long tank - features a simulated shore with timed waves - base at the floor - above and underwater view
Queen Coris
Yellow Tang
Sally Lightfoot Crab
Surge Wrasse
Red Anemonefish
Golden Damselfish
Across from this is a touch tank zone. The exhibit features one long, rock formed tank designed for children to interact with live animals - shaped in a semi circle
Atlantic Horseshoecrab
Leather Sea Star
Green Anemone
Channled Whelk
Ochre Sea Star
Sea Cucumber
The next room is a separate attraction that does not lead to the next gallery, but it is rather a sneak peak of the Surrounded by Sharks tank. The main view of the SBS attraction is through a long tunnel but here you can view all of its inhabitants ( and 40% of the tank) through the aquarium's second largest viewing window. This area is called Shark Ray Bay. The viewing area is very large and is filled with benches facing the tank. This area originally opened up as what would be slightly known today as a "4D Experience", although it was just a video presentation on a projection. The deck of a simulated pirate ship took up the right wall and settled high into the corner was an animatronic pirate that gave the presentation. The video screen was placed over the tank window and when the video ended, it would be lifted - revealing the tank. In my opinion, even if it were to be 18 years-old to this day, I was very disappointed in the aquarium for getting rid of this idea. One more to add to the list of reasons why the aquarium no longer captures my interest.
Exit the room and finish viewing in the Shore Gallery
Very small, elevated tank settled within a drawer structure
Mandarin Dragonet
Fire Shrimp
Yellow Prawn-Goby
Medium/large tank - last of the room
French Angelfish
Harlequin Bass
Spanish Hogfish
Queen Angelfish
Bermuda Blue Angelfish
Yellowtail Fusilier
Blue Chromis
Royal Gramma
Enter into the next gallery but like the first one, the two are divided by a small tunnel tank. This was formerly a tank for many green moray eels - now it is labelled:
A Forest of Algae and Animals
Swell Shark
Brown Rockfish
Northern Red Anemone
Striped Seaperch
Ochre Star
Wolf Eel
Barred Sand Bass
White-spotted Anemone
Next gallery
Seahorses: Unbridled Fun
The aquarium's second newest attraction that was formerly known as the Bizarre and Beautiful gallery. It was renovated and re-designed many times but due to it's quick disappearance and lack of animals, it was eventually replaced with "the world's most interactive seahorses exhibit". This is the second largest room in the complex, fit with a very tall ceiling, a couple of large tanks, and even a 30 ft tall mural of a plesiosaurus - which was there from the beginning. This area was also home to their octopus, an animal that guests constantly complain of its absence.
Two semi large, cub shaped tanks connected by tubes that allows animals to venture between the two - placed in the center of the room where guests may walk all around it - designed for an octopus
Black-striped Pipefish
Opossum Pipefish
Semi large, convexed tank
Barbour's Seahorse
Many-banded Pipefish
Semi large coral reef tank
Trumpetfish
White-spotted Surgeonfish
Yellow Tang
Clown Anemonefish
Flame Angel
Six-lined Wrasse
Small, convexed tank
Dwarf Seahorse
Razorfish
Medium sized tank
Ribboned Sea Dragon
Large, corner tank - can be viewed from two angles (originally designed for Japanese spider crabs)
Big-bellied Seahorse
Medium sized, short height but lengthy tank
Snipefish
Very large, narrow tank placed in the far corner of the room - this is not necessarily part of the attraction. This tank was once designed as a living coral reef representing the Red Sea, however, the tank was completely emptied of all structures and now contains hundreds of:
American Paddlefish
Pass massive murals of the Plesiosaurus, Oar Fish, and Great White into the next gallery
Dangerous and Deadly
Opened with the aquarium - this area too has died down as a result of removing many structures that added to the creative based theme. The ceiling once dangled with models of sharks, a skeleton and a diver to imply that he is in grave danger. Even the hallway was once filled with original, jaws like music that even gave me the chills until I reached high school. The attraction is composed of identical wall tanks and flows through two hallways.
Semi large tank placed on its own wall - original home of their electric eels and gars
Fly River Turtle
Tami River Rainbowfish
Boesman's Rainbowfish
Lake Kutubu Rainbowfish
Kamaka Rainbowfish
Left wall - three identical, medium sized tanks
1. Caribbean Spiny Lobster
2. Red Lionfish
3. Honeycomb Eel
Sapphire Devil
Bluering Angelfish
Pinecone Fish
Talbot's Demoiselle
Black Triggerfish
Kole's Tang
Semi large, lengthy tank - filled up 75% of the way - angled to lead guests into the next hallway
River Ray
Spectable Cichlid
Black Barred Myleus
Silver Arrowana
Silver Prochildus
Redhook Myleus
Pleco
Green Severum
Right wall
Two identical tanks to the left wall
1. Gila Monster
Chuckwalla
Colorado River Toad
2. False Water Cobra
Semi large tank angled towards the next hallway
Red Piranha
The next hallway of the Dangerous and Deadly gallery has only three tanks lined up along the left wall.
1. Medium tank filled up halfway: Borneo Sheath Fish
2. Semi large, long tank, also filled up halfway:
Electric Eel
Royal Pleco
Bushynose Pleco
3. Medium tank, built like a terrarium:
Northern Copperhead
Stinkpot Turtle
Eastern Box Turtle
Gator Alley
In the next room (and one exhibit in the same hallway) starts the aquarium's third newest attraction - Gator Alley. This area originally opened up as Turtle Town, Ohio Riverbank, and Gator Bayou - in 2014 they were combined to create one of the country's greatest collection of crocodilians. The smaller tanks took up Turtle Town, Mighty Mike, the largest gator outside of Florida, took up the entire Riverbank tank (I miss this as well), and alligators once again take up the former Gator Bayou exhibit. Since this attraction's new opening, the species list has changed dramatically from displaying crocodilians to showing smaller reptiles with crocodilian names.
Medium sized, curved tank - above and underwater view
Chinese Crocodile Lizard
Small, highly elevated (above my own head) tank
Tentacled Snake
Two very small tanks placed on top of each other - these are also elevated
1. Red-eyed Crocodile Skink
2. Anderson's Alligator Newt
Medium sized, curved tank
Ringed Sawback Turtle
Very large (not for his species) exhibit designed to be a cabin settled on a lake. There is a small sandy beach and a "fishing dock".
American Alligator - Mighty Mike
Channel Catfish
Red Swamp Crayfish
Medium sized terrarium
Texas Alligator Lizard
Medium/small vertically based terrarium - looks naturally built in the wall
Green Tree Python
Medium sized terrarium
Red-footed Tortoise
Semi large habitat with a shallow underwater view
Caiman Lizard
Large, almost an attraction of its own, area with the habitat placed underneath the guests. This was also designed to look like a cabin built on a lake. It is complete with very tall, fake, marshy trees and a full scale wetlands mural to go along with the theme. The viewing area is a small bridge that goes through the center of the exhibit, and runs over top the pool. Most of this bridge's flooring is composed of see through glass guests may walk over.
American Alligator (Albino)
Onward to the next attraction, aka, the annex part of the aquarium
Frog Bog
The Frog Bog was built and added to the in 2008 and is known as the aquarium's most interactive attraction. Essentially this is the "children's zoo" of the place. The setting and the design is striven to capture the minds of children using light up signs and graphics that may be found in a children's book. It is complete with an entire play set/vertical maze (there also used to be frog tanks in it as well), audible frog statues for kids to climb, and even a "Feet On" interactive frogger game.
Oddly, almost unexplainable shaped tank. It is knee high, and placed at the bottom of a 'story book illustrated' graphic of a waterfall - meant to represent a creek. Essentially is a full view of a curved cube habitat
Spiny Softshell Turtle
American Bullfrog
Semi small, vertically based tank
Prehensile-tailed Skink
Solomon Island Frog
Two small terrariums placed nearly on top of each other
1. Tiger-legged Monkey Tree Frog
2. Fire-belly Toad
Semi large, longer terrarium
Red-eyed Tree Frog
Green and Black Poison Dart Frog
Blue Poison Dart Frog
Splash-backed Poison Dart Frog
Bumblebee Poison Dart Frog
Anthony's Poison Arrow Frog
Small tank built within (but displayed outside) the play set
Axolotl
Medium sized, semi-spherical tank
Greater Siren
Medium semi circular tank, can be viewed from above and the side
Brown Mantella
Green Mantella
Two vertical based terrariums. The first tank is designed to look like the corner of a house
1. Grey Tree Frog
2. Amazon Milk Frog
Small tank, next to the entrance of the play set
Clown Frog Fish
Exit
Stingray Hideaway
This is the aquarium's newest attraction and the fourth one to take over in this specific area. This, also being part of the annex, was added in the late 2000's and opened up as the Hidden Treasures of the Rainforest Islands. The room is very large, and is the only area that natural light to flow through the aquarium's exhibits. It first featured small-clawed otters, Burmese pythons, and a free flight aviary of hundreds of colorful lorikeets. It was arguably the complex's greatest exhibit, and guests complain daily online that there are no longer otters (I agree with them). This lasted for a few years and eventually all of the animals were transferred. It was changed to The Rainforest, and featured two albino alligators, Snowball and Snowflake. A dwarf crocodile eventually replaced one of then. Those gators can now be found in Gator Alley. It was then changed to Turtle Canyon, and exhibited a fly river turtle, Galapagos tortoise, Indian star tortoise, Thunder, the alligator snapping turtle, a turtle touch area, and an eastern box turtle. Not long after that… it was then renovated for Canyon Falls - aka - the return of the otters. It also featured a panther chameleon, a yellow tree monitor, and Denver once more. The otter exhibit, the largest one in the room, was completely bulldozed in order to make room for this new attraction.
Large, open-topped tank with a shallow (guest perspective) underwater viewing. Guests of all sizes are able to crawl through the center of tank, with the animals swimming above them - there is a even an enclosed tube that allows visitors to nearly stand in the middle of it.
Cownose Ray
Southern Stingray
Lookdown
Permit
Green Palometa
Florida Pompano
Small, open topped tank connected to the ray tank - this is also a touch/interactive exhibit
Coral Catshark, Epaulette Shark
Large glass fronted exhibit - pool takes up half of it and even has an underwater view
[EMPTY] - Future Iguana exhibit
Exit
Amazon
Formerly known as the Amazon Flooded Forest, is a very large tank viewable through a tunnel - the third of five. The designers did a good job turning this into an Amazon theme, giving the water a deep green tint. When the tunnel comes to a curve, it also features two flat glass viewings, and a circular window above the heads of the guests.
Arapaima
Arrau Turtle
Black-finned Pacu
Green Pike Cichlid
Banded Leporinus
Striped Headstander
Chocolate Cichlid
Big-tooted River Stingray
Immediately connecting to the Amazon is...
Coral Reef
This is the aquarium's fourth tank that is viewed strictly by wondering through a tunnel. It may not be the best exhibit but it certainly is the most colorful and arguably offers the most beautiful design. When I think of this tank, I simply think of bright, natural light. Last year, it featured a zebra shark and Sweet Pea's (bowmouth guitarfish) second generation of pups (they didn't do so well).
Cownose Ray
Hippo Tang
Peacock Hind
Eyestripe Surgeonfish
Bicolor Angelfish
Bluespine Unicornfish
Powderblue Surgeonfish
Silver Moony
Honeycomb Moray
Gold-spotted Spinefoot
Red Anemonefish
Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse
Spotted Unicornfish
Pacific Double-saddle Butterflyfish
Semicircular Angelfish
Sailfin Snapper
Yellowtail Tang
Chocolate Surgeonfish
Convict Surgeonfish
Orangespine Unicornfish
Lined Surgeonfish
Spotted Knifejaw
Sohal Surgeonfish
Lemonpeel Angelfish
Sailfin Tang
Raccoon Butterflyfish
Bignose Unicornfish
African Moony
The next gallery is called…
The Gallery
Renovated in circa. 2007 as the Southeast's largest jellyfish attraction, the gallery once had a spectacular collection and was designed to create a calming setting. Over the years the exhibit started to fall. The animals were constantly being moved around and were being taken off display within days. Soon, out of the seven tanks, only two or three consistently contained animals - sometimes not even jellyfish. Now, it is a simple attraction that just makes you want to walk right through it - I have faith though the aquarium will turn it into something amazing once more.
Two semi large circular shaped tanks - both tanks have octagonal framing
1. GloFish Tetra
GloFish Danios
2. Black Skirt Tetra
Zebra Danios
Identical exhibit on the opposite wall
Red Lionfish
Short height but long tank
Orange Anemonefish
Copperband Butterflyfish
Surrounded by Sharks
The next exhibit is the largest, longest, fifth and final tunnel in the aquarium. This is also the largest attraction you'll come across. There are three short but still well lengthed connected tunnels that slightly come to a bend. There are two small, flat windows on each side, a circular window above, and one of, if not thee largest floor window panel that can be found in any aquarium. In the last part of the aquarium basement, there are two bubble windows that peer into the tank. The tank in total hold 300,000 gallons of manmade saltwater. This is also the same tank as Shark Ray Bay as mentioned earlier. This recently held Hammerhead sharks - but they have since "disappeared". Their Sandbar shark has recently passed as well.
Very large tank - every inch of the exhibit can be seen within the tunnel - the most shallow part is around 9 ft and the deepest part (under the glass floor) is 20 ft
Bowmouth Guitarfish
Blacktip Reef Shark
Sandtiger Shark
Nurse Shark
Zebra Shark
Southern Stingray
Honeycomb Whiptail Ray
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Giant Grouper
Barred Flagtail
Grey Snapper
Nassau Grouper
Arabian Angelfish
Black Triggerfish
Five-lined Snapper
Silver Moony
Ocean Surgeonfish
Emperor Snapper
Semicircular Angelfish
Sohal Surgeonfish
Three Spot Damselfish
Orange Epaulette Surgeonfish
Porkfish
Bluestriped Grunt
Schoolmaster Snapper
Sergeant Major
Obicular Batfish
Exit the tunnel - there is one final, medium sized glass window that gives view of the right side of the tank. Among this next hallway are graphics of their caught but recently non-existent Hammerheads. From the beginning of the aquarium's run, there has been a hanging hammerhead along the wall, where guests can compare their height/length with it. Along the entire left wall makes up a spectacular mural of a 20+ ft Great White. This hallway leads to the entrance of Sharky's Café - the main stopping station in the building for guests to rest. If you enjoyed your time well enough, this is the appropriate place to follow the bypass and start the aquarium all over again. But if you'd like to continue, head to the right and are met with:
Shark Central
This is set in a small room - a renovated addition to the aquarium as their first major guest interaction based exhibit. I believe this area was once home to a stingray nursery according to an old map - but I don't ever recall its description. Before the new Seahorse, and Stingray Hideaway attractions, this was the key place for children to interact with animals (not counting the touch pool). In one corner there is a hanging, single person hammock that checks your weight and compares it to a shark's size on a diagram above you. If you’re a healthy adult, you would compare to a Shark Ray. If you are 500lbs and above, you compare to a great white. Along another wall is a large interactive board that shows the simple anatomy of a shark. Without the light, a photo an animated shark just appears. When a button is pressed, the screen brightens up and their insides are revealed one section at a time. The next part of this small room and also the most important is the main tank itself. Like typical touch tanks, there is always both a shallow and a deep end for children to pet animals and for those animals to have a chance to flee. The tank is quite small, and it is shaped almost like a backwards 'P'. Both ends have underwater viewings and their sizes are based on the area's depth. Recently within the last year, the tank was split into two, with rocks blocking the narrow passage that once allowed the sharks to venture between the shallow and the deep ends. It contains:
Spotted Gully Shark
Pyjama Shark
Port Jackson Shark
Horn Shark
Leopard Shark
Shovelnose Guitarfish
The next and final not yet seen attraction is adjacent to this within the next room - offering no unique entrance. This area had a complete overhaul just over 5 years ago, and is one of the aquarium's finest attractions it has to offer. This is:
Penguin Palooza
Considering the aquarium's slow changes (pre 2011), I still consider this renovation some what fresh and new - mainly because I consider the design to be very unique. This area opened up as the Kingdom of the Penguin - just one semi large habitat, with a giant window view that offers underwater viewing. Like SeaWorld San Diego's except 1/4 the size. Not only did the habitat get a touch up but the area did as well. The area is and always has been a seating only view (besides behind and directly in front of the benches). Above these benches hang large snowflakes that appear as if they are going to fall on your head. On the next wall is a very large world map of all the penguin species and their locations. You can grab a photo with king penguin statues, and there is even a large interactive wall set as well. The renovation also included three new viewing windows into their shark tank. As mentioned before, one window is flat, and the other two are bubbles. As for the penguin habitat - not much of the base structure has changed but large, and very tall simulated ice walls were added along the backside. It re-opened up as the country's second most diverse cold-weathered penguin exhibit (tied with other institutions). The tall ceiling allowed flight room for newly added Incan terns, but were taken off exhibit not too long after its opening. It contains:
King Penguin
Macaroni Penguin
Southern Rockhopper Penguin
Chinstrap Penguin
Gentoo Penguin
Follow up the escalator (that a lot of guests miss for whatever reason) that lies in the center of the room and you are met with you very last animal related stop. The escalator takes you back upstairs and gives you an (netted) above view of the entire Surrounded by Sharks tank. This is also the area with the recently added "Shark Bridge" - the country's first of its kind. A 75 foot long, net welded bridge takes you across the longest length of the tank and gets you within 2.5 ft of the water. If you ask me, there is absolutely nothing special about it, it's too safe and it's obvious that the intimidation factor the hype promised was absent
. Though I say this, I've seen teens cry after crossing it. As you get in line for this, you can also catch a glimpse of the Penguin House. This area is a private, backstage tour that gets you upclose and personal with the aquarium's African Penguins.
Enter into the gift shop - exit the building
THE END
Enter this uniquely designed building as you are surrounded by hanging statues of threatening sharks such as the blue, hammerhead, and the great white shark. To the right corner there is a 25 ft high humpback breaching into the air as the statue settles in perfectly with a full scale mural of the Arctic terrain. Water flows from its pectoral fins and drops into a coin pond. I believe this pool once held horshoecrabs.
Buy your tickets, enter the gate, and venture down into an escalator. At the bottom, you are annoyed with one of their sales photographers that attempt to trap you into taking a much overpriced green screen set photo (I was recently one of them). The entrance to the galleries is 10 ft away from your last foot off the escalator and your adventure has immediately begun as you walk under a beautiful (but old) sea turtle statue.
Small hallway - Two identical medium sized tanks - one on each side
Sand Dollar
Green Severum
Enter into the first gallery
World Rivers
Opened up originally as the aquarium's first exhibit and has rarely changed since its opening. The room/gallery path goes into a small circle and leads to the next room.
Two medium sized, non-adjacent tanks
1. Australia:
Goyder River Rainbowfish
Bleher's Rainbowfish
Dwarf Rainbowfish
Red Rainbowfish
Boeseman's Rainbowfish
Threadfin Rainbowfish
Lake Kutubu Rainbowfish
2. Licking River:
Bluegill
Emerald Shiner
Longear Sunfish
Creek Chub
Fathead Minnow
Shorthead Redhorse
Rainbow Darter
Greenside Darter
Four medium sized tanks - cubed shaped with one of the corners facing outwards - giving view of two windows per tank. The first two are filled up halfway with water
1. Mata Mata
2. Underground Rivers:
Blind Cavefish
Electric White Lobster
3. Mekong River:
Pearl Gourami
Moonlight Gourami
White Cloud Mountain Minnow
Snakeskin Gourami
Redtail Sharkminnow
Zebra Danio
Dwarf Botia
Herlequin Hasbora
4. Rio Negro:
Cardinal Tetra
Marbled Hatchetfish
Emerald Catfish, Discus
Rummy-nose Tetra
Red Humped Eartheater
Scalare Angelfish
Panda Corydoras
Medium, open topped tank that lies on the floor, in the center of the room - the shape is a perfect circle but guests my only go around 75% of it
Lake Malawi:
Chambo
Cichlids
Mbuna
Kampango
Medium sized wall tank
Congo River: Silver Disichodus, Longfin Tetra, Gray Bichir, Longbelly Buffalo Head Cichlid, Koskiahven Cichlid, Snakefish, Sixbar Distichodus, Angel Sqeuaker, Clown Squeaker, Barred Bichir, Lionhead Cichlid
Last exhibit - semi-large lengthy tank
Lake Tanganyika:
Blunthead Cichlid
Lemon Cichlid
Brown Julie
Humphead Cichlid
Many-spotted Catfish
Moore's Lamprologus
Brichard's Cichlid
Yellow Calvus
Enter into the next gallery - in between the two however, is a very short tunnel tank
Caribbean Tunnel:
Lookdown
Florida Pompano
Porkfish
Cottonwick Grunt
Pinfish
Mutton Snapper
French Grunt
The Shore Gallery
Also part of the aquarium's opening and has rarely changed since.
Short height, but somewhat lengthy tank - placed on a pedestal - chest high
[EMPTY] - But occasionally will hold juvenile species such as horshoecrabs, spider crabs, Vermillion sea stars, etc.
Medium sized tank - above and underwater viewing
Salt Marsh:
Diamondback Terrapin
White Mullet
Medium size - cubed tank with two walls viewable to guests - above and underwater view
Tidal River:
Largescale Foureyes
Diamond Tetra
Medium size - above and underwater view
Mangrove Forest:
Shuttles Hoppfish
Silver Moony
Jarbua Terapon
Medium size tank - filled up halfway
River Delta:
Spotted Archerfish
Featherfin Squeaker
Asian Upside-down Catfish
New Guinea Snake-necked Turtle
Two identical, medium sized non-adjacent tanks
1. Eelgrass:
Atlantic Spadefish
Sheepshead Minnow
Atlantic Bumper
Striped Killifish
2. Reefs:
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Achilles Tang
Snowflake Moray
Raccoon Butterflyfish
Stripey
Indian Sail-fin Surgeonfish
Indian Mud Moray Eel
Large, long tank - features a simulated shore with timed waves - base at the floor - above and underwater view
Queen Coris
Yellow Tang
Sally Lightfoot Crab
Surge Wrasse
Red Anemonefish
Golden Damselfish
Across from this is a touch tank zone. The exhibit features one long, rock formed tank designed for children to interact with live animals - shaped in a semi circle
Atlantic Horseshoecrab
Leather Sea Star
Green Anemone
Channled Whelk
Ochre Sea Star
Sea Cucumber
The next room is a separate attraction that does not lead to the next gallery, but it is rather a sneak peak of the Surrounded by Sharks tank. The main view of the SBS attraction is through a long tunnel but here you can view all of its inhabitants ( and 40% of the tank) through the aquarium's second largest viewing window. This area is called Shark Ray Bay. The viewing area is very large and is filled with benches facing the tank. This area originally opened up as what would be slightly known today as a "4D Experience", although it was just a video presentation on a projection. The deck of a simulated pirate ship took up the right wall and settled high into the corner was an animatronic pirate that gave the presentation. The video screen was placed over the tank window and when the video ended, it would be lifted - revealing the tank. In my opinion, even if it were to be 18 years-old to this day, I was very disappointed in the aquarium for getting rid of this idea. One more to add to the list of reasons why the aquarium no longer captures my interest.
Exit the room and finish viewing in the Shore Gallery
Very small, elevated tank settled within a drawer structure
Mandarin Dragonet
Fire Shrimp
Yellow Prawn-Goby
Medium/large tank - last of the room
French Angelfish
Harlequin Bass
Spanish Hogfish
Queen Angelfish
Bermuda Blue Angelfish
Yellowtail Fusilier
Blue Chromis
Royal Gramma
Enter into the next gallery but like the first one, the two are divided by a small tunnel tank. This was formerly a tank for many green moray eels - now it is labelled:
A Forest of Algae and Animals
Swell Shark
Brown Rockfish
Northern Red Anemone
Striped Seaperch
Ochre Star
Wolf Eel
Barred Sand Bass
White-spotted Anemone
Next gallery
Seahorses: Unbridled Fun
The aquarium's second newest attraction that was formerly known as the Bizarre and Beautiful gallery. It was renovated and re-designed many times but due to it's quick disappearance and lack of animals, it was eventually replaced with "the world's most interactive seahorses exhibit". This is the second largest room in the complex, fit with a very tall ceiling, a couple of large tanks, and even a 30 ft tall mural of a plesiosaurus - which was there from the beginning. This area was also home to their octopus, an animal that guests constantly complain of its absence.
Two semi large, cub shaped tanks connected by tubes that allows animals to venture between the two - placed in the center of the room where guests may walk all around it - designed for an octopus
Black-striped Pipefish
Opossum Pipefish
Semi large, convexed tank
Barbour's Seahorse
Many-banded Pipefish
Semi large coral reef tank
Trumpetfish
White-spotted Surgeonfish
Yellow Tang
Clown Anemonefish
Flame Angel
Six-lined Wrasse
Small, convexed tank
Dwarf Seahorse
Razorfish
Medium sized tank
Ribboned Sea Dragon
Large, corner tank - can be viewed from two angles (originally designed for Japanese spider crabs)
Big-bellied Seahorse
Medium sized, short height but lengthy tank
Snipefish
Very large, narrow tank placed in the far corner of the room - this is not necessarily part of the attraction. This tank was once designed as a living coral reef representing the Red Sea, however, the tank was completely emptied of all structures and now contains hundreds of:
American Paddlefish
Pass massive murals of the Plesiosaurus, Oar Fish, and Great White into the next gallery
Dangerous and Deadly
Opened with the aquarium - this area too has died down as a result of removing many structures that added to the creative based theme. The ceiling once dangled with models of sharks, a skeleton and a diver to imply that he is in grave danger. Even the hallway was once filled with original, jaws like music that even gave me the chills until I reached high school. The attraction is composed of identical wall tanks and flows through two hallways.
Semi large tank placed on its own wall - original home of their electric eels and gars
Fly River Turtle
Tami River Rainbowfish
Boesman's Rainbowfish
Lake Kutubu Rainbowfish
Kamaka Rainbowfish
Left wall - three identical, medium sized tanks
1. Caribbean Spiny Lobster
2. Red Lionfish
3. Honeycomb Eel
Sapphire Devil
Bluering Angelfish
Pinecone Fish
Talbot's Demoiselle
Black Triggerfish
Kole's Tang
Semi large, lengthy tank - filled up 75% of the way - angled to lead guests into the next hallway
River Ray
Spectable Cichlid
Black Barred Myleus
Silver Arrowana
Silver Prochildus
Redhook Myleus
Pleco
Green Severum
Right wall
Two identical tanks to the left wall
1. Gila Monster
Chuckwalla
Colorado River Toad
2. False Water Cobra
Semi large tank angled towards the next hallway
Red Piranha
The next hallway of the Dangerous and Deadly gallery has only three tanks lined up along the left wall.
1. Medium tank filled up halfway: Borneo Sheath Fish
2. Semi large, long tank, also filled up halfway:
Electric Eel
Royal Pleco
Bushynose Pleco
3. Medium tank, built like a terrarium:
Northern Copperhead
Stinkpot Turtle
Eastern Box Turtle
Gator Alley
In the next room (and one exhibit in the same hallway) starts the aquarium's third newest attraction - Gator Alley. This area originally opened up as Turtle Town, Ohio Riverbank, and Gator Bayou - in 2014 they were combined to create one of the country's greatest collection of crocodilians. The smaller tanks took up Turtle Town, Mighty Mike, the largest gator outside of Florida, took up the entire Riverbank tank (I miss this as well), and alligators once again take up the former Gator Bayou exhibit. Since this attraction's new opening, the species list has changed dramatically from displaying crocodilians to showing smaller reptiles with crocodilian names.
Medium sized, curved tank - above and underwater view
Chinese Crocodile Lizard
Small, highly elevated (above my own head) tank
Tentacled Snake
Two very small tanks placed on top of each other - these are also elevated
1. Red-eyed Crocodile Skink
2. Anderson's Alligator Newt
Medium sized, curved tank
Ringed Sawback Turtle
Very large (not for his species) exhibit designed to be a cabin settled on a lake. There is a small sandy beach and a "fishing dock".
American Alligator - Mighty Mike
Channel Catfish
Red Swamp Crayfish
Medium sized terrarium
Texas Alligator Lizard
Medium/small vertically based terrarium - looks naturally built in the wall
Green Tree Python
Medium sized terrarium
Red-footed Tortoise
Semi large habitat with a shallow underwater view
Caiman Lizard
Large, almost an attraction of its own, area with the habitat placed underneath the guests. This was also designed to look like a cabin built on a lake. It is complete with very tall, fake, marshy trees and a full scale wetlands mural to go along with the theme. The viewing area is a small bridge that goes through the center of the exhibit, and runs over top the pool. Most of this bridge's flooring is composed of see through glass guests may walk over.
American Alligator (Albino)
Onward to the next attraction, aka, the annex part of the aquarium
Frog Bog
The Frog Bog was built and added to the in 2008 and is known as the aquarium's most interactive attraction. Essentially this is the "children's zoo" of the place. The setting and the design is striven to capture the minds of children using light up signs and graphics that may be found in a children's book. It is complete with an entire play set/vertical maze (there also used to be frog tanks in it as well), audible frog statues for kids to climb, and even a "Feet On" interactive frogger game.
Oddly, almost unexplainable shaped tank. It is knee high, and placed at the bottom of a 'story book illustrated' graphic of a waterfall - meant to represent a creek. Essentially is a full view of a curved cube habitat
Spiny Softshell Turtle
American Bullfrog
Semi small, vertically based tank
Prehensile-tailed Skink
Solomon Island Frog
Two small terrariums placed nearly on top of each other
1. Tiger-legged Monkey Tree Frog
2. Fire-belly Toad
Semi large, longer terrarium
Red-eyed Tree Frog
Green and Black Poison Dart Frog
Blue Poison Dart Frog
Splash-backed Poison Dart Frog
Bumblebee Poison Dart Frog
Anthony's Poison Arrow Frog
Small tank built within (but displayed outside) the play set
Axolotl
Medium sized, semi-spherical tank
Greater Siren
Medium semi circular tank, can be viewed from above and the side
Brown Mantella
Green Mantella
Two vertical based terrariums. The first tank is designed to look like the corner of a house
1. Grey Tree Frog
2. Amazon Milk Frog
Small tank, next to the entrance of the play set
Clown Frog Fish
Exit
Stingray Hideaway
This is the aquarium's newest attraction and the fourth one to take over in this specific area. This, also being part of the annex, was added in the late 2000's and opened up as the Hidden Treasures of the Rainforest Islands. The room is very large, and is the only area that natural light to flow through the aquarium's exhibits. It first featured small-clawed otters, Burmese pythons, and a free flight aviary of hundreds of colorful lorikeets. It was arguably the complex's greatest exhibit, and guests complain daily online that there are no longer otters (I agree with them). This lasted for a few years and eventually all of the animals were transferred. It was changed to The Rainforest, and featured two albino alligators, Snowball and Snowflake. A dwarf crocodile eventually replaced one of then. Those gators can now be found in Gator Alley. It was then changed to Turtle Canyon, and exhibited a fly river turtle, Galapagos tortoise, Indian star tortoise, Thunder, the alligator snapping turtle, a turtle touch area, and an eastern box turtle. Not long after that… it was then renovated for Canyon Falls - aka - the return of the otters. It also featured a panther chameleon, a yellow tree monitor, and Denver once more. The otter exhibit, the largest one in the room, was completely bulldozed in order to make room for this new attraction.
Large, open-topped tank with a shallow (guest perspective) underwater viewing. Guests of all sizes are able to crawl through the center of tank, with the animals swimming above them - there is a even an enclosed tube that allows visitors to nearly stand in the middle of it.
Cownose Ray
Southern Stingray
Lookdown
Permit
Green Palometa
Florida Pompano
Small, open topped tank connected to the ray tank - this is also a touch/interactive exhibit
Coral Catshark, Epaulette Shark
Large glass fronted exhibit - pool takes up half of it and even has an underwater view
[EMPTY] - Future Iguana exhibit
Exit
Amazon
Formerly known as the Amazon Flooded Forest, is a very large tank viewable through a tunnel - the third of five. The designers did a good job turning this into an Amazon theme, giving the water a deep green tint. When the tunnel comes to a curve, it also features two flat glass viewings, and a circular window above the heads of the guests.
Arapaima
Arrau Turtle
Black-finned Pacu
Green Pike Cichlid
Banded Leporinus
Striped Headstander
Chocolate Cichlid
Big-tooted River Stingray
Immediately connecting to the Amazon is...
Coral Reef
This is the aquarium's fourth tank that is viewed strictly by wondering through a tunnel. It may not be the best exhibit but it certainly is the most colorful and arguably offers the most beautiful design. When I think of this tank, I simply think of bright, natural light. Last year, it featured a zebra shark and Sweet Pea's (bowmouth guitarfish) second generation of pups (they didn't do so well).
Cownose Ray
Hippo Tang
Peacock Hind
Eyestripe Surgeonfish
Bicolor Angelfish
Bluespine Unicornfish
Powderblue Surgeonfish
Silver Moony
Honeycomb Moray
Gold-spotted Spinefoot
Red Anemonefish
Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse
Spotted Unicornfish
Pacific Double-saddle Butterflyfish
Semicircular Angelfish
Sailfin Snapper
Yellowtail Tang
Chocolate Surgeonfish
Convict Surgeonfish
Orangespine Unicornfish
Lined Surgeonfish
Spotted Knifejaw
Sohal Surgeonfish
Lemonpeel Angelfish
Sailfin Tang
Raccoon Butterflyfish
Bignose Unicornfish
African Moony
The next gallery is called…
The Gallery
Renovated in circa. 2007 as the Southeast's largest jellyfish attraction, the gallery once had a spectacular collection and was designed to create a calming setting. Over the years the exhibit started to fall. The animals were constantly being moved around and were being taken off display within days. Soon, out of the seven tanks, only two or three consistently contained animals - sometimes not even jellyfish. Now, it is a simple attraction that just makes you want to walk right through it - I have faith though the aquarium will turn it into something amazing once more.
Two semi large circular shaped tanks - both tanks have octagonal framing
1. GloFish Tetra
GloFish Danios
2. Black Skirt Tetra
Zebra Danios
Identical exhibit on the opposite wall
Red Lionfish
Short height but long tank
Orange Anemonefish
Copperband Butterflyfish
Surrounded by Sharks
The next exhibit is the largest, longest, fifth and final tunnel in the aquarium. This is also the largest attraction you'll come across. There are three short but still well lengthed connected tunnels that slightly come to a bend. There are two small, flat windows on each side, a circular window above, and one of, if not thee largest floor window panel that can be found in any aquarium. In the last part of the aquarium basement, there are two bubble windows that peer into the tank. The tank in total hold 300,000 gallons of manmade saltwater. This is also the same tank as Shark Ray Bay as mentioned earlier. This recently held Hammerhead sharks - but they have since "disappeared". Their Sandbar shark has recently passed as well.
Very large tank - every inch of the exhibit can be seen within the tunnel - the most shallow part is around 9 ft and the deepest part (under the glass floor) is 20 ft
Bowmouth Guitarfish
Blacktip Reef Shark
Sandtiger Shark
Nurse Shark
Zebra Shark
Southern Stingray
Honeycomb Whiptail Ray
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Giant Grouper
Barred Flagtail
Grey Snapper
Nassau Grouper
Arabian Angelfish
Black Triggerfish
Five-lined Snapper
Silver Moony
Ocean Surgeonfish
Emperor Snapper
Semicircular Angelfish
Sohal Surgeonfish
Three Spot Damselfish
Orange Epaulette Surgeonfish
Porkfish
Bluestriped Grunt
Schoolmaster Snapper
Sergeant Major
Obicular Batfish
Exit the tunnel - there is one final, medium sized glass window that gives view of the right side of the tank. Among this next hallway are graphics of their caught but recently non-existent Hammerheads. From the beginning of the aquarium's run, there has been a hanging hammerhead along the wall, where guests can compare their height/length with it. Along the entire left wall makes up a spectacular mural of a 20+ ft Great White. This hallway leads to the entrance of Sharky's Café - the main stopping station in the building for guests to rest. If you enjoyed your time well enough, this is the appropriate place to follow the bypass and start the aquarium all over again. But if you'd like to continue, head to the right and are met with:
Shark Central
This is set in a small room - a renovated addition to the aquarium as their first major guest interaction based exhibit. I believe this area was once home to a stingray nursery according to an old map - but I don't ever recall its description. Before the new Seahorse, and Stingray Hideaway attractions, this was the key place for children to interact with animals (not counting the touch pool). In one corner there is a hanging, single person hammock that checks your weight and compares it to a shark's size on a diagram above you. If you’re a healthy adult, you would compare to a Shark Ray. If you are 500lbs and above, you compare to a great white. Along another wall is a large interactive board that shows the simple anatomy of a shark. Without the light, a photo an animated shark just appears. When a button is pressed, the screen brightens up and their insides are revealed one section at a time. The next part of this small room and also the most important is the main tank itself. Like typical touch tanks, there is always both a shallow and a deep end for children to pet animals and for those animals to have a chance to flee. The tank is quite small, and it is shaped almost like a backwards 'P'. Both ends have underwater viewings and their sizes are based on the area's depth. Recently within the last year, the tank was split into two, with rocks blocking the narrow passage that once allowed the sharks to venture between the shallow and the deep ends. It contains:
Spotted Gully Shark
Pyjama Shark
Port Jackson Shark
Horn Shark
Leopard Shark
Shovelnose Guitarfish
The next and final not yet seen attraction is adjacent to this within the next room - offering no unique entrance. This area had a complete overhaul just over 5 years ago, and is one of the aquarium's finest attractions it has to offer. This is:
Penguin Palooza
Considering the aquarium's slow changes (pre 2011), I still consider this renovation some what fresh and new - mainly because I consider the design to be very unique. This area opened up as the Kingdom of the Penguin - just one semi large habitat, with a giant window view that offers underwater viewing. Like SeaWorld San Diego's except 1/4 the size. Not only did the habitat get a touch up but the area did as well. The area is and always has been a seating only view (besides behind and directly in front of the benches). Above these benches hang large snowflakes that appear as if they are going to fall on your head. On the next wall is a very large world map of all the penguin species and their locations. You can grab a photo with king penguin statues, and there is even a large interactive wall set as well. The renovation also included three new viewing windows into their shark tank. As mentioned before, one window is flat, and the other two are bubbles. As for the penguin habitat - not much of the base structure has changed but large, and very tall simulated ice walls were added along the backside. It re-opened up as the country's second most diverse cold-weathered penguin exhibit (tied with other institutions). The tall ceiling allowed flight room for newly added Incan terns, but were taken off exhibit not too long after its opening. It contains:
King Penguin
Macaroni Penguin
Southern Rockhopper Penguin
Chinstrap Penguin
Gentoo Penguin
Follow up the escalator (that a lot of guests miss for whatever reason) that lies in the center of the room and you are met with you very last animal related stop. The escalator takes you back upstairs and gives you an (netted) above view of the entire Surrounded by Sharks tank. This is also the area with the recently added "Shark Bridge" - the country's first of its kind. A 75 foot long, net welded bridge takes you across the longest length of the tank and gets you within 2.5 ft of the water. If you ask me, there is absolutely nothing special about it, it's too safe and it's obvious that the intimidation factor the hype promised was absent
. Though I say this, I've seen teens cry after crossing it. As you get in line for this, you can also catch a glimpse of the Penguin House. This area is a private, backstage tour that gets you upclose and personal with the aquarium's African Penguins. Enter into the gift shop - exit the building
THE END
