Georgia Aquarium: Zoological Site #36
Visited on 7/29/2023
Dang... I don't even know what to say about this place. It is truly a giant in the world of zoological institutions. I have grown up around the Shedd Aquarium and have been going for over 2 decades, and even with this level of bias towards great aquariums, the Georgia Aquarium blew my mind. This is a sprawling titan of an aquarium that is now my 3rd favorite zoological facility in the country behind the fairly basic San Diego and Omaha picks. While the layout is not like others aquariums, I do like how you go on little loops of the different sections, I think this is much better than the single loop considering how packed this place gets during the peak season!
The first section we went through was Predators of the Deep, and this is a stunning predatory shark attraction. I'm not sure if a better line up of predatory sharks exist at any other aquarium. The highlights were great hammerheads sharks, sand tigers, silver tips and the massive tiger shark! While the graphics, theming and the tank itself was all expertly done, I think there will be more work on managing those species together. I only saw one tiger shark, and it was truly huge, however it was beat up pretty badly. I think more effort will have to be done to figure out their captive care, or we may just end up seeing the last of their time in accredited institutions.
Next was the sea lion themed Pier 225 was pretty disappointed to say the very least. We didn't catch a show and I'm not sure how extensive their behind the scene space is. But from what I saw, it was a poorly made exhibit with far to many animals for its size. I think I'd need to see the whole thing to know what I think of it. But for now, not a fan. On the other hand River Scout/Gator Crossing was better. The fish exhibits were pretty solid and nicely decorated overall. And the multitude of levels and the amount of tanks that go over your head is pretty neat! I wasn't the biggest fan of their juvenile alligator exhibit as it was very exposed and didn't give much in the way of hiding or substrate. The small clawed otter habitat was also a bit small, but not terrible. The discovery zone on the second level was really surprising and featured some unexpected species like dart frogs, electric eels and wood frogs! Another positive note was the impressive freshwater ray touch tank where the animals had plenty of room to get away from guests and staff ensured these animals were being given the respect they deserve! This was probably the weakest 2 zones in the aquarium and I think with changing out some of the larger species for smaller counterparts would do this some good.
Cold water quest was much better. The collection of deep sea and California kelp forest species was great and overall they had quality homes. The Beluga tank was impressive due to its height and clear views of the animals, but compared to the Shedd or even Sea World San Diego, I think it was a bit lacking. I know they do have some space off view, but it also looked like they don't get much access to it while visitors are there. The sea otter exhibit alongside the aulcets and penguins were all what I'd expect of a quality aquarium without being the best I've ever seen. The theme here was nice and honestly all it would take from my point of view to elevate it, is finding a way to extend the space where visitors can view the whales so they can move to their other pools more often.
The dolphin cove was also pretty solid, the viewing space for when they are not on-show was much better than their pinniped counterparts. And the show was truly fantastic. I had been an animal trainer for a few years and the demonstration included a lot of real and surprisingly specific information on what animal training is actually like. They even worked on shaping a behavior with a dolphin mid show which is so great! It shows the real work it takes to engage these animals and the hard work trainers do! Beyond that I also think the cetaceans could've used a bit more space, or more publicly visible space. Having seen the sea world san diego shows, I can say this may be my new favorite one. At least from an educational perspective, even if it can't top the wow factor of an orca.
Next to last was Tropical Diver, not much to say besides it was a wonderful look at life in a reef. Some solid galleries with interesting theming within them. That is until the main tank. This competes with the beluga viewing at the soon to be discussed ocean voyager tank as the best viewing in the whole facility! It was so incredibly done with tons of live corals and probably hundreds of tropical fish species! The music timed with the waves that crash overhead was an amazing touch. Probably my second favorite part of the aquarium as there really wasn't any issues I had with it!
Lastly was the reason I went to Georgia, I knew the Pandas were on their way out and I wanted to see them, but the Whale Sharks, these I HAD to see! This is one massive tank and it is unbelievable large, if you haven't been, nothing can prepare you for the scale of this tank. The way you are given just small peaks of the tank until the underwater tunnel, is just masterful. You will see huge 6ft plus tarpon and jacks become dwarfed by the massive manta rays above them. The usually starring sandbar sharks in many other aquariums are barley even noticeable among the immense size of the tank! Then there is the whale sharks themselves. They are wonderful creatures that will humble anyone who doesn't yet appreciate the sea. That moment when you make it to the giant viewing window and the music swells is unmatched by any other habitat at any other zoo. I know the future of whale sharks at this aquarium is not looking great, but unlike the pandas which may never come back to Atlanta, I truly believe this aquarium will continue to work towards mastering their care. And even if it takes a few decades to replace the two which remain, I look forward for the time they will be able to get more!
Overall this is a 11/10 facility. Unlike Atlanta which is almost a perfect 9/10 or 8/10 for each individual habitat, this place does have some stinkers, but those are far overcome by the attractions which are unmatched by anything else you'd seen in the rest of the country. I hope they can continue to work towards figuring out the care of some of these rare species like tiger and whale sharks, but at least I can now say I was able to appreciate them while they were there! If there is anywhere in the country to visit this next year as a zoo fan, its is Atlanta. Nowhere else has this amount of iconic but rare in zoo animals which may not be back.
