jbnbsn99's Texas Zoos #2
- Thread starter jbnbsn99
- Start date
I could see it set to the tune of American Pie maybe?
jbnbsn99
Well-Known Member
My "epic" South Texas Trip - Part 2 - Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch
Siamang27 reminded me about my lack of a review (or 3) from my trip down to south Texas. So why the hell not here goes. (No more poetry for this review.)
So, NBWR is a drive-through safari just outside of San Antonio. I had known about this place since I was a little kid. Billboards lined I-35 for this place with a crummy giraffe cut out on it that I thought was a dinosaur.
I had been to Fossil Rim and Arbuckle Wilderness before several times so I pretty much knew what to expect. The major thing that separates NBWR from those two is the size. It is a lot smaller. I was able to go through the whole park in about 2 hours - TWICE.
What really surprised me about NBWR was the diversity. I was really shocked at the number of species.
Deer - Japanese Sika*, Formosan Sika*, Axis, Fallow, Elk, Barasingha*
Antelope - Wildebeest, Springbok*, Gemsbok, Waterbuck, Greater Kudu, Common Eland, Nilgai, Blesbok, Scimitar-Hored oryx, Red Lechwe*, addax, blackbuck, East African Bongo
Other - Damara Zebra*, Ankole, Bison, White Rhino, Bactrian Camel, Emu, Ostrich, Rhea, aoudad, Cape Buffalo
By my count, this is a better diversity than either Fossil Rim or Arbuckle Wilderness. The species with the * were all new ones to me. 6 total new species (or subspecies in the case of the Damara Zebra) for me here.
Geography was not evidently the strong suit of whoever decided to place the animals in their respective paddocks, but my runner up for weirdest mixed species exhibit ever comes from here - Bongos and Bactrian Camels. Not quite as bad as Wattled Cranes and Gharials, but pretty bad. An antelope from the dense rainforests of Africa mixed with a camel from the dry deserts of central Asia.
On a taxonomic basis, the last paddock has ostrich, rhea, and emu, throw in cassowary and you have ratite heaven. Or hell. Take your pick.
There is a little walk around area near the entrance with your typical lemurs and parrots. Also a separate paddock for the small giraffe herd. Why they can't be out in the drive through I don't know.
Overall, I really liked NBWR. I expect to go back again. I really didn't get a good look at the Lechwe which was one of my main reasons for going. I also didn't see the Cape Buffalo. Honestly, having a Cape in a drive through is a little scary. I recommend a trip for all hoofstock lovers.
Siamang27 reminded me about my lack of a review (or 3) from my trip down to south Texas. So why the hell not here goes. (No more poetry for this review.)
So, NBWR is a drive-through safari just outside of San Antonio. I had known about this place since I was a little kid. Billboards lined I-35 for this place with a crummy giraffe cut out on it that I thought was a dinosaur.
I had been to Fossil Rim and Arbuckle Wilderness before several times so I pretty much knew what to expect. The major thing that separates NBWR from those two is the size. It is a lot smaller. I was able to go through the whole park in about 2 hours - TWICE.
What really surprised me about NBWR was the diversity. I was really shocked at the number of species.
Deer - Japanese Sika*, Formosan Sika*, Axis, Fallow, Elk, Barasingha*
Antelope - Wildebeest, Springbok*, Gemsbok, Waterbuck, Greater Kudu, Common Eland, Nilgai, Blesbok, Scimitar-Hored oryx, Red Lechwe*, addax, blackbuck, East African Bongo
Other - Damara Zebra*, Ankole, Bison, White Rhino, Bactrian Camel, Emu, Ostrich, Rhea, aoudad, Cape Buffalo
By my count, this is a better diversity than either Fossil Rim or Arbuckle Wilderness. The species with the * were all new ones to me. 6 total new species (or subspecies in the case of the Damara Zebra) for me here.
Geography was not evidently the strong suit of whoever decided to place the animals in their respective paddocks, but my runner up for weirdest mixed species exhibit ever comes from here - Bongos and Bactrian Camels. Not quite as bad as Wattled Cranes and Gharials, but pretty bad. An antelope from the dense rainforests of Africa mixed with a camel from the dry deserts of central Asia.
On a taxonomic basis, the last paddock has ostrich, rhea, and emu, throw in cassowary and you have ratite heaven. Or hell. Take your pick.
There is a little walk around area near the entrance with your typical lemurs and parrots. Also a separate paddock for the small giraffe herd. Why they can't be out in the drive through I don't know.
Overall, I really liked NBWR. I expect to go back again. I really didn't get a good look at the Lechwe which was one of my main reasons for going. I also didn't see the Cape Buffalo. Honestly, having a Cape in a drive through is a little scary. I recommend a trip for all hoofstock lovers.
Last edited:
Well, I don't remember that many species when I went through over a decade ago, so maybe they have added some? But I really did not like it at all - Fossil Rim is ten times better.
jbnbsn99
Well-Known Member
My "epic" South Texas Trip - Part 3
Around noon,
it was time to leave.
NBWR was fun,
but far too small.
I had more driving ahead,
on my journey further south.
Another destination to be seen
before the days out.
The sky began to darken again
the rain would soon be here.
The remnants of a storm,
a hurricane was near.
What a great day for driving,
all out in the rain
Let's hope the loonies
aren't driving insane.
Through San Antonio I flew,
missing my turn,
my GPS corrected me,
e're I was lost.
South of the great city
I was to venture
a new part of Texas
for my adventure.
The hills of central Texas
began to melt away
the coastal plain
began to appear that day.
As I began to near
the great Gulf of Mexico
the rain still persisted
but my next place was still a go.
As I approached
the vastness of the sea,
a rare sight in my eyes,
began to open in front of me.
To the city of Corpus Christi
I had arrived
a great coastal of time
through the oil spill it survived.
To the Texas State Aquarium
I was to go
to see life of the sea
and see a dolphin show.
What wonders before me,
I could scarcely guess,
I'll get to the review,
later this afternoon.
Around noon,
it was time to leave.
NBWR was fun,
but far too small.
I had more driving ahead,
on my journey further south.
Another destination to be seen
before the days out.
The sky began to darken again
the rain would soon be here.
The remnants of a storm,
a hurricane was near.
What a great day for driving,
all out in the rain
Let's hope the loonies
aren't driving insane.
Through San Antonio I flew,
missing my turn,
my GPS corrected me,
e're I was lost.
South of the great city
I was to venture
a new part of Texas
for my adventure.
The hills of central Texas
began to melt away
the coastal plain
began to appear that day.
As I began to near
the great Gulf of Mexico
the rain still persisted
but my next place was still a go.
As I approached
the vastness of the sea,
a rare sight in my eyes,
began to open in front of me.
To the city of Corpus Christi
I had arrived
a great coastal of time
through the oil spill it survived.
To the Texas State Aquarium
I was to go
to see life of the sea
and see a dolphin show.
What wonders before me,
I could scarcely guess,
I'll get to the review,
later this afternoon.
jbnbsn99
Well-Known Member
My "epic" South Texas Trip - Part 4 - Texas State Aquarium
After about 7 hours of driving - maybe more, maybe less, who knows, and who cares - I arrived at the Texas State Aquarium at about 3 in the afternoon (I think that is about 1500 for those of you who don't know how to use a 12 hour clock). I get there, park and get my new camera monopod ready for its inaugural use. I knew from my Dallas Zoo membership that I would get a discount on admission. I was under the impression that it would be like everywhere else and be 50%, but much to my chagrin it was only 20%. I wasn't too happy about that, but oh well.
When I get there they informed me that a dolphin show would be starting in about 15 minutes. "Great," I think. I make my way to the dolphin tank. It is still raining. Well more of a drizzle, so not the greatest condition, but hey, it a wet place at the aquarium. I was pretty disappointed in the quality of the exhibit. It was about the area of a backyard pool, but of course a lot deeper. There is a massive piece of rock-work behind the pool that give you the impression that there is a piece of massive rock-work behind the pool. You go around the rock-work, and down a ramp and there are big windows for underwater viewing. I head back up top for the show. The music was blaring like at a sports stadium. They were trying to get the audience of 15 pumped up for dolphin goodness. The show was just bordering on offensive. It showed some natural behavior, but it was mostly cute tricks. The highlight of the show were the 3 quite attractive trainers who I wish I had talked to some...
There were other exhibits outdoors too. A quite nice river otter exhibit, a decent alligator exhibit, and a few aviaries including a white-tailed hawk which I had never seen and was only found in that area. The best part was the marsh/wetlands. The reason for this was it was a real marsh right on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. Also there was a small touch tank for rays. By small, i mean I could take a kiddy pool in my backyard, fill it with saltwater, and put 2 rays in it and you would pretty much have their touch tank. Maybe not that drastic, but you get the idea.
Indoors - blandness upon blandess. I was totally underwhelmed with all of the indoor exhibits. Most particularly in their brevity. I wanted to make it through with just enough time before the place closed, but I went through the whole set of indoor exhibits in about 30 minutes, and that was allotting breaks to charge my camera battery for a few minutes. The most impressive exhibit was the Gulf Reef where they simulated a sunken oil rig and the life that grows around it. Most of the exhibits indoors were themed around life in the Gulf, but thrown in was a small Amazon section with parrots, snakes, and other small critters.
I have now visited 4 stand alone aquariums and I have been the most disappointed in the Texas State Aquarium. Dolphins aside, there isn't much that makes it stand out. At the price I paid to get in, I really felt ripped off. Not to mention, I had the absolute worst nachos I've ever eaten. I hate throwing away food, but after three chips I had to in order to no vomit.
More driving ahead and the halfway point of my journey. Stay tuned for more "epic"ness (and maybe more "epic" poetry).
After about 7 hours of driving - maybe more, maybe less, who knows, and who cares - I arrived at the Texas State Aquarium at about 3 in the afternoon (I think that is about 1500 for those of you who don't know how to use a 12 hour clock). I get there, park and get my new camera monopod ready for its inaugural use. I knew from my Dallas Zoo membership that I would get a discount on admission. I was under the impression that it would be like everywhere else and be 50%, but much to my chagrin it was only 20%. I wasn't too happy about that, but oh well.
When I get there they informed me that a dolphin show would be starting in about 15 minutes. "Great," I think. I make my way to the dolphin tank. It is still raining. Well more of a drizzle, so not the greatest condition, but hey, it a wet place at the aquarium. I was pretty disappointed in the quality of the exhibit. It was about the area of a backyard pool, but of course a lot deeper. There is a massive piece of rock-work behind the pool that give you the impression that there is a piece of massive rock-work behind the pool. You go around the rock-work, and down a ramp and there are big windows for underwater viewing. I head back up top for the show. The music was blaring like at a sports stadium. They were trying to get the audience of 15 pumped up for dolphin goodness. The show was just bordering on offensive. It showed some natural behavior, but it was mostly cute tricks. The highlight of the show were the 3 quite attractive trainers who I wish I had talked to some...
There were other exhibits outdoors too. A quite nice river otter exhibit, a decent alligator exhibit, and a few aviaries including a white-tailed hawk which I had never seen and was only found in that area. The best part was the marsh/wetlands. The reason for this was it was a real marsh right on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. Also there was a small touch tank for rays. By small, i mean I could take a kiddy pool in my backyard, fill it with saltwater, and put 2 rays in it and you would pretty much have their touch tank. Maybe not that drastic, but you get the idea.
Indoors - blandness upon blandess. I was totally underwhelmed with all of the indoor exhibits. Most particularly in their brevity. I wanted to make it through with just enough time before the place closed, but I went through the whole set of indoor exhibits in about 30 minutes, and that was allotting breaks to charge my camera battery for a few minutes. The most impressive exhibit was the Gulf Reef where they simulated a sunken oil rig and the life that grows around it. Most of the exhibits indoors were themed around life in the Gulf, but thrown in was a small Amazon section with parrots, snakes, and other small critters.
I have now visited 4 stand alone aquariums and I have been the most disappointed in the Texas State Aquarium. Dolphins aside, there isn't much that makes it stand out. At the price I paid to get in, I really felt ripped off. Not to mention, I had the absolute worst nachos I've ever eaten. I hate throwing away food, but after three chips I had to in order to no vomit.
More driving ahead and the halfway point of my journey. Stay tuned for more "epic"ness (and maybe more "epic" poetry).
jbnbsn99
Well-Known Member
My "epic" South Texas Trip - Part 5
Gray skies loomed overhead
Sheets of water tumulted down
The full brunt of the storm
Had hit the town.
I headed out south
driving with trepidation
this torrent of rain
blinded my observation.
White-fisted I grabbed onto the wheel
Traffic was slow
Drivers were idiots
and the speed was low.
As I drove further south,
The deluge turned to mist.
A vast plain opened up
Flat as a sheet.
A long stretch ahead of me,
on a straight narrow road,
was full of small hamlets
and slow school zones.
Hours of unending coastal plain
lay ahead of my destination-
A tiny little zoo,
but what a collection.
To Brownsville I came,
Most southern point in the state,
Gateway to Mexico,
And Spring Break drunks.
Into the wilderness
heading towards the Gulf.
the last remaining home
of the rare Ocelot.
I head back into town,
settled down in a nice hotel,
hunker down for a rest,
the next day would be fun.
Gray skies loomed overhead
Sheets of water tumulted down
The full brunt of the storm
Had hit the town.
I headed out south
driving with trepidation
this torrent of rain
blinded my observation.
White-fisted I grabbed onto the wheel
Traffic was slow
Drivers were idiots
and the speed was low.
As I drove further south,
The deluge turned to mist.
A vast plain opened up
Flat as a sheet.
A long stretch ahead of me,
on a straight narrow road,
was full of small hamlets
and slow school zones.
Hours of unending coastal plain
lay ahead of my destination-
A tiny little zoo,
but what a collection.
To Brownsville I came,
Most southern point in the state,
Gateway to Mexico,
And Spring Break drunks.
Into the wilderness
heading towards the Gulf.
the last remaining home
of the rare Ocelot.
I head back into town,
settled down in a nice hotel,
hunker down for a rest,
the next day would be fun.
jbnbsn99
Well-Known Member
My "epic" South Texas Trip - Part 6 - Gladys Porter Zoo
You don't drive over 20 hours in the span of two days for nothing. The Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville has always held a fascination for me. Growing up in the great state we had a Texas travel guide. It was one of those free guides that the state tourist board hands out. My family usually only traveled in-state so we were always flipping through the book. Somehow, my first recollection of the GPZ comes from this book. The blub was brief, only a few paragraphs, but what it did say was that this zoo was somehow special. It was said to be full of rare and exotic animals that couldn't be found anywhere else. It was this lure that drove me (quite literally) to the southernmost tip of Texas. For those of you who don't realize how big Texas is, I could just as easily driven to see the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha in the same amount of time. Texas is about 3 times bigger than the UK, so my goal of seeing every zoo in the state is a large one.
At first glance a zoo that is only 26 acres (or 31, I have seen two different accounts of its size) would be considered fairly small, but if I had to design a zoo with this limited space I would heavily look to GPZ to see how best to do it. There are two camps of what to call a great zoo. One is how naturalistic the habitats are. By using this approach, the exhibit will always be bigger and the number of species will be lower. The second camp is a great collection of animals. GPZ falls heavily into this later category. That isn't to say that the exhibits are bad, not at all. True, there are now award winning exhibits here, but all of the exhibits with the exception of one or two are quite nice to look at and meet the animals needs perfectly.
At one time, the GPZ was arranged according to strict zoo-geographic guidelines. This is no longer the case, but the vague areas are still there and mostly intact. To describe a complete walk-through would be tedious and hard to do. The zoo meanders through resacas. These resacas are small lagoons that have been left behind by the ever-changing flow of the Rio Grande. They form wonderful natural barriers for some of the exhibits. In order to do justice to the GPZ I will cover each of the 5 areas.
Entry area.
This is the least geographical area of the entire zoo. At times it almost feels like the remnants of the other areas are thrown in here. But what remnants they are. For starters there are 3 bear grottos. One holds spectacled bears and the other two have sun bears. Seemingly somewhat small, these have been gussied up with lots of climbing opportunities and shade, and really seem to me to be nicer than the average grotto. Think more vertically and less horizontally. Next to the bears is a single sea lion. It is an old and very lethargic male. Exhibit has a little amphitheater for the guy, but I doubt he preforms much anymore.
The rest of this area has the real jewels of the GPZ. I am a hoofstock lover. I make no bones about it. In the entry area I got a chance to see 4 new species of hoofstock. Joy filled my bosom. The actual exhibits are nothing to write home about. They are simple grotto-like yards with three rock walls surrounding them. Here's what I would write home about. Red Brockets. One of the very first animals you see is the rarely shown Red Brocket (I will have to check ISIS to find the exact species of Mazama). They had two yards for these guys, although strangely one was shared with blue cranes. Bornean Bearded Pigs. An animal that has all but disappeared from US collections. Shame too, what great animals. Yellow-Backed Duiker. Ok, not that uncommon, in fact I know a lot of zoos that have them (I can think of at least 5 others nearby with them). Kewél. Never heard of a Kewél? Sure you have, I just like being pretentious and call the animal formerly known as the harnessed bushbuck by its new name. (New name being needed because it turns out that there are two highly distinct species of bushbuck in Africa.) This is the only group of Kewél on display outside of Africa. It's kind of a big deal. It used to be one of the more commonly displayed antelopes, but those times are past us now. GPZ maintains 2 groups of Kewél, 1.2 each. There may be more that I did not see. Upon talking to a hoofstock keeper, he informed me that one group had just come in, which tells me that there are a lot more out there in private hands. I want to see more zoos get them, but that is just me. Jentink's Duiker. Talk about a rarity. The only Jentink's Duiker in captivity anywhere. His name is “Gordo” (aka the Fat Boy). He is big, slightly bigger than the common Yellow-Backed Duiker. He has a little yard all to himself. Wonderful animal, and I'm glad to have gotten to see him before I can never do so again.
Also in the front entry are the tiger and gorilla exhibits. Tiger exhibit is one of the poorer exhibits at the zoo. When I visited I saw several generic and white tigers out together, but I understand the zoo also keeps Sumatrans as well. Viewing was all through clouded glass which made for a not-so-great experience. Gorillas on the other hand have been commented on lots before on here. It is a smaller exhibit than most other zoos provide, but that is countered by having a large functioning family unit. I think the zoo has about 12 gorillas of all ages. Weird thing here is all the gorillas are brown and not black. No surprise for me actually. There is no canopy or shade from the sun, so like my own hair, their hair is sun bleached. My sister is so totally jealous. As other people have pointed out these gorillas love the water. I didn't see too much of them in or around the water, but wish I had.
South America
Next area is South America. We open with Komodo Dragons. The problem with dealing with a living collection is that animals die and can't always be replaced with their kind. That is the case here. Their jaguars are no longer there and the space has been devoted to Komodos. I will let it slide, but just the once, ok. Next are some exhibit for spider monkeys. Usually I see Black-Handed Spider Monkeys, but here were two islands for Mexican and Black Spider Monkeys. A nice touch to the SA section was white-tailed deer. WTD, boring right? In most contexts I would agree, but seeing them in a South American area is somewhat refreshing. After all they can be found there. I wonder why more people don't include them in their SA exhibit? There was a big bald eagle aviary here too. Probably wasn't intended for bald eagle originally. Also a nice, and newer, walk-through aviary for colorful birds like scarlet ibis and roseate spoonbill. Here too were their Galapagos tortoises. I hear they keep actual pure Galap. subspecies, but none of the information presented at the zoo attested to that fact. Lots of waterfowl and flamingos were in this section as well. And nearby were Cuban Crocodiles.
Austro-Asia
This area often gets neglected by a lot of zoos. Shame really. Most of the animals here are from below the Wallace line. More new species were abounding here. Gray Kangaroos, Agile Wallabies, and Brush-Tailed Bettongs. It was refreshing to not see Red Kangaroos again. Cassowaries and a few parrots are here as well as two species of crocs (white saltwater crocs, and Philippine crocs). This is the smallest section of the zoo. A major feature here is the Australian night house. Again, not all of the animals here are Australian (like ball pythons and Virginia opossums). For a night house, it was pretty bland. When I posted the photos of the tree kangaroo exhibit on here a couple of months ago there was an outcry because people thought it was too small. I begged to differ as I'm sure it is more than adequate for the species.
Asia
The GPZ has to potential to be one of the noisiest zoos in the world. There are 3 gibbon islands here. On exhibit the day I visited were Pileated and Muller's Gibbons as well as Siamang. ISIS also says they have Lar and White-Cheeked. If correct, and I suspect it is, that gives GPZ a whopping total of 5 species of gibbon. Add to that gorillas, orangs, and chimps, and we get 8 species of ape in total. I'm impressed. I love it when a zoo doesn't skimp on hoofstock. Most zoos do that when it comes to Asia, but not GPZ. I saw my first Gaur. Big beasties. Impressive. Also, unfortunately off exhibit the day I visited, is a large heard of Arabian oryx. Recently added to the area were addax, but I think that until recently this was some type of Asian deer in this area. The conservation needs won out I think.
Also in Asia are the orang-utans. Interesting story here. I only saw 1 female orang. She was missing an arm. From what I've heard she is meaner than snot. She was sent to another zoos for breeding and beat up their male, so she had to come back to GPZ. My story with this orang, may be typical of others who visit her, or it may not be. I was at a viewing window watching her and she came up to me. She obviously knew something that I didn't know. She pressed her lips right up to a small drain underneath the window and blew. The resulting sound could have easily passed for the sound of a beginner tuba player. I was impressed. Maybe there is a future in orang orchestras.
Africa
The African section is by far the largest. All of your major stars are here. White Rhinos, Lions, Wild Dogs, Giraffes, Sable Antelope, Common Zebra, Bontebok, Beisa Oryx, Pygmy Hippo. The only guys missing were elephants. In fact elephants are the only major animal missing from this zoo. That is totally understandable too. By current standards, this zoo would need to devote 1/6 to 1/7 of its total space to just a single species. They used to have elephants though. From the photos I've seen they had a very impressive bull. Now their exhibit holds dromedaries. Personally I would rather see something of conservation value here. Black Rhinos anyone? For me, the two most impressive exhibits in the African section were those for the Sable Antelope and the Bontebok. Simple reason, these exhibits were landscaped beautifully. This may be an accident of the fact that the native vegetation is so close in appearance to that of Africa, or it may be intentional. I really felt as if I were looking into an African Miombo when I saw the sable, and the region around the Cape when I saw the bontebok. The pygmy hippo pool was quite enjoyable. Honestly, you don't really need underwater viewing for them to make a great display animal.
Herpitarium and Aquatics
Last area of the zoo is a single building for herps and sea life. The aquatics wing is quite small and has only a few tanks. There is supposed to be an expansion of this area and it has consumed half of the bongo yard. I have never seen another building like the herpitarium though. I think it was intentionally designed to be creepy. The most imposing feature is the central alligator pool. It is sunk from the rest of the viewing. Soaring overhead is a large model Pteranodon.
Why go to GPZ?
Collection, collection, collection. Here are two example lists
Crocodilians
Saltwater Crocs
Cuban Croc
Philippine Croc
American Alligator
Dwarf Caiman
Hoofstock (long list)
Red Brocket
Bornean Bearded Pig
Kewél
Yellow-Backed Duiker
Jentink's Duiker
Reticulated Giraffe
Addra Gazelle
East African Bongo
Common Zebra
Beisa Oryx
Bontebok
Sable Antelope
Greater Kudu
Arabian Oryx
Addax
Gaur
White-Tailed Deer
and something that I probably left out.
Gladys Porter Zoo, I am duly impressed. I will be returning one day, eager for more.
You don't drive over 20 hours in the span of two days for nothing. The Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville has always held a fascination for me. Growing up in the great state we had a Texas travel guide. It was one of those free guides that the state tourist board hands out. My family usually only traveled in-state so we were always flipping through the book. Somehow, my first recollection of the GPZ comes from this book. The blub was brief, only a few paragraphs, but what it did say was that this zoo was somehow special. It was said to be full of rare and exotic animals that couldn't be found anywhere else. It was this lure that drove me (quite literally) to the southernmost tip of Texas. For those of you who don't realize how big Texas is, I could just as easily driven to see the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha in the same amount of time. Texas is about 3 times bigger than the UK, so my goal of seeing every zoo in the state is a large one.
At first glance a zoo that is only 26 acres (or 31, I have seen two different accounts of its size) would be considered fairly small, but if I had to design a zoo with this limited space I would heavily look to GPZ to see how best to do it. There are two camps of what to call a great zoo. One is how naturalistic the habitats are. By using this approach, the exhibit will always be bigger and the number of species will be lower. The second camp is a great collection of animals. GPZ falls heavily into this later category. That isn't to say that the exhibits are bad, not at all. True, there are now award winning exhibits here, but all of the exhibits with the exception of one or two are quite nice to look at and meet the animals needs perfectly.
At one time, the GPZ was arranged according to strict zoo-geographic guidelines. This is no longer the case, but the vague areas are still there and mostly intact. To describe a complete walk-through would be tedious and hard to do. The zoo meanders through resacas. These resacas are small lagoons that have been left behind by the ever-changing flow of the Rio Grande. They form wonderful natural barriers for some of the exhibits. In order to do justice to the GPZ I will cover each of the 5 areas.
Entry area.
This is the least geographical area of the entire zoo. At times it almost feels like the remnants of the other areas are thrown in here. But what remnants they are. For starters there are 3 bear grottos. One holds spectacled bears and the other two have sun bears. Seemingly somewhat small, these have been gussied up with lots of climbing opportunities and shade, and really seem to me to be nicer than the average grotto. Think more vertically and less horizontally. Next to the bears is a single sea lion. It is an old and very lethargic male. Exhibit has a little amphitheater for the guy, but I doubt he preforms much anymore.
The rest of this area has the real jewels of the GPZ. I am a hoofstock lover. I make no bones about it. In the entry area I got a chance to see 4 new species of hoofstock. Joy filled my bosom. The actual exhibits are nothing to write home about. They are simple grotto-like yards with three rock walls surrounding them. Here's what I would write home about. Red Brockets. One of the very first animals you see is the rarely shown Red Brocket (I will have to check ISIS to find the exact species of Mazama). They had two yards for these guys, although strangely one was shared with blue cranes. Bornean Bearded Pigs. An animal that has all but disappeared from US collections. Shame too, what great animals. Yellow-Backed Duiker. Ok, not that uncommon, in fact I know a lot of zoos that have them (I can think of at least 5 others nearby with them). Kewél. Never heard of a Kewél? Sure you have, I just like being pretentious and call the animal formerly known as the harnessed bushbuck by its new name. (New name being needed because it turns out that there are two highly distinct species of bushbuck in Africa.) This is the only group of Kewél on display outside of Africa. It's kind of a big deal. It used to be one of the more commonly displayed antelopes, but those times are past us now. GPZ maintains 2 groups of Kewél, 1.2 each. There may be more that I did not see. Upon talking to a hoofstock keeper, he informed me that one group had just come in, which tells me that there are a lot more out there in private hands. I want to see more zoos get them, but that is just me. Jentink's Duiker. Talk about a rarity. The only Jentink's Duiker in captivity anywhere. His name is “Gordo” (aka the Fat Boy). He is big, slightly bigger than the common Yellow-Backed Duiker. He has a little yard all to himself. Wonderful animal, and I'm glad to have gotten to see him before I can never do so again.
Also in the front entry are the tiger and gorilla exhibits. Tiger exhibit is one of the poorer exhibits at the zoo. When I visited I saw several generic and white tigers out together, but I understand the zoo also keeps Sumatrans as well. Viewing was all through clouded glass which made for a not-so-great experience. Gorillas on the other hand have been commented on lots before on here. It is a smaller exhibit than most other zoos provide, but that is countered by having a large functioning family unit. I think the zoo has about 12 gorillas of all ages. Weird thing here is all the gorillas are brown and not black. No surprise for me actually. There is no canopy or shade from the sun, so like my own hair, their hair is sun bleached. My sister is so totally jealous. As other people have pointed out these gorillas love the water. I didn't see too much of them in or around the water, but wish I had.
South America
Next area is South America. We open with Komodo Dragons. The problem with dealing with a living collection is that animals die and can't always be replaced with their kind. That is the case here. Their jaguars are no longer there and the space has been devoted to Komodos. I will let it slide, but just the once, ok. Next are some exhibit for spider monkeys. Usually I see Black-Handed Spider Monkeys, but here were two islands for Mexican and Black Spider Monkeys. A nice touch to the SA section was white-tailed deer. WTD, boring right? In most contexts I would agree, but seeing them in a South American area is somewhat refreshing. After all they can be found there. I wonder why more people don't include them in their SA exhibit? There was a big bald eagle aviary here too. Probably wasn't intended for bald eagle originally. Also a nice, and newer, walk-through aviary for colorful birds like scarlet ibis and roseate spoonbill. Here too were their Galapagos tortoises. I hear they keep actual pure Galap. subspecies, but none of the information presented at the zoo attested to that fact. Lots of waterfowl and flamingos were in this section as well. And nearby were Cuban Crocodiles.
Austro-Asia
This area often gets neglected by a lot of zoos. Shame really. Most of the animals here are from below the Wallace line. More new species were abounding here. Gray Kangaroos, Agile Wallabies, and Brush-Tailed Bettongs. It was refreshing to not see Red Kangaroos again. Cassowaries and a few parrots are here as well as two species of crocs (white saltwater crocs, and Philippine crocs). This is the smallest section of the zoo. A major feature here is the Australian night house. Again, not all of the animals here are Australian (like ball pythons and Virginia opossums). For a night house, it was pretty bland. When I posted the photos of the tree kangaroo exhibit on here a couple of months ago there was an outcry because people thought it was too small. I begged to differ as I'm sure it is more than adequate for the species.
Asia
The GPZ has to potential to be one of the noisiest zoos in the world. There are 3 gibbon islands here. On exhibit the day I visited were Pileated and Muller's Gibbons as well as Siamang. ISIS also says they have Lar and White-Cheeked. If correct, and I suspect it is, that gives GPZ a whopping total of 5 species of gibbon. Add to that gorillas, orangs, and chimps, and we get 8 species of ape in total. I'm impressed. I love it when a zoo doesn't skimp on hoofstock. Most zoos do that when it comes to Asia, but not GPZ. I saw my first Gaur. Big beasties. Impressive. Also, unfortunately off exhibit the day I visited, is a large heard of Arabian oryx. Recently added to the area were addax, but I think that until recently this was some type of Asian deer in this area. The conservation needs won out I think.
Also in Asia are the orang-utans. Interesting story here. I only saw 1 female orang. She was missing an arm. From what I've heard she is meaner than snot. She was sent to another zoos for breeding and beat up their male, so she had to come back to GPZ. My story with this orang, may be typical of others who visit her, or it may not be. I was at a viewing window watching her and she came up to me. She obviously knew something that I didn't know. She pressed her lips right up to a small drain underneath the window and blew. The resulting sound could have easily passed for the sound of a beginner tuba player. I was impressed. Maybe there is a future in orang orchestras.
Africa
The African section is by far the largest. All of your major stars are here. White Rhinos, Lions, Wild Dogs, Giraffes, Sable Antelope, Common Zebra, Bontebok, Beisa Oryx, Pygmy Hippo. The only guys missing were elephants. In fact elephants are the only major animal missing from this zoo. That is totally understandable too. By current standards, this zoo would need to devote 1/6 to 1/7 of its total space to just a single species. They used to have elephants though. From the photos I've seen they had a very impressive bull. Now their exhibit holds dromedaries. Personally I would rather see something of conservation value here. Black Rhinos anyone? For me, the two most impressive exhibits in the African section were those for the Sable Antelope and the Bontebok. Simple reason, these exhibits were landscaped beautifully. This may be an accident of the fact that the native vegetation is so close in appearance to that of Africa, or it may be intentional. I really felt as if I were looking into an African Miombo when I saw the sable, and the region around the Cape when I saw the bontebok. The pygmy hippo pool was quite enjoyable. Honestly, you don't really need underwater viewing for them to make a great display animal.
Herpitarium and Aquatics
Last area of the zoo is a single building for herps and sea life. The aquatics wing is quite small and has only a few tanks. There is supposed to be an expansion of this area and it has consumed half of the bongo yard. I have never seen another building like the herpitarium though. I think it was intentionally designed to be creepy. The most imposing feature is the central alligator pool. It is sunk from the rest of the viewing. Soaring overhead is a large model Pteranodon.
Why go to GPZ?
Collection, collection, collection. Here are two example lists
Crocodilians
Saltwater Crocs
Cuban Croc
Philippine Croc
American Alligator
Dwarf Caiman
Hoofstock (long list)
Red Brocket
Bornean Bearded Pig
Kewél
Yellow-Backed Duiker
Jentink's Duiker
Reticulated Giraffe
Addra Gazelle
East African Bongo
Common Zebra
Beisa Oryx
Bontebok
Sable Antelope
Greater Kudu
Arabian Oryx
Addax
Gaur
White-Tailed Deer
and something that I probably left out.
Gladys Porter Zoo, I am duly impressed. I will be returning one day, eager for more.
jbnbsn99
Well-Known Member
Texas Zoo Review
Another trip, another trip, yeah another trip. I embarked upon yet another two-day trip this past weekend. In terms of the number of zoos it was by far my most ambitious. 6 zoos/aquaria in 2 days, plus lots of driving. Most of these zoos were small affairs that took no more than an hour or so so it was fairly easy to cram a lot into that time. Plus, I always find that aquariums take me much less time than a zoo does.
After getting up at 3:30 AM to begin my day, I was on the road by 3:45. 15 minutes later I realized that I had forgot my camera and had to back track my way back home. Not a good start to the day. My GPS didn't like me for that either, blathering all the way - “when possible, make a legal u-turn.” I retrieve said camera (after all it is the most important thing on my trip) and resume my trek. By the way, in case no one told you, it is dark at 3:45 in the morning. Like über dark. Anyway, this trip I am mostly avoiding the major highways, which part of me doesn't mind, but part of me (the part that tell me my backside is getting sore) greatly minds. I really had no choice here. In order to get to Victoria, TX I had to take the lesser trodden path. A little over 5 hours later I arrive at my first goal, the Texas Zoo in Victoria. This is a zoo that a lot of times slipped my mind. It is small and in an out of the way place. Had I been smart about the matter I would have included it on my Brownsville trip.
So, on to the actual Texas Zoo. Somehow, the State of Texas has named the Texas Zoo the “National Zoo of Texas.” While I won't get into why this, at least to me, seems grammatically or at least semantically incorrect, at the time of the designation it could have been at least ok. The original concept of the Texas Zoo was a noble one. They knew that they couldn't represent a large collection of animals on their small, 6 acre property. So the best solution was to create a place devoted entirely to Texas fauna. Sort of like Fort Worth's Texas Wild! minus the rest of the zoo and the cultural themeing. Sadly, this concept has faded over time, and animals from all over have been brought in. You know this immediately when you enter as the very first exhibit you see is for two generic Bengal Tigers. Other non-natives are Barid's Tapir (a first for me), Hymandryas Baboon, Spider Monkeys, and “Barbary” Lions. Don't get me started on “Barbary” Lions again. If they ever existed, they are now extinct, end of story, stop crying.
I won't bore you with some of the details of the zoo. There is nothing outstanding here except for a nice group of Red Wolves that you don't see every day. I really would have loved to have seen this zoo in its heyday. They had lots of natives that you just don't see anymore like Margay and Jaguarundi.
To give you an idea of how small it is, I was able to walk the entire zoo, stop at every exhibit, and take lots of photos 3 times in the span of just over 1 hour.
One positive note is I had a quite pleasant conversation with the curator and she explained to me some of the goings on at the zoo. I was most appreciative of that. The zoo has had its AZA accreditation revoked. This is mostly from what I understand to be a revolving door in the zoo's director position. It was something like 5 directors in 3 years. A zoo just can't operate that way.
My biggest disappointment here was not seeing an animal that I had hoped for. ISIS lists them as having Steenbok, and the curator confirmed this. However, the animal is kept off exhibit, and even some of the staff didn't know of its existence.
Another trip, another trip, yeah another trip. I embarked upon yet another two-day trip this past weekend. In terms of the number of zoos it was by far my most ambitious. 6 zoos/aquaria in 2 days, plus lots of driving. Most of these zoos were small affairs that took no more than an hour or so so it was fairly easy to cram a lot into that time. Plus, I always find that aquariums take me much less time than a zoo does.
After getting up at 3:30 AM to begin my day, I was on the road by 3:45. 15 minutes later I realized that I had forgot my camera and had to back track my way back home. Not a good start to the day. My GPS didn't like me for that either, blathering all the way - “when possible, make a legal u-turn.” I retrieve said camera (after all it is the most important thing on my trip) and resume my trek. By the way, in case no one told you, it is dark at 3:45 in the morning. Like über dark. Anyway, this trip I am mostly avoiding the major highways, which part of me doesn't mind, but part of me (the part that tell me my backside is getting sore) greatly minds. I really had no choice here. In order to get to Victoria, TX I had to take the lesser trodden path. A little over 5 hours later I arrive at my first goal, the Texas Zoo in Victoria. This is a zoo that a lot of times slipped my mind. It is small and in an out of the way place. Had I been smart about the matter I would have included it on my Brownsville trip.
So, on to the actual Texas Zoo. Somehow, the State of Texas has named the Texas Zoo the “National Zoo of Texas.” While I won't get into why this, at least to me, seems grammatically or at least semantically incorrect, at the time of the designation it could have been at least ok. The original concept of the Texas Zoo was a noble one. They knew that they couldn't represent a large collection of animals on their small, 6 acre property. So the best solution was to create a place devoted entirely to Texas fauna. Sort of like Fort Worth's Texas Wild! minus the rest of the zoo and the cultural themeing. Sadly, this concept has faded over time, and animals from all over have been brought in. You know this immediately when you enter as the very first exhibit you see is for two generic Bengal Tigers. Other non-natives are Barid's Tapir (a first for me), Hymandryas Baboon, Spider Monkeys, and “Barbary” Lions. Don't get me started on “Barbary” Lions again. If they ever existed, they are now extinct, end of story, stop crying.
I won't bore you with some of the details of the zoo. There is nothing outstanding here except for a nice group of Red Wolves that you don't see every day. I really would have loved to have seen this zoo in its heyday. They had lots of natives that you just don't see anymore like Margay and Jaguarundi.
To give you an idea of how small it is, I was able to walk the entire zoo, stop at every exhibit, and take lots of photos 3 times in the span of just over 1 hour.
One positive note is I had a quite pleasant conversation with the curator and she explained to me some of the goings on at the zoo. I was most appreciative of that. The zoo has had its AZA accreditation revoked. This is mostly from what I understand to be a revolving door in the zoo's director position. It was something like 5 directors in 3 years. A zoo just can't operate that way.
My biggest disappointment here was not seeing an animal that I had hoped for. ISIS lists them as having Steenbok, and the curator confirmed this. However, the animal is kept off exhibit, and even some of the staff didn't know of its existence.
jbnbsn99
Well-Known Member
Bayou Wildlife Park Review
After a pretty uneventful start of the day at the Texas Zoo I headed towards the town of Alvin, just outside of Houston. Alvin is most famous for being the birthplace of the legendary Nolan Ryan a local hero. I had higher hopes for my destination here. It was a little drive through safari called Bayou Wildlife Ranch. So after about 2 more hours of driving I approached this park. Most drive-throughs are several hundred acres, if not bigger. Bayou only had 86 or so acres, so right off the bat we are talking much smaller. Technically it is not a true drive-through. You don't actually drive through it, but rather you are loaded up on a trailer hauled by a jeep and are carted around the park. As some of you know, my job is as a tour guide. I take great pride and pleasure in my job, and I assume that others do as well. Sadly, this does not appear to be the case. Admittedly, their tour is a lot longer than mine (45-50 minutes vs. 20-25 minutes), but quality must shine through. The level of wrongness in the narration was appalling. With almost every animal in the park the guide said something completely wrong. Here are some examples.
“White elk come from Europe and brown elk come from North America”
“Lemurs are small monkeys from Madagascar”
“Kinkajous are small monkeys from South America”
“There are only 300 gaur left in the world”
Can we play spot the error?
Just a few days after the traumatic experience these are the most egregious that I can remember. I really wanted to offer my help to the poor driver, but her customer service skills were so atrocious that she didn't even great the guests and immediately after she stopped the jeep and opened the gates she ran off into a building. Honestly, I would gladly rewrite their script for them, but I don't think it would do any good.
Overall, however the collection was quite nice with a few species that you hardly ever see. The only new species for me though was a banteng. However there was only one banteng, and it was kept together in a pen with an Ankole and a rare type of domestic cattle. Not kosher in my book (but, believe it or not, shellfish is, go figure). This place seemed to relish in hybrids. Beefalo together with mules. Chapmann's Zebra together with Grant's Zebra (and I honestly don't think that these were really Chapmann's as it isn't a subspecies that is common or possibly even represented at all in North American collections, but I will begrudgingly take their word as they did really look like Chapmann's).
You know what the best aspect of the place was. There was an old ruined whiskey still from the time of prohibition still there. It was highlighted on the tour. Wonder if the animals partook in the spirits.
The worst aspect of the place though was the for sale section. All of the animals, except the owners favorites, could be bought for a price. $1,200 for a barasingha pair and similar prices for all sorts of critters. This really leaves a bad taste in someones mouth. Hey, if you have enough money why not buy an endangered species, you know you want to.
I left quite disappointed. I nearly asked for my money back. 17 bucks is way too high for this place. Lesson learned here, if you want people to care, take pride in what you do. (Actually, I already knew that lesson, but it was hammered home even more.)
You know what, screw diplomacy. I got fed up with negative reviews on here for various reasons. People who don't know what they are talking about, possibly don't know the facility's current situation or history, etc. etc. This is the primary reason I took a long break from doing reviews. I guess you can say I got a little soft. I was coaxed back into it though. But you know what, sometimes a little venom is sometimes needed. I highly respect zoos, especially those that are AZA, but this place is really no where near close to a zoo. This place isn't a zoo nor is it highly respectable. I'm sorry, but if you can't even have decent guest service or provide even close to accurate information, then what good are you doing in the world. This place does nothing for conservation. Sure they might be breeding endangered animals, but you know what, most of those animals really looked inbred. You could really tell with the antelopes, lots of misshapen horns. I'm sorry, but if you are going to house a collection of exotic and rare animals, please be responsible with it. A big sign saying how much you can buy this species or that species is one of the worst things I have ever seen at a “zoo.” Guides that run off and won't interact with guests is also lamentable. Not so much for me, but for those inquisitive kids who have questions about that animals. Unfortunately, I don't think my guide would have been able to answer even the simplest of questions. So in all, if you have the time to go to Alvin, I highly recommend you don't go to the Bayou Wildlife Park. This is the first time I have ever suggested you never go to a facility, but the more I think about it the angrier I get. I really should have asked for my money back.
After a pretty uneventful start of the day at the Texas Zoo I headed towards the town of Alvin, just outside of Houston. Alvin is most famous for being the birthplace of the legendary Nolan Ryan a local hero. I had higher hopes for my destination here. It was a little drive through safari called Bayou Wildlife Ranch. So after about 2 more hours of driving I approached this park. Most drive-throughs are several hundred acres, if not bigger. Bayou only had 86 or so acres, so right off the bat we are talking much smaller. Technically it is not a true drive-through. You don't actually drive through it, but rather you are loaded up on a trailer hauled by a jeep and are carted around the park. As some of you know, my job is as a tour guide. I take great pride and pleasure in my job, and I assume that others do as well. Sadly, this does not appear to be the case. Admittedly, their tour is a lot longer than mine (45-50 minutes vs. 20-25 minutes), but quality must shine through. The level of wrongness in the narration was appalling. With almost every animal in the park the guide said something completely wrong. Here are some examples.
“White elk come from Europe and brown elk come from North America”
“Lemurs are small monkeys from Madagascar”
“Kinkajous are small monkeys from South America”
“There are only 300 gaur left in the world”
Can we play spot the error?
Just a few days after the traumatic experience these are the most egregious that I can remember. I really wanted to offer my help to the poor driver, but her customer service skills were so atrocious that she didn't even great the guests and immediately after she stopped the jeep and opened the gates she ran off into a building. Honestly, I would gladly rewrite their script for them, but I don't think it would do any good.
Overall, however the collection was quite nice with a few species that you hardly ever see. The only new species for me though was a banteng. However there was only one banteng, and it was kept together in a pen with an Ankole and a rare type of domestic cattle. Not kosher in my book (but, believe it or not, shellfish is, go figure). This place seemed to relish in hybrids. Beefalo together with mules. Chapmann's Zebra together with Grant's Zebra (and I honestly don't think that these were really Chapmann's as it isn't a subspecies that is common or possibly even represented at all in North American collections, but I will begrudgingly take their word as they did really look like Chapmann's).
You know what the best aspect of the place was. There was an old ruined whiskey still from the time of prohibition still there. It was highlighted on the tour. Wonder if the animals partook in the spirits.
The worst aspect of the place though was the for sale section. All of the animals, except the owners favorites, could be bought for a price. $1,200 for a barasingha pair and similar prices for all sorts of critters. This really leaves a bad taste in someones mouth. Hey, if you have enough money why not buy an endangered species, you know you want to.
I left quite disappointed. I nearly asked for my money back. 17 bucks is way too high for this place. Lesson learned here, if you want people to care, take pride in what you do. (Actually, I already knew that lesson, but it was hammered home even more.)
You know what, screw diplomacy. I got fed up with negative reviews on here for various reasons. People who don't know what they are talking about, possibly don't know the facility's current situation or history, etc. etc. This is the primary reason I took a long break from doing reviews. I guess you can say I got a little soft. I was coaxed back into it though. But you know what, sometimes a little venom is sometimes needed. I highly respect zoos, especially those that are AZA, but this place is really no where near close to a zoo. This place isn't a zoo nor is it highly respectable. I'm sorry, but if you can't even have decent guest service or provide even close to accurate information, then what good are you doing in the world. This place does nothing for conservation. Sure they might be breeding endangered animals, but you know what, most of those animals really looked inbred. You could really tell with the antelopes, lots of misshapen horns. I'm sorry, but if you are going to house a collection of exotic and rare animals, please be responsible with it. A big sign saying how much you can buy this species or that species is one of the worst things I have ever seen at a “zoo.” Guides that run off and won't interact with guests is also lamentable. Not so much for me, but for those inquisitive kids who have questions about that animals. Unfortunately, I don't think my guide would have been able to answer even the simplest of questions. So in all, if you have the time to go to Alvin, I highly recommend you don't go to the Bayou Wildlife Park. This is the first time I have ever suggested you never go to a facility, but the more I think about it the angrier I get. I really should have asked for my money back.
jbnbsn99
Well-Known Member
Moody Gardens Review
Now for a breath of fresh air. My utter lack of amazement (or more to the point my complete disappointment) on the day so far was obliterated once I got to Galveston. I remember fondly some family vacations to Galveston. The goal of those was always good sea food. Mmmm, shrimp. Dang it, I just ate and now I'm hungry again. Thanks a lot diet. Anyway, Moody Gardens. Moody Gardens is a whole complex of different venues right on the north shore of Galveston Island. My main concern was the Aquarium. Also of interest is the Rainforest, but as it is closed for a renovation (it was badly damaged during Hurricane Ike) I will have to save it for another trip next year. So it will be just the aquarium today. So far I have now visited 7 different stand-alone aquariums. This includes the somewhat misnamed Dallas World Aquarium (more of a zoo to me really). Of the other 6 more traditional aquariums, Moody Gardens is by far the best. BY FAR. Some of the exhibits really amazed me. This was one of the first times I didn't feel ripped off having spent about 16 bucks to get into.
The Aquarium is housed in a gigantic pyramid. In fact there are 3 pyramids that make up the “scientific” part of the Moody Gardens complex. The other two are the Discovery pyramid (basically kid-friendly science exhibits and an IMAX) and the Rainforest Pyramid. I read somewhere that there was a master plan to have 7 total pyramids. I have no clue if this is true or not. Each separate exhibit has a separate entrance fee, so to see everything it can get a bit pricey.
So on to the exhibits. The Aquarium is divided into 4 areas (think one part per section of the pyramid) – South Atlantic, South Pacific, North Pacific, and the Caribbean. Each of these has a central main tank/exhibit. These are the real highlights of the Aquarium.
North Pacific – The main show here is the Sea Lion/Seal pool. The surface area may not be the biggest it could have been, but the tank is deep (all of the main tanks are deep). When I first arrived there was a small young female Sea Lion frolicking about. She had just arrived to the facility and within just a little bit she was going to be introduced to their adult male. Introductions are so fun. I wish I had my introduction planned as well as some of the zoo animals sometimes. This was a fascinating encounter to watch. The poor female was rescued a few months prior and is completely blind so this must have been quite scary for her. She really didn't need to fear though as the male was quite gentle and curious to his new tank mate. The cool thing about this exhibit is that you get to see it on 3 different levels – surface, mid-tank, and at the bottom. Right next to this tank was one equal in depth for fish of that region. Lots of smaller tanks lined the circular pathways that encompassed the main tank (this same design is found in all 4 parts of the aquarium).
South Atlantic – Penguins are the main feature here. This is by far the best penguin exhibit I've ever seen (albeit I do have a limited sample size compared to others). The exhibit is themed around South Georgia Island and features King, Rockhopper, Gentoo, and Chinstrap Penguins (3 of which were totally new to me). Like the Sea Lion exhibit this was visible on 3 levels (surface, mid-tank, and bottom). The difference here was the surface area may have been triple what the pinnepeds get. I am going to guess that the water here is about 30 feet deep (like the Sea Lion exhibit as well). Again lots of tanks for fish are around the perimeter of this exhibit.
South Pacific – Maybe the least memorable, but that's by no means a slight to it. The main tank here was a large reef/mangrove tank. Lots of colorful fish and a sea turtle or two.
Caribbean – This was by war the biggest tank, for all sorts of sharks. You enter through a medium sized walk through tunnel and emerge in a round chamber under the center of the tank. In the center is a mock-up shark cage. Graphics line the tunnels pointing out all the different species (maybe 20 or 30 in this tank). A similar tunnel leads you out of this exhibit and out of the aquarium, but before you leave there is a small theater area that, instead of a movie screen, has a large view on this tank.
In the center of the facility is a room devoted to what I assume is a rotating exhibit area. The exhibit currently there was devoted to sharks. Full size model shark hung from the ceiling of the facility. All different kinds including one of my favorites the Megamouth Shark. The gallery was quite nice, with a few live animals, but mostly artifacts, both biological and cultural.
I back tracked through the aquarium several times, revisiting the highlights, visiting with keepers, and in general enjoying myself. It was getting to be the late afternoon, and I still had one more place to visit before the day was out. Could I do it? Would there be enough time? Well, quite frankly, yes.
I will gladly go back to Moody Gardens in a heartbeat. I think though, I will wait until the Rainforest is through with its renovation. What a pair those will make. As soon as I finish this string of reviews I will post a summary of all the Texas aquariums. I have visited them all now (at least for the time being, as yet another is being built right now).
Now for a breath of fresh air. My utter lack of amazement (or more to the point my complete disappointment) on the day so far was obliterated once I got to Galveston. I remember fondly some family vacations to Galveston. The goal of those was always good sea food. Mmmm, shrimp. Dang it, I just ate and now I'm hungry again. Thanks a lot diet. Anyway, Moody Gardens. Moody Gardens is a whole complex of different venues right on the north shore of Galveston Island. My main concern was the Aquarium. Also of interest is the Rainforest, but as it is closed for a renovation (it was badly damaged during Hurricane Ike) I will have to save it for another trip next year. So it will be just the aquarium today. So far I have now visited 7 different stand-alone aquariums. This includes the somewhat misnamed Dallas World Aquarium (more of a zoo to me really). Of the other 6 more traditional aquariums, Moody Gardens is by far the best. BY FAR. Some of the exhibits really amazed me. This was one of the first times I didn't feel ripped off having spent about 16 bucks to get into.
The Aquarium is housed in a gigantic pyramid. In fact there are 3 pyramids that make up the “scientific” part of the Moody Gardens complex. The other two are the Discovery pyramid (basically kid-friendly science exhibits and an IMAX) and the Rainforest Pyramid. I read somewhere that there was a master plan to have 7 total pyramids. I have no clue if this is true or not. Each separate exhibit has a separate entrance fee, so to see everything it can get a bit pricey.
So on to the exhibits. The Aquarium is divided into 4 areas (think one part per section of the pyramid) – South Atlantic, South Pacific, North Pacific, and the Caribbean. Each of these has a central main tank/exhibit. These are the real highlights of the Aquarium.
North Pacific – The main show here is the Sea Lion/Seal pool. The surface area may not be the biggest it could have been, but the tank is deep (all of the main tanks are deep). When I first arrived there was a small young female Sea Lion frolicking about. She had just arrived to the facility and within just a little bit she was going to be introduced to their adult male. Introductions are so fun. I wish I had my introduction planned as well as some of the zoo animals sometimes. This was a fascinating encounter to watch. The poor female was rescued a few months prior and is completely blind so this must have been quite scary for her. She really didn't need to fear though as the male was quite gentle and curious to his new tank mate. The cool thing about this exhibit is that you get to see it on 3 different levels – surface, mid-tank, and at the bottom. Right next to this tank was one equal in depth for fish of that region. Lots of smaller tanks lined the circular pathways that encompassed the main tank (this same design is found in all 4 parts of the aquarium).
South Atlantic – Penguins are the main feature here. This is by far the best penguin exhibit I've ever seen (albeit I do have a limited sample size compared to others). The exhibit is themed around South Georgia Island and features King, Rockhopper, Gentoo, and Chinstrap Penguins (3 of which were totally new to me). Like the Sea Lion exhibit this was visible on 3 levels (surface, mid-tank, and bottom). The difference here was the surface area may have been triple what the pinnepeds get. I am going to guess that the water here is about 30 feet deep (like the Sea Lion exhibit as well). Again lots of tanks for fish are around the perimeter of this exhibit.
South Pacific – Maybe the least memorable, but that's by no means a slight to it. The main tank here was a large reef/mangrove tank. Lots of colorful fish and a sea turtle or two.
Caribbean – This was by war the biggest tank, for all sorts of sharks. You enter through a medium sized walk through tunnel and emerge in a round chamber under the center of the tank. In the center is a mock-up shark cage. Graphics line the tunnels pointing out all the different species (maybe 20 or 30 in this tank). A similar tunnel leads you out of this exhibit and out of the aquarium, but before you leave there is a small theater area that, instead of a movie screen, has a large view on this tank.
In the center of the facility is a room devoted to what I assume is a rotating exhibit area. The exhibit currently there was devoted to sharks. Full size model shark hung from the ceiling of the facility. All different kinds including one of my favorites the Megamouth Shark. The gallery was quite nice, with a few live animals, but mostly artifacts, both biological and cultural.
I back tracked through the aquarium several times, revisiting the highlights, visiting with keepers, and in general enjoying myself. It was getting to be the late afternoon, and I still had one more place to visit before the day was out. Could I do it? Would there be enough time? Well, quite frankly, yes.
I will gladly go back to Moody Gardens in a heartbeat. I think though, I will wait until the Rainforest is through with its renovation. What a pair those will make. As soon as I finish this string of reviews I will post a summary of all the Texas aquariums. I have visited them all now (at least for the time being, as yet another is being built right now).
I have visited the rainforest at Moody Gardens, but it was a really long time ago and so I barely remember it, but I don't remember anything bad. I think it was primarily reptiles/amphibians/insects on exhibit, with several free-flying parrots and other birds, and probably a few small mammals. But since it's been so long since I've visited, it is a pretty general description of the place...
@ jbnbsn99 I know you are a hoofstock lover of sorts - in certain respect I am too with Arabian oryx and gazellines my personal faves -, but the GPZ review left me a little bit reeling. The herp collection is worth more than just a parting few words, in particular as GPZ is the breeding kind of endangered exotics.
Galapagos tortoises are pure-breds! Radiated tortoises for a long long time. Several varanid species. The Cayman blue iguanas ..! The Philippine crocs ... (they donate hatchlings elsewhere within AZA I believe). Aruba Island rattlesnake. Curiously, the Texas tortoise - for which the zoo is doing lotsa in situ conservation work - has only one representative on site ... Do not forget the in situ work with sea turtles either in the Gulf ...
Overall, they do some amazing work with herps! So, they would be worthy of your review!
Best wishes,
K.B.
Galapagos tortoises are pure-breds! Radiated tortoises for a long long time. Several varanid species. The Cayman blue iguanas ..! The Philippine crocs ... (they donate hatchlings elsewhere within AZA I believe). Aruba Island rattlesnake. Curiously, the Texas tortoise - for which the zoo is doing lotsa in situ conservation work - has only one representative on site ... Do not forget the in situ work with sea turtles either in the Gulf ...
Overall, they do some amazing work with herps! So, they would be worthy of your review!
Best wishes,
K.B.
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jbnbsn99
Well-Known Member
Kemah Aquarium Review
Kemah is a small town on the coast of mainland Texas just south of Houston. It is most known for its boardwalk area which has lot of nice shopping, amusement rides, and an aquarium. I knew this would be the smallest place of the day. I however, didn't know how small we were talking. I get there as evening is setting in, luckily the place is open to around 9 or so. The place is run by Landry's, the same people who do the Rainforest Cafe and the Downtown Aquariums. I figured it might be on par with the latter. I was mistaken. This turned out to be my shortest zoo trip ever. In and out in 5 minutes. But how can you see everything in that short of time you might ask? Easy. In fact I visited each exhibit about 3 times. The gift shop was larger than the exhibit space. The main feature of the Kemah Aquarium is a stingray touch pool that was devoid of rays and coincidentally water. Since it was closed for construction, I didn't have to pay to get in (at least I wasn't out anything - except time). Yawn. A definite miss in my book, unless you like stuff like animatronic gorillas.
Kemah is a small town on the coast of mainland Texas just south of Houston. It is most known for its boardwalk area which has lot of nice shopping, amusement rides, and an aquarium. I knew this would be the smallest place of the day. I however, didn't know how small we were talking. I get there as evening is setting in, luckily the place is open to around 9 or so. The place is run by Landry's, the same people who do the Rainforest Cafe and the Downtown Aquariums. I figured it might be on par with the latter. I was mistaken. This turned out to be my shortest zoo trip ever. In and out in 5 minutes. But how can you see everything in that short of time you might ask? Easy. In fact I visited each exhibit about 3 times. The gift shop was larger than the exhibit space. The main feature of the Kemah Aquarium is a stingray touch pool that was devoid of rays and coincidentally water. Since it was closed for construction, I didn't have to pay to get in (at least I wasn't out anything - except time). Yawn. A definite miss in my book, unless you like stuff like animatronic gorillas.