There's a legitimate argument about what hippo exhibit in the US is "the best" overall, but I don't think any other has a better underwater viewing situation than Busch. The pool is long and narrow, so the hippos are always very visible, and the underwater ledges are designed to encourage the animals to rest facing the viewing windows. The many species of cichlid are extremely abundant and colorful, and the filtration system is the msot effective I've ever seen. Too bad the above-water features and views (like the roller coaster) take it down a notch.
Wow, I really disagree. Living only 50 miles from Busch Gardens, I am extremely familiar with the place (in fact I am visiting tomorrow), especially the hippo exhibit. They went overkill on the fish, and their is major blind spot because the glass is broken up by a huge rock wall structure that blocks part of the pool. The elder female often rests right behind it, and is thus not in clear view 70% of the time. None the less it is an excellent hippo exhibit and most definitely in the top 5. By far the best hippo exhibit in my opinion is San Diego. The filtration is equal with Busch, but the glass is one continuous panel, and there are no "blind-spots". Plus the fish don't ruin photos because they don't have that many of them. The fence in the back of the enclosure is tad distracting, but that is sort of just nit-picking a fantastic enclosure.
Not exactly my point. I was simply pointing out that San Diego offers a better viewing experience for visitors. I guess I should have rephrased that, it's not that the female is out of view but that the view of her is terrible. There are still hordes of tourists looking at her and invading her privacy.
