From all of the photos, and many reviews I've read online, this aquarium certainly deserves its place in the top 5 throughout all of North America. A possible alphabetical listing: Georgia, Monterey Bay, National Aquarium (Baltimore), Shedd and Tennessee.
I'm going to try to make it to Tenn and Georgia this summer in a road trip that also features the Smoky Mountains National Park and the NC Zoo. So after that, I'll be able to rank the aquariums other than Monterey Bay.
I just wanted to add that I went back yesterday (without a camera) and spent a little extra time in this exhibit, and it is really tremendous imo. It's one of my favorite exhibits in not only aquariums, but zoos as well. To really appreciate it for what it is, you have to spend some time in there and take it all in and be on the look out for all the amazing birds that are fying among the visitors along with the free ranging lizards and the flying foxes, at least when they are let out. Then there's the great tanks with crocs, pythons with a plenty of water to swim in, water lizards, giant rays, turtles, and plenty of fish of course. The archer fish are really cool if you get to see them in action when they shoot streams of water up at crickets to knock them in the water to provide a meal. On top of all that, they just did a great job re-creating an Australian river gorge. Very cool experience and a very well done exhibit.
I just wanted to add that I went back yesterday (without a camera) and spent a little extra time in this exhibit, and it is really tremendous imo. It's one of my favorite exhibits in not only aquariums, but zoos as well. To really appreciate it for what it is, you have to spend some time in there and take it all in and be on the look out for all the amazing birds that are fying among the visitors along with the free ranging lizards and the flying foxes, at least when they are let out. Then there's the great tanks with crocs, pythons with a plenty of water to swim in, water lizards, giant rays, turtles, and plenty of fish of course. The archer fish are really cool if you get to see them in action when they shoot streams of water up at crickets to knock them in the water to provide a meal. On top of all that, they just did a great job re-creating an Australian river gorge. Very cool experience and a very well done exhibit.
Did you see the flying foxes!? They had been off exhibit for over a year and just last week were put back on. It's great to walk in and see them on the roof now. Now the exhibit is complete!
The bats had been off exhibit for a year because there was too much fluoride in the water system. The fluoride caused their bones to become very brittle. So, after taking them off exhibit and only feeding them special water, the bats made a full recovery. The piece of equipment that would take the fluoride out cost only a couple hundred dollars. However, maintenance would cost a couple thousand a month to maintain. So, in the end, the Australia staff somehow worked out a system.
