Georgia Aquarium Ebirah7666's Georgia Aquarium Review

[Ebirah766]

The Georgia Aquarium is a public aquarium located in Atlanta, Georgia. It is one of the world's largest aquariums and in my opinion, is one of the best in the world. I will elaborate further in this review, exhibit by exhibit.
A species in italics denotes one that is rare in American aquariums.

As one enters the aquarium, on the left they are immediately greeted with a long, rainbow-lighted tank containing a large group of moon jellies. This is the first exhibit in the aquarium.

Moon jelly exhibit:
Common moon jelly (Aurelia aurita)

Following this, immediately to the left is Sharks, Predators of the Deep, the aquarium's newest exhibit which opened in 2020. This exhibit provides a multi-angle view of some of the aquarium's largest shark species.

This massive, 1.2 million gallon exhibit contains several species of sharks and other animals. Strangely, despite what it may seem like in the photos, there is no sand in the exhibit. This is mainly because there are no benthic species inhabiting this exhibit and there is no need for it, it is also easier to clean the tank this way. The exhibit also teaches visitors a great deal about shark evolution, taxonomy, anatomy, and conservation through interactive graphics.
SHARKS: Predators of the Deep
False pilchard (Harengula clupeola)
Tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier)
Silvertip shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus)
Great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran)
Sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus)

Continued in next thread post!

Photo credits to Discovery Channel

 

[Leaf Productions]

This seems as if it's going to be an incredible review. As a person who plans on visiting this institution relatively soon, you have gotten me extremely excited for the prospect of visiting here. Thank you.

 

[Ebirah766]

Following the fantastic SHARKS: Predators of the Deep is the Truist Pier 225. Now, there isn't much here so I'll be brief.
The main exhibit is a small pool where California sea lions usually swim in a circle. It's a depressing space to the untrained eye, but the sea lions can access a much larger backstage area as well as their show pool. (Not an up to date photo but it shows the main viewing area)

Truist Pier 225:
California sea lion (Zalophus californianus)
Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) (occasionally)

After the underwhelming Truist Pier 225 (seriously, no ectotherms?) we move to Southern Company River Scout, an impressive freshwater exhibit displaying some of the world's fascinating (and some very rare!) river and lake species.

Immediately as you walk in you are greeted with a waterfall that says "Do not climb on the rocks, fish swimming upstream" This is a blatant LIE!

After this are two tanks, the Amazon and Lake Tanganyika tanks. I couldn't identify all the cichlids in the Lake Tanganyika tank, I apologize.

Amazon Streams:
Gold nugget pleco (Baryancistrus xanthellus)
Amazonian angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare)
Pinktail chalceus (Chalceus macrolepidotus)
Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi)
Penguin tetra (Thayeria boehlkei)
Rummynose tetra (Hemigrammus rhodostomus)
Schwartz's catfish (Corydoras schwartzi)
Polka-dot lyretail pleco (Acanthicus adonis)

Lake Tanganyika Cichlids:
Frontosa (Cyphotilapia frontosa)
Five-barred lamprologus (Neolamprologus tretocephalus)
Cuckoo catfish (Synodontis multipunctatus)
Mbu pufferfish (Tetraodon mbu)

Walking under the ruined temple, there is a very tall and large tank housing North American freshwater fish. The gimmick of this tank is that the fish can swim above you, a very interesting feature for an aquarium.

River Giants tank:
Quillback (Carpiodes cyprinus)
Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
Spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus)
Common carp (Cyprinus carpio)
Shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus)
Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)
White crappie (Pomoxis annularis)
Longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus)
Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)
Freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens)
Robust redhorse (Moxostoma robustum)

After marvelling at the giant river fish, one will go to the next part of River Scout, which features several tanks, one of Asian fish and one of North American turtles. One can also look at the fish swimming overhead.

Asian River tank:
Red rainbowfish (Glossolepis incisus)
Banded rainbowfish (Melanotaenia trifasciata)
Lake Kutubu rainbowfish (Melanotaenia lacustris)
Boeseman's rainbowfish (Melanotaenia boesemani)
Siamese algae-eater (Crossocheilus oblongus)

Turtle tank:
River cooter (Pseudemys concinna)
Yellow-bellied slider (Trachemys scripta scripta)
Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis)

After watching the beautiful Asian fish and the active turtles, one turns the corner to, in my opinion, the best of the River Scout exhibits. The mangrove tank, featuring brackish water species from Southeast Asia and the Pacific also has a view of the alligator exhibit up above. Exciting stuff!

Mangrove tank:
Silver moony (Monodactylus argenteus)
African moony (Monodactylus sebae)
Spotted scat (Scatophagus argus)
Clouded archerfish (Toxotes blythii)

Please tune in soon to see the rest of River Scout!

Photo credits to Discovery Channel, Lady of the Zoos, and TripAdvisor

 

[SwampDonkey]

Tigers and great hammerheads? Now I have to make Atlanta a priority.

 

[OskarGC]

Following the fantastic SHARKS: Predators of the Deep is the Truist Pier 225. Now, there isn't much here so I'll be brief.
The main exhibit is a small pool where California sea lions usually swim in a circle. It's a depressing space to the untrained eye, but the sea lions can access a much larger backstage area as well as their show pool. (Not an up to date photo but it shows the main viewing area)

Truist Pier 225:
California sea lion (Zalophus californianus)
Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) (occasionally)

After the underwhelming Truist Pier 225 (seriously, no ectotherms?) we move to Southern Company River Scout, an impressive freshwater exhibit displaying some of the world's fascinating (and some very rare!) river and lake species.

Immediately as you walk in you are greeted with a waterfall that says "Do not climb on the rocks, fish swimming upstream" This is a blatant LIE!

After this are two tanks, the Amazon and Lake Tanganyika tanks. I couldn't identify all the cichlids in the Lake Tanganyika tank, I apologize.

Amazon Streams:
Gold nugget pleco (Baryancistrus xanthellus)
Amazonian angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare)
Pinktail chalceus (Chalceus macrolepidotus)
Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi)
Penguin tetra (Thayeria boehlkei)
Rummynose tetra (Hemigrammus rhodostomus)
Schwartz's catfish (Corydoras schwartzi)
Polka-dot lyretail pleco (Acanthicus adonis)

Lake Tanganyika Cichlids:
Frontosa (Cyphotilapia frontosa)
Five-barred lamprologus (Neolamprologus tretocephalus)
Cuckoo catfish (Synodontis multipunctatus)
Mbu pufferfish (Tetraodon mbu)

Walking under the ruined temple, there is a very tall and large tank housing North American freshwater fish. The gimmick of this tank is that the fish can swim above you, a very interesting feature for an aquarium.

River Giants tank:
Quillback (Carpiodes cyprinus)
Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
Spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus)
Common carp (Cyprinus carpio)
Shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus)
Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)
White crappie (Pomoxis annularis)
Longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus)
Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)
Freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens)
Robust redhorse (Moxostoma robustum)

After marvelling at the giant river fish, one will go to the next part of River Scout, which features several tanks, one of Asian fish and one of North American turtles. One can also look at the fish swimming overhead.

Asian River tank:
Red rainbowfish (Glossolepis incisus)
Banded rainbowfish (Melanotaenia trifasciata)
Lake Kutubu rainbowfish (Melanotaenia lacustris)
Boeseman's rainbowfish (Melanotaenia boesemani)
Siamese algae-eater (Crossocheilus oblongus)

Turtle tank:
River cooter (Pseudemys concinna)
Yellow-bellied slider (Trachemys scripta scripta)
Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis)

After watching the beautiful Asian fish and the active turtles, one turns the corner to, in my opinion, the best of the River Scout exhibits. The mangrove tank, featuring brackish water species from Southeast Asia and the Pacific also has a view of the alligator exhibit up above. Exciting stuff!

Mangrove tank:
Silver moony (Monodactylus argenteus)
African moony (Monodactylus sebae)
Spotted scat (Scatophagus argus)
Clouded archerfish (Toxotes blythii)

Please tune in soon to see the rest of River Scout!

Photo credits to Discovery Channel, Lady of the Zoos, and TripAdvisor

Hey, is this review going to continue soon? It's excellent & I'm very excited to see the next part.

 

[Ebirah766]

Hey, is this review going to continue soon? It's excellent & I'm very excited to see the next part.

Thank you, I wish I could continue it, maybe in the future?