We can’t stay in the city without going to “The Bubble” aka Science World or the Aquarium. We met up with Erin, Matthew and Brendan to visit Science World. Of course us home learners forgot that it was spring break and hadn’t expected it to be as busy as it was! Darn it! We made the most of our visit however and saw just about everything, even it wasn’t seen in depth or with patience.
The highlight of the day was actually leaving Science World for some fresh air at a near by park.
It was just Leif and I when we went to the aquarium the morning of our flight home. Lily hung out with my dad since she had only just started eating again after falling ill the day before. It was actually really nice moving around the aquarium at Leif’s pace. We took our time. Here are a few images from our morning. (click to see images bigger or more of them)
I don’t really want to get into in right now and right here but I have very conflicting feelings about the aquarium. On the one hand I’d much rather all these living creatures to be in their natural homes, living their natural lives but on the other hand, I see that helping city children (and adults) see, understand and connect with these creatures helps them care about them. When people care about nature, they’re more willing to protect it. sigh.
i think you and i have similar feelings about the aquarium. for those people in the city who can’t have the same connection to nature that we do, it may be our best hope for them to have a relationship with these creatures and therefore care enough to protect them. but it’s complicated, as these things always are.
i love that last shot of Leif and the beluga.
Beautiful pictures, Annie. Glad you had a good trip, I hope you are all feeling better now!
i’m with you both, we have a membership and love to go, the kids really enjoy the visits through the rainy winter, but now that the sun is out and things outdoors are calling much more loudly, we won’t be going until november likely.
i always feel so sad when yet another creature dies that is housed there. one day the boys and i saw the mama octopus being transferred from some space to another (i think after her babies hatched, that she had been guarding in a cave for months in the huge tank you see when you first come in…)) and she was in a small glass aquarium. she would push off from one side of the glass and get moving, with some speed, only to absolutely clunk into the glass on the other side. over and over she did this trying to figure out her confines. my kids were so disturbed by this that they coaxed me into asking staff about it.
shrugs and “i’m not sure when she’ll be in a better space” were all we got. we were a bit heart broken, watching this poor thing bash itself and obviously housed in a tank way too small…anyways, yes good and bad.
so glad to see you got out though, just you and leif. lily likely needed that time to recoup for the flight home.
what a full 2 weeks y’all had!! xoxo
I also feel conflicted about the aquarium, and for the same reasons you’ve mentioned here. I don’t have the same kind of internal conflict over the zoo.
I mention this as it’s been pointed out to me before, (along with accusations of hypocrisy), but the two venues are so different both in what they offer and in what they take away…
i agree totally with this bridie, the zoos make me crazy, and i just don’t see the level of expertise and study and research with the zoo platform. they all seem to be owned by multi nationals, the same sorts who own resorts, ski hills etc.
Thank you, everyone. xx
Same boat here with the aquarium – there is nothing like giving that connection with nature to kids, to help them learn and therefore hopefully care about and protect it.
With zoos – I have a friend who has worked in a couple of zoos, with the purpose of improving the conditions. He has seen many, and would agree that there are very few (though at least a few) who get it right. The rest should be closed in a heart beat.
Beautiful photos – we haven’t been to the aquarium in over three yrs, so I am hoping we can get there again soon…
~C~