The Florida Aquarium

The Florida Aquarium is probably one of the finest aquariums in Florida.  It has been ranked by Parents Magazine as one of the top five child friendly aquariums.

This very large aquarium consists of more than 200,000 square feet of exhibits and about 20,000 aquatic plants and animals from around the world, in particular Florida. 

Recognized by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, The Florida Aquarium sits in Tampa's Channelside District.  It opened in 1995 and last year welcomes around 675,000 visitors a year. 

Galleries and Exhibits 

The aquarium itself is divided into four "galleries" with many exhibits within each of those galleries.  Each gallery has a different theme for your enjoyment.

Wetlands – this section of the aquarium is very much Florida orientated.  Here visitors can explore fish, animals, and birds of the state's marshes, streams, rivers, swamps, and mangrove forests.  Children will love the adorable river otters and be awed by the alligators.

Bays and Beaches – visitors to this gallery get the opportunity to observe the sea life typical of nearby Tampa Bay.  Exhibits show what is at the bottom of the bay as well as fish that typically attract recreational fishermen to the area, like snook.  The beach display presents a cross section of the sea life found at a typical Florida beach.

The Coral Reef – this colourful gallery brings guests close to the waters of the Florida Keys with a look at the sea life that inhabits the coral formations of the Dry Tortugas, near the Keys.  Guests can walk under a virtual tunnel to find out what's inside a coral cave or peer through the Panoramic Window and watch one of several daily dive shows held at the site.  Visitors will also want to check out the Coral Farm, where biologists experiment with techniques used in coral reproduction.

Ocean Commotion – the Florida Aquarium's newest gallery, Ocean Commotion invites visitors to explore the depths of the world's oceans.  Very much an interactive, hands-on gallery, children can pick up phones and learn about their favourite creature and even play with a virtual dolphin.

Several additional and noteworthy exhibits also keep guests entertained and educated as they make their way through this excellent facility. They include:

Aquariumania – this fun exhibit tells guests how to go about setting up their own home aquarium at home and educates them about Florida's fish farms, which grow more than 95 percent of all aquarium fish grown in the U.S.

Dragons Down Under – part of the Coral Reef Gallery, this exhibit provides the opportunity to view real Southern Australian sea dragons and fascinating dwarf seahorses, which are native to Florida. Absolutely awesome!

No Bone Zone – geared towards younger children, this section of the aquarium focuses on invertebrates.  The piece de resistance for little hands is the touch tank but there's also an addition 400 gallon tank featuring more boneless sea creatures.  Children also love crawling in and out of human sized hermit crab shells.

Year of the Frog – not one but four exhibits outline the plight of the frog in hopes of encouraging amphibian conservation.  Visitors will view frogs native to Florida as well as their sisters and brothers from around the world.

Activities

No one is ever bored at The Florida Aquarium.  Aside from galleries and exhibits, there are plenty of scheduled activities and additional attractions to keep visitors of all ages busy. 

Explore a Shore – at two acres in size, this outdoor water zone provides plenty of room for the kids to run around and cool off.  It features slides, geysers, water guns, and more, the Explore a Shore is a welcome break for little ones with short attention spans. 

Penguin Promenade – a few times each day, guests can get up close and personal with resident penguins as they promenade across a red carpet lined with eager visitors.  Guests are asked to sit calmly around the carpet as the penguins travel through, often stopping to greet their visitors. 

Behind the Scenes Tour – these fascinating one hour tours take guests to parts of the aquarium that cannot otherwise be explored, like the quarantine areas and the kitchen that prepares the meals for all the Florida Aquarium residents. 

Dive with the Sharks – certified SCUBA divers age 15 and up are invited to experience close encounters with the aquarium's sharks in hopes of dispelling the myth that sharks are man eaters.  Dive masters accompany each diver.  An additional fee is charged and reservations are suggested. 

Wild Dolphin Ecotours – climb aboard the Bay Spirit, a 49-foot catamaran, for a 90-minute journey to view Tampa

Bay's bottlenose dolphins.  Ecotours run daily, with extra tours available during the weekends.  Prices are very reasonable and reservations are recommended. 

This article was written by Phil Cornish.  Designer and owner of Orlando Florida private vacation villas and Disney World rental homes web sites http://www.floridasuntime.com and also http://www.simply-florida.com where you can get great deals on Florida vacation villas