Manta Ray at the Atlantis Resort

 

While on a recent cruise on the Disney Dream we had the opportunity to explore the incredible Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The Dig is a series of aquariums located beneath the main lobby and spread throughout the resort. Unlike other aquarium attractions, there is no central building with a roof. Most of the fish tanks are open air and sit directly under the brilliant Bahamian sun. The Dig is also highly themed to the ruins of the Lost City of Atlantis. Notable species found here include angel fish, eels, sea turtles, jellyfish, and hammerhead sharks.

 

 

One of the larger exhibits, dubbed “The Predator Lagoon,” features a 100 foot long clear acrylic underwater tunnel passing through a tank of sawfishes, sharks, stingrays, and barracudas. It’s very similar to the one found at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. The entrance is in the middle of this giant sea star themed building that also houses a restaurant.

Of course, the marquee animal currently on display is the magnificent Manta Ray. Atlantis is one of only four aquariums in the world to house manta rays. Our tour guide said this ray is just a baby which was quite surprising to hear because its wingspan was over ten feet across! The pictures do not do it justice - this guy was huge! Mantas use the fins on the side of their heads to help channel food into their mouths.

 

 

Unfortunately, we did not get to see the dolphin and sea lion area, which is on the opposite side of the resort. The dolphins are also kept in an open air exhibit and for an exuberant fee you can swim and interact with them. Our tour was only $30 a person and included transportation from the port to the resort and back. I was under the impression the resort is broken up into different areas requiring different tickets to get into but we were pretty much free to walk around wherever we liked, including the breathtaking beach with its amazing, crystal clear water.

 

Check out my video montage of the Atlantis resort and the manta ray below!
 

Monterey Bay Aquarium added to CityPass

The Monterey Bay Aquarium has been added to San Francisco's CITYPass. Get unlimited rides on the cable car and admission on four different attractions, including Monterey Bay Aquarium! Now it's easier than ever to visit one of the world's best aquariums, and my personal favorite. To celebrate, they've put together some interesting facts about the aquarium into an info-graph, pictured below.

Read more about CITYPass here.

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies Review

While visiting Dollywood, Gatlinburg. and the Smoky Mountains this past weekend my wife and I decided to do something we have never done: check out Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. This was the third year in a row we have visited Gatlinburg and, although we’d taken pictures outside of it every trip, we had never actually went inside the aquarium. Well, the weather wasn’t that great and it was colder than usual out so we figured it was the perfect time to see what the aquarium had to offer (and it promised to be nice and warm inside)!

There is a sign outside advertising it as “America’s #1 Aquarium.” I’ve never been there but I’ve always assume the Georgia Aquarium to be the best, followed by the Monterey Bay Aquarium (which we did visit last July and it was awesome). I wouldn’t rate Ripleys the number one aquarium but it was slightly better than I expected it to be and is a good option if you’re looking for an hour or two of entertainment and discovery.

The aquarium features many exhibits divided up into themed regions but the main attraction is the Shark Lagoon. Guests stand on a motorized walkway that carries them through a semi-circular tube in a U-shaped layout through a giant tank filled with nurse sharks and sawfish. The cool thing about it too is that not only do you get a great 180 degree underwater, you can also go above the tank and appear straight down into it from a variety of angles enabling you to watch the sharks fins pierce the water ala jaws. There is also a creepy/mysterious soundtrack playing in the background (all the background music is done really well here).

While the Shark Lagoon is an outstanding exhibit, the Aquarium of the Smokies as a whole lacks that one unique, marquee animal that they can hang their hat on. For example, Monterey Bay has sea otters and the Georgia Aquarium has whale sharks. Beyond the Shark Lagoon, there are really no imaginative tank designs (unlike Monterey Bay, which had several stunning designs). As an adult I did find enjoyment in visiting the Gatlinburg aquarium but it is really geared more towards kids. In the end, the aquarium is slightly overpriced (AAA members get a $1 off discount per ticket) but is a much better value than most of the other overpriced tourist traps in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

Columbus Zoo Update March 2013

We took a trip to the Columbus Zoo on Saturday, March 9th to see what was going on and if anything was new. In the latest edition of the Beastly Banner, the zoo president and CEO Tom Stalf said "We are moving to Phase II of the Safari Africa construction project. I was impressed with the 60 large trees that were planted throughout the area. This process happened in just a few days and it really transformed the area. The completion of the area will be in the summer of 2014. Giraffes, zebras, and lions will be some of the featured animals." At this point none of the Safari Africa construction can be seen from inside the zoo, other than mounds of dirt, markers, and construction equipment. The construction is going on right behind the grizzly bear enclosure.

Tom also talked about the zoo's 2013 plans in the magazine: "In honor of Jack, we are excited to provide a dinosaur experience. Enjoy walking through the Jurassic era and come face-to-face with these amazing creatures. This exhibit will also include our boat ride tour as you travel by many dinosaurs, ranging from the size of your hand to our T-rex that is larger than a city bus!" The dinosaurs are going to be found in the Islands of Southeast Asia region of the zoo. While visiting the zoo I spotted numerous red and yellow flags in the ground which I suspect are the future locations of the dinosaurs and I snapped a few pictures (seen below).

A couple other of my own notes and observations:

• All three polar bears were out in the yard and playing, the first time I have seen all three at once.
• It looks like a new cage was added to the bat exhibit in Asia Quest to separate some of the bat species.
• A new Colobus monkey was born at the zoo recently but, of course, is not on public display yet.

Enjoy our pictures from the Columbus Zoo!

Columbus Zoo possible early Dinosaur exhibit construction (I believe the placement of the flags is where the animatronic dinos will be):

 

Zoo Tails Year in Review 2012

It’s time to look back and reflect on Zoo Tails’ 2012 Year in Review. We were able to visit quite a few different zoos and aquariums across the country with some brand new to us places too!

Zoos and Aquariums I visited in 2012:

• Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
• ZooAmerica (next to HersheyPark)
• Marine Mammal Center near San Francisco (not a zoo or aquarium but thought I would include it anyways)
• Monterrey Bay Aquarium
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• The Seas with Nemo and Friends at Epcot

Zoo Tails Highlights of 2012

We’re lovers of animals of all shapes and sizes, whether they are in captivity or not. Some of our favorite moments and highlights from 2012 here:

• Seeing Jack Jack Hannah at the Columbus Zoo for the first time
• Checking out the new Stingray Bay attraction
• Safari Africa construction finally underway
• Seeing sea otters in captivity and in the wild
• Whale watching in San Francisco and spotting a blue whale
• Fantastic interview with Stacey Tarpley about zoo design

Zoo Tails Most Popular Posts of 2012

Our most read posts from the past year are:

1. Columbus Zoo Safari Africa expansion plans revealed
2. Playmobile Zoo Model 
3. Stingray Bay Update
4. How to draw zoo animals step by step
5. Woodland park zoo map 2009
   

Looking Ahead to 2013

In 2013, we’re looking forward to the continuing construction of Safari Africa at the Columbus Zoo along with any other new updates this coming year. In terms of trips, I’d love to be able to go back to Disney again, or even go to Disneyland in California and also hit the San Diego Zoo (it’s been six years since my first visit). Oh, I almost forgot, SeaWorld Orlando is building their largest expansion in history, Antarctica: World of the Penguin which is going to feature a new “trackless” ride experience and an up close encounter with penguins.  I’d like to check that out along with Discovery Cove. This is all just wishful thinking at the moment - we’ll see what happens! What are your zoo plans going to be?

Happy new year!
-Nick

Kilimanjaro Safaris Review

My wife and I just spent a long weekend at the Walt Disney World resort and being the animal fans that we are we naturally had to make the Animal Kingdom the first stop on our trip.  One of the marquee rides at Animal Kingdom is the Kilimanjaro Safaris. Set on the edge of a fictitious African town named Harambe, the Kilimanjaro Safaris transports guests to Africa in 32-passenger large open-sided motor vehicles driven by a narrator. The environment surrounding the ride path is filled with the types of vegetation and wild animal species typical of the African wilderness. Excitement on the ride path includes animals in their natural habitat and a journey over an old bridge that collapses halfway across.

I was expecting an experience similar to the bus tours at the Wilds in Zanesville, Ohio and while there are similarities in the fact you are riding a vehicle through large animal enclosures the differences were striking indeed. The biggest difference is habitat and vegetation. At The Wilds you never feel as though you’ve left the state of Ohio. While riding through the 100 acres of forests and savannahs of Kilimanjaro Safaris you’ll swear you were magically transported to the continent of Africa.

The Wilds doesn’t even attempt to conceal the boundaries of its animal enclosures. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom it is very difficult to determine where one enclosure ends and another begins.

One of the biggest complaints many zoo fans have with Animal Kingdom is that Kilimanjaro Safari animals are only viewable from the bumpy ride which only pauses a few seconds near each animal.

One of the members of ZooChat created an overhead diagram displaying the Animal Kingdom safari layout. While not exact, it is pretty accurate (with the exception of the new finale featuring zebras that was recently added).

 

I found another Animal Kingdom safari layout map which looks pretty legit but is older and contains the original ending to the ride which included animatronics and a different storyline (and I don’t think it is missed at all).

Tip: To see even more animals visit the Animal Kingdom Lodge (for free, you don't have to stay there to view the animals).

Holiday Gift Ideas for Animal Lovers

Thanksgiving is here which means Christmas and New Years is right around the corner. It’s time to shop for something special to give your loved ones, zoo goers, and fellow animal lovers. I’ve listed below some of my favorite zoo and animal related items you could give as a gift, as well as a few things on my wishlist this year as well.

Zoo Toys

LEGO Duplo - My First Zoo: With four cute zoo animals, including a baby elephant, tiger, polar bear and giraffe, there’s always something for the friendly zoo keeper to do, like feeding the animals.

Playmobil 4850 Big City Zoo: A large scale  Zoo. Entrance area with ticket counter and gift shop. Variable blockable enclosures with African animals and lots of accessories.

Zoo Movies

We Bought a Zoo: A heartwarming story about a man who moves his family into a zoo and embarks on a fresh beginning to restore the dilapidated zoo to its former glory, while uniting his family.

Zoo Games

World of Zoo: Available for Ninendo Wii, DS, and PC, World of Zoo is the only life sim game that pushes you past the fences and into a word of your own zoo. Create and customize your zoo experience and develop hands on relationships to earn the trust and love of your animals.

Zoo Tycoon 2: Ultimate Collection: In the same vein as the ultra successful RollerCoaster Tycoon series, the goal in Zoo Tycoon is to create a thriving zoo by building exhibits to accommodate animals and keeping the guests happy.

Zoo Books

Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives: Zoo Story takes readers deep into the inner workings of a place some describe as a sanctuary and others condemn as a prison.

How to Draw Zoo Animals Step by Step: Learn how to draw over 200 animals in 6 easy steps.

Cameras and Equipment for Taking Zoo Pictures

Nikon D3200 24.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR with 18-55mm: This is the camera I am currently using to take my zoo pictures and video with. The camera is a little heavy but is easy to use and, more importantly, takes great pictures!

Professional PRO 72" Super Strong Tripod With Deluxe Soft Carrying Case For The Nikon: To help take good pictures with my Nikon D3200 I like to use a tripod whenever possible.

Other Ideas
Purchase a season pass to your local zoo or aquarium!

What gifts are you getting your fellow zoo fan for the holidays? Please let me know by commenting below!