Shedd Aquarium

I had only been to the aquarium in Chicago once, and it was four years ago. Pocket of Bolts tried to go about a week ago, but the line was so long and the day so hot that he and our visitors decided not to go after all. We still have so many other friends coming this summer that finally we decided it would be good to get a membership. Then we wouldn't have to wait in line and we'd also be able to get our guests in free.


So I went today with my visiting friend Baka Sensei (yeah, I know what baka means in Japanese; he's not really baka, it's just a silly nickname they gave him in Japan), and got a membership. I really only have to go once or twice more this year to make it pay for itself. And now that it's walking distance, why not?


I think my iphone takes pretty neat pictures here: lets a lot of light in, and no flash to reflect off the glass. The creatures in the above photo are lungfish, which have both lungs and gills. The spotted one has been in the Shedd Aquarium since 1933. That means he's nearly 80 years old!! I could hardly believe it. How many people he must have seen.


We were looking at the big central reef tank and a diver came out to do some feeding. Immediately the big floppy rays started dive-bombing him. They looked like big straw hats. I was trying to imagine what it must feel like to have the strong fishy flaps flap all over your head.



The diver is still in the picture directly above. He is just being swarmed by so many things you can hardly see him. Meanwhile, a big ray is flapping gracefully toward me. They are really cool and wonderful.

Another thing I was very impressed by was the nautilus.


They were in a nighttime tank downstairs. But, I had no idea they were so full of ... stuff. And they moved surprisingly fast. I guess somehow I thought they were like snails, but they were not like snails. They were like... I don't know, little flying saucers or something.

Anyway, it looks like it's going to be a hot summer, and the aquarium is a cool and soothing place to visit. So, there's definitely going to be more of that coming up...