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 The Georgia Aquarium
by Steve
 Well, Thanksgiving, Aunt Sally and I decided to check out the new Georgia Aquarium. So new, in fact, that this was the first day it'd be open to the public. After alternating reports of "you'll NEVER get in" and "people can still get in", dear old Aunt Sally decided that we were going, that's it. Aunt Sally really wanted to be "a part of history" for this one. I'm always game for an adventure, so what the hell.
We got to the Aquarium around 3:30pm. It was mobbed. They put us in the line for the riffraff who just walked up without pre-reserved time. That line was terrible... around 4:30pm we got up to the front and bought our tickets. The Aquarium gives appointment times, and the best time we could get was for 6:00pm.
We walked around downtown and decided to go to the Ritz-Carlton for something to eat. I got a burger and Sally got a Caesar salad. After having had a big turkey party and a company Thanksgiving meal, I was freakin' done with Turkey for the season.
We walked back and got to the Aquarium at 6:05 and were whisked inside. There are a few teaser aquariums as you walk in that were quite eye-catching -- on an obsidian wall, with a black background, irridescent fish were lit with blacklight. And when you walk into the Atrium, the scale overwhelms you. It's big as a football field, and the top attractions (the whale sharks and the beluga whales) can both be glimpsed from the atrium.
We went right for the big tank, the monster, the King Kamehameha, the 6.2 *MILLION* gallon saltwater tank holding the two whale sharks, and laid out like a coral reef. The thing that makes saltwater tanks so desirable is the vibrant color in the fish, and that's exactly what we got. It was magnificent -- schools of bright yellow-green fish flocking the tunnel, various-sized rainbows of fish moving hither and yon, and the whale sharks circling overhead. I had a momentary panic and then examined the glass: about six inches thick, looks like. Wow. I realized I was standing thirty feet underwater in a reef, a hundred and fifty miles from the ocean. A technological marvel.
The path leads you around to other windows into the tank, so you can see different aspects of this environment. It was not as well-developed as I'd like in the accompanying displays (identifying fish types, for example) but that's something they can (and will) fix over time. This was opening day, mind you, and there was somewhat of a rush to make the deadline. Even so it was quite world-class.
 Once back in the Atrium, we chose the Beluga whales as our next destination. This section dealt with the cold areas of the ocean, so we saw spider crabs, sea otters, seals and the like. The seal tank is partially outdoor. If this is the cold area tank, what the hell are those seals going to think in August?
The third area was the first freshwater area, dealing with river ecology. It was especially cool because they'd built a river running overhead! It was filled with trout and catfish and such. Along the walls throughout were other types of freshwater aquatics. This was good, but more of a teaser for the Chattanooga Aquarium, which is an awesome freshwater aquarium (whose saltwater collection is totally weak.)
And the fourth area focused on the aquatic ecology of Georgia. This included the coastal marshes, some of the lake and pond fish, and regional fish not covered in the river walk. This area was more interactive for the kids -- lots of places they could crawl in and out of and lots of toys for them. At the end of this path was a slide that had you coming out of a whale's mouth. Very Jonah-esque. I got out and said "Hey! This isn't Judea!" so they wouldn't know I'm not one of them. I think I got away with it.
The gift shop was quite reasonable by the standards of these things. I got a coffee mug that shows that cool ship profile, and a bookmark, and a bottle of water for the trip back. $12, seems okay to me. But even this was artistic To show off their chihuly-esque glass offerings, they had them submerged in a fishtank with small irridescent fish swimming throughout. How cool!
It's one thing to do a job well, but it's another to consciously pursue the level of quality that will really amaze and delight everyone. Bernie Marcus (one of the founders of Home Depot and an unabashed lover of his adopted city) is a guy who does that. I hear he was at the Aquarium nearly every day overseeing the details. And boy, are the details magnificent. He didn't spare a dime in pursuit of his gift. I understand that the Aquarium has been fully paid for in cash; there's no debt, and the ticket money pays for upkeep and improvements. Some corporate sponsorship was involved, but it was almost entirely paid for out of Mr. Marcus' pocket. I can't think of a better thing he could be doing with that wealth. He gave Georgia far more than he spent.
I am so proud of my city, and of Mr. Marcus, and of the Georgia Aquarium. I am so proud to be able to grin wide and welcome you to come down and see it!
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