My Niece Put Her HAND in the SHARK tank!!!!!!!!!
Written: Nov 27 '00 (Updated Nov 27 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: petting the sharks! active animals!
Cons: small, not a ton of variety.
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| DiamondLynn's Full Review: New Jersey State Aquarium |
With one seven year old and two toddlers in tow we ventured out for our second trip to the New Jersey State Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey.
After a short ride via ferry or over the Ben Franklin Bridge from Philadelphia you enter the questionable looking city of Camden. Trying to navigate the signage to the aquarium is a feat all on its own but then an impressive looking building with a large dome appears.
A 40 foot giant shark sign hangs over the entrance beckoning visitors.
When you pass through the gates onto the aquarium grounds large topiaries shaped like elephants and other animals welcome you. Giant tea cups, forks and plates are to your left for children to climb on. Four foot ants crawl through the picnic setting and invariably you will see a little one draped over their backs.
A carousal shimmers in the background with large sea animals to ride on. This is the Camden Children's Garden. It is an "Alice in Wonderland" type of place for children to run and take a break from the crowds.
A glass wall is off to your right and you can view penguins swimming under water. Above them is the sea lion habitat.
When you enter the aquarium there is a vestibule with an impressive fish mobile turning overhead. It makes you feel as if you are snorkeling.
The aquarium's main attraction is the first thing you see when you enter, unfortunately. While the 750,000 gallon tank filled with massive sharks with sharp, shiny, white teeth is impressive and nearly hypnotic...it sets you up to expect more after you leave it.
The tank has very active sharks, large sea tortoises, GIANT stingrays and brilliant green moray eels. The eels were an especially nice treat the day we took our son and two nieces. In most aquariums the eels hide in the rocks and you are lucky to get a decent glimpse of them, this day, this eel was feeling frisky and really put on a show for the visitors.
N.J.S.A. has a very nicely done Caribbean exhibit. I have been snorkeling in many parts of the Caribe and it made me long for a little vacation back there.
The N.J.S.A. has a wonderful collection of eels and some rare fish. They have a creative stingray display where you can look up into the tank and see the rays "faces".
They have a small rainforest exhibit (that cannot begin to compare to the National Aquarium in Baltimore) that has large parrots and toucans. The biggest problem with that display was that all day long we had to listen to my husband singing "you follow your nose..it always knows! The flavor of sweet! Just follow your beak!"
They have a tide pool that visitors can reach in and touch starfish, hermit crabs, sea urchins and other small ocean creatures. One of the most exciting exhibits is a "touch tank". This is a small pool where visitors can reach in and pet a stingray or a small shark. The sharks are approximately 3 feet long and fully grown in this display.
The back of a shark has denticles or little teeth like thingys (thingys..I am pretty sure that is the scientific name) that make it feel rough, like an emery board. The belly of a shark is soft like satin. It thrilled my niece to get her picture taken petting sharks and rays. We must have spent at least an hour at this display alone that day! She kept wanting to go back to it.
The large shark tank is a wonderful display. The wall is maybe 20 feet tall and 50 feet long which lets every one have a nice view. Farther into the exhibits, near the Caribbean display they have an auditorium style seating area which you can also view a large window into the tank. There is a commentator there to answer questions and it is a wonderful place to meditate and let the aqua life hypnotize your cares away. This was a huge draw for me, so many other aquariums have more impressive collections of sharks but I don't think I have seen one that shows them off as nicely.
The N.J.S.A. looks over the waterfront and across the Delaware toward Philly and it is a magnificent place to view the sunset over Philadelphia.
While the aquarium itself is small and the variety of species is also small what they do have is wonderfully done. It seems to be a work in progress and I think that comparing where they were in May to November shows that that is exactly what they are doing.
If you are in the Philadelphia area, the aquarium is worth the drive. If you are driving farther than two hours to it, be prepared, while it is nice: it is not yet a world class competitor.
The fee to get into the aquarium is $12.50, children under 3 are free. If you check newspapers you may be able to find a coupon for one free children's admission for each adult purchase (a savings of $11.50). You can also purchase a "City Pass" for close to $30.00 which admits you to the aquarium, the Philadelphia Museum of Art (usually $8.00), the Philadelphia Zoo (8.00) and other Philly attractions and discounts.
Parking is pretty reasonable at $6.00 for the day and directly across the street from the aquarium.
For those of you planning weddings or holiday parties, the aquarium does offer facilities for that..you can dine with the sharks, give them a call, I personally, think its a really unique idea!
Oh, and for those of you that have read my other reviews: the ladies room is large with many stalls, hand dryers and paper towels, sinks with sensors, a very nice changing area but falls flat on cleanliness. Pretty much what you expect from a public rest room.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
DiamondLynn
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Member: Diane
Location: pennsylvania
Reviews written: 55
Trusted by: 51 members
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