Baltimore/Washington Waterways: Underwater Adventures for Everyone

My love affair with sea creatures probably began with my first two goldfish. I watched mesmerized as they flashed through the water and grieved when they died a couple of weeks later. A succession of goldfish followed with none much luckier than the first pair. But my fascination with creatures that live out their entire lives in water was awakened and now finds expression in snorkeling and my absolute captivation with aquariums.

[National Aquarium Baltimore]
(Photo: Fritz Geller-Grimm/Wikimedia)

Shortly after moving from Nashville to Washington, D.C., I was thrilled to discover the existence of the National Aquarium in the basement of the Department of Commerce building. Not the biggest or most elaborate facility, it is the oldest in the United States, established in 1873. I saw my first piranha there and was amazed at how vicious a small fish could look. With 50 tanks that contain both fresh- and salt-water species, this aquarium is a straightforward introduction to the watery depths.

The Baltimore Aquarium is Scarlet O'Hara to the Commerce building's Melanie. The award-winning, futuristic concrete and glass structure that measures 115,000 square feet and holds more than one million gallons of water was named the top aquarium in the United States by Coastal Living in 2006. Its theme is "water is life" and it contains state-of-the-art technology to help demonstrate this.

Enter the main gallery in the larger of the two buildings. Watch the cownose rays, bullnose eagle rays, Southern stingrays, a pelagic ray and a spiny butterfly ray glide effortlessly through the water and you'll understand why this exhibit is called Wings in the Water. Don't overlook Zoe the seven foot zebra shark, a real looker, or Calypso, the huge, three-flipper green sea turtle.

As you ascend the escalators you will see the aquatic life that populates Maryland's mountain streams and the Atlantic Ocean, followed by fish that show off unique survival skills for their specific environments.

[The crustacean known as "Pinchy" at the National Aquarium in Washington]
(Photo: Rob Pongsajapan/Wikimedia)

On the top floor experience the Rainforest without the worry of yellow fever, malaria or undrinkable water. This exhibit, which recreates a black (the color is caused by tannins that leach into the water from decaying leaves) Amazon tributary and the surrounding forest, is said to be one of the best re-creations of the Amazon's flooded forests. It shows a cross-section of the river and more than 100 species of fish, birds, amphibians, mammals and reptiles. Two visitor displays illustrate how animals and plants adapt during dry and flood seasons.

A second, smaller building opened in 1990. It holds the marine mammal display and a dolphinarium, the arena where dolphin shows are held. Currently a temporary exhibit space in the same building displays "Frogs: A Chorus of Colors," which is based on the book written by conservationists John and Deborah Behler.

If you haven't got the time, the money or the inclination to spend 14 or more hours in transit to the land Down Under, visit the multi-million dollar expansion, "Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extremes." The red-rock river gorge simulates Australia's Northern Territory and is populated with some of its strangest creatures. Watch kookaburras, flying foxes, pig nosed turtles, frilled lizards and more.

The newest addition to the aquarium is the Immersion Theatre, which uses 3D film and effects such as wind and water to create the experience of being in the ocean environment. A ticket for the 15-minute show adds four dollars to the admission price. 

I lose my cynicism and become a child again when I visit an aquarium. The fact that this magic is accessible to anyone with curiosity about the world they live in -- but may never experience in any other way -- puts aquariums on my list of favorite places to see wild things.