The Dallas World Aquarium

The Dallas World Aquarium photo is from The Dallas World Aquarium Site. The DWA site gives the following description of their marvelous facility. "The aquarium features more than 85,000 gallons (321,800 l) of saltwater with marine life from around the world. Walk through the 22,000-gallon (83,280 l) tunnel to experience a panoramic view of reef life. Many animals found at the top of the food chain can be seen in the Predators exhibit. Ten 2,000-gallon (7,571 l) displays present marine life from around the world - Palau, Southern Australia, Lord Howe Island, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Bahamas, British Columbia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Japan. Representing the waters of four continents, three oceans and various seas, the aquarium gives a glimpse of the underwater world."

When I visit the aquarium, I love to take the elevator to the 4th floor and begin my adventure in the Rainforest canopy. The rain forest exhibit represents the South American Orinoco River basin located in Venezuela. The Orinoco River begins along the Venezuela-Brazil border in the Parima Mountain Range and provides a rich learning experience.  Here, in the rain forest canopy, you begin to understand the unique symbiotic relationship between the rainforest canopy, the habitat on the floor beneath, and the aquatic life deep within the river. A spell-binding water fall spills onto the forest floor below while capturing rays of sunlight in the mist-filled air.

The forest below is filled with native flora, fauna and wildlife.  If you look closely, you will see native birds in the trees and a wide variety of wildlife on the floor of the forest far below. Take your time to visually explore the entire forest because many of the native inhabitants blend flawlessly into the lush vegetation.

At the end of the wooden bridge are some large potted trees. In the branches of one of those trees you will find my favorite resident, the three-toed sloth. She spends her days nestled in the fork of a tree sleeping with her face shielded by her long arms. She rarely shows her face, but on one rare occasion I was able to capture this wonderful photo of her looking at her caretaker. Am I imagining it, or is she smiling? You rarely see her sweet face at this angle in photos. This was truly a rare moment.  There are three sloths at the aquarium. Watch the great video of Selma The Sloth by Devon Gray taken at the Dallas World Aquarium. This incredible photo is now available on uniquely designed products at Cafe Press. You can find links to these items below.

Just past the three-toed sloth is the Jungle Café where you can buy a delicious Frito pie at a very reasonable price, which is only exceeded by excellent customer.  You can eat your Frito pie in a jungle style dining room under a thatch covered roof, or sit on the bench across from the sloth and wait for that perfect photo opportunity.

From here you begin a magical downward journey along gently sloping paths to the floor of the rainforest and then deep within the Orinoco River exhibit. One of the first breath-taking experiences is the sighting of Orinoco crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius) crocodile cove. I captured this surreal photo of the crocodile on my last visit to the aquarium. The sunlight filtering into his cave gave him an eerie green glow. 

You will find a treasure trove of awe-inspiring exhibits. I am going to tell you about a few of the many exhibits. You must spend a day at the Aquarium to truly appreciate the wonderment of it all.

One breath-taking exhibit is of the vampire bats. The bats are housed in a large gallery tucked away in it's own alcove. The black lighting of the gallery gives it a mystique that adds to the adventure of seeing real live vampire bats. They look so small and innocuous hanging there in total contradiction to the ominous image portrayed of them in movies. This is a fascinating display that will captivate young and old. Photos are difficult, but I was able to capture the little guy in the photo with a telephoto lens and flash.

From here you will find incredible bioscape displays in every nook and cranny. Take your time and you will be awed and amazed by the experience. You will find teaching tools by each exhibit to enhance your visit and learning experience.

Just around the corner is another of my favorites. In a tiny aquarium in the wall you will find a Goliath spider (Theraphosa blondi), who eats birds! I learned about these remarkable spiders in a very unusual way. One day, when I picked my youngest son from pre-school, he excitedly began to telling me all about a spider who ate birds. I laughed and told him he was being silly, and later discovered that he had listened attentively to the story of bird eating spider in school. Never under estimate what a child will understand and absorb. He was only 5 years old, but was teaching me. Remember to take the time to tell even the smallest child about the exhibits and give them a learning opportunity.

The following only only a few photos from my visit to the Dallas World Aquarium. This is an wonderful education experience for young and old. And don't forget to stop by one of the two gift shops where you will find incredible gifts from around the world. My favorite is their extensive collection of Imax videos and music cd's, which enhance, and extend, the learning experience. Some of these cd's can be found in the links provided below.
Freshwater Stingray. Potamotrygon is a genus of freshwater stingrays native to the rivers of South America. They are often kept as exotic aquarium fish. They enjoy a deep, sandy floor, in which they bury themselves, often with only the eyes visible. They are not territorial and live in groups in a large aquarium. They are carnivorous bottom feeders who are very sensitive to water conditions. 

Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) put on a spectacular display of their aquatic agility. They seemed to perform for the audience, making aerobatic swims back and forth in front of the glass and making a graceful turns at each end of the tank. The DWA site also has a video cam where you can watch their playful antics online.

I have only given you a small sampling of the educational experience provided by the Dallas World Aquarium. From here I recommend you take the photographic tours the Dallas Aquarium offers on their website. The online photo tours include the aquarium, the rain forest, South Africa, and Mundo Maya. They also has some internet webcams so you can watch the manatees, the river otter and the Lek cam in the avairy.

50% of the proceeds from this Lens will be donated directly to EcoTrust, so please use my products links to buy educational materials about rainforests and related topics. EcoTrust is dedicated to education and conservation of North American forests. You may be surprised to learn that we have rainforests in North American. You can learn more about these rainforests on the EcoTrust site.