Belugas

Recently we drove down to Atlanta to the wedding of one of our friends from graduate school (for more details read Nat's blog). Sunday morning after the wedding Nat and I walked to the Georgia Aquarium to check it out as we had heard great things about it. While somewhat pricey, $24 per adult, the place is set up incredibly well. The first exhibit we went to was a massive tank that had an underwater tunnel where you could look up and see the giant whale sharks swimming alongside a constellation of other fishes including this guy, a sawfish, this guy, a giant grouper, as well as rays and others.

We also got an interesting show from the beluga whale exhibit. According to the staff at the aquarium we were lucky enough to catch the tail end of the beluga whale mating season. The one male beluga whale, in a true display of showmanship, did a mating dance, including nipping at the female whale and an attempt at intercourse, with one of the three female whales in full display of all the visitors. I guess it is not every day you get to watch beluga's getting it on at 930 in the morning.

The final highlight of the aquarium trip had to be the sea otters. The guide at the aquarium told us that sometimes, like the day we were there, the otters are fed a clam/shellfish mixture that they put inside these bottle cozy-like containers. The goal is to make the otters work for their food. The fun part is that the otters have figured out that the best way to get the clams/shellfish out is to take the cozys and smash them against the rocks in the exhibit. By doing so, the clams/shellfish break and the otters can shake the cozy and get the part they want out of their meal. So, as you are watching the otter exhibit you get to see them lift the cozys and hear a loud *whack, whack, whack* sound as they smash them up. Fun stuff.

One more note, if you ever decide to check out the aquarium, we strongly recommend going first thing in the morning. It was great being able to walk through the exhibits while the crowds were at a minimum.