Photo By Janecze Wright | Perched on legs that can span over four feet, the flamingos’ bright pink hue was a...... read more read more
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DALLAS — Aquariums always evoke a sense of childhood nostalgia, so I was excited when my friend and I visited the Dallas World Aquarium.
Nestled in the Historic West End District in downtown Dallas, the establishment was once an old warehouse located at 1801 North Griffin Street. It opened as the original site of the Dallas World Aquarium in October 1992.
We paid the entry fee, received field guides with information about each exhibit, pictures and descriptions of various sea life, reptiles and mammals, and we were off to explore the aquarium.
We entered the Orinoco Rainforest and were immediately transported to the jungle. Orinoco consisted of three levels: Canopy, Understory and Aquatic, with a walkway that spiraled around the lush forest and a waterfall that feeds into the river below. Visitors can enjoy a 360-degree view of the rainforest and explore different exhibits at each level.
The dense greenery was home to several species of birds such as the Black-necked aracari and the Toco toucan. The humid, jungle-like atmosphere allowed the birds to roam freely throughout the seven-story structure and almost made me forget I was in downtown Dallas.
The best part of my visit was the walk-through exhibit that consists of a 20,000-gallon, 40-foot-long, glass tunnel. Brown sharks, stingrays and an assortment of fish seemed to delight in swimming overhead, as visitors, including me, clamored to take pictures.
Ayurami, an endangered Antillean manatee, moved gracefully alongside her peers and was easily the largest marine animal in the tank. Manatees are typically up to 10-feet-long from snout to tail and weigh around 1,000 pounds, but they can grow to over 13-feet-long and weigh more than 3,500 pounds.
Being in the tunnel made it seem as if the marine animals were just within reach, and it was probably the closest I’d ever get.
As we ventured into Mundo Maya, a section of the aquarium that is home to various reptiles, marine creatures, birds and penguins, we saw several bright pink flamingos. Perched on legs that can span over four feet, the flamingos’ colorful hue was a beautiful contrast to their green surroundings.
We made our way to South Africa and were pleasantly surprised to see a group of black-footed penguins perched on a platform in the middle of the river. It was a treat to watch an employee hand-feed them sardines.
After a short visit to the gift shop, and a few more snaps of brightly colored marine life, we were ready to head home.
The aquarium takes visitors on trip around the globe within the span of a few hours and it was a great experience.
| Date Taken: | 03.05.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 03.23.2023 15:45 |
| Story ID: | 440382 |
| Location: | DALLAS, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 134 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Aquarium features species from around world, by Janecze Wright, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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