Aquariums have finagled their way into many of our vacations over recent years. I came to find out that Hubby very much enjoys a good aquarium while I was still teaching. My lack of enthusiasm over a class trip to our local aquarium had him scolding me over how much he would love to go on such a trip*.
*I was teaching kindergarten…keep that in mind. While I love the age group dearly, eighteen five-year-olds at an aquarium is about as leisurely as walking a high wire in stilettos with a kitten clinging to your back.
From that day, I have grown to love exploring the world hidden in the depths of the sea.
As we took the shuttle to the Boston subway, we chatted with a mother and son who visited the aquarium the day before. They were also aquarium lovers and had been to a number of those we had previously visited. Not wanting to ruin the day for us, the mother didn’t go into detail about her opinion of our destination, but it was obvious, she’d had better*.
*Liar, Liar, anyone?
The penguin exhibit greeted us upon entry.
While New England Aquarium did have a handful of sea creatures we haven’t seen before (or, at least, don’t recall seeing), the overall experience was a tad underwhelming. The layout was similar to the National Aquarium, but rather lackluster in its amount of exhibit offerings. If the entry cost had equaled the quality, I don’t think I would have minded so much.
I tried to withhold from taking dozens of pictures of sea creatures I’ve seen a hundred times and went for the out of the ordinary, not so common creatures.
Alright, well, I couldn’t resist this guy. I mean, come on, the lions of the sea? That’s something worth seeing.
He stayed pretty hidden, but the octopus was hands down my favorite. It amazes me how something not only bright orange in color, but also size H U G E, can disguise itself in such a way.
The most intriguing thing about any aquarium I visit is the vast differences in each and every fish within the tanks. The fact that such a wide variety of species exists in a world seldom traveled by humans makes our world feel awful large.
Because I love the sea turtle, Calypso, who lives at the National Aquarium, I was excited to find that New England Aquarium had not just one, but three green sea turtles.
Holding second place of interest, after the octopus, were the Caribbean Dwarf Horses. I found the delicate, yet intricate, creatures to be as wondrous as the vast number of creatures in the sea.
They reminded me of Matthew 6:30: ‘If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you–you of little faith?’
If such a small creature mattered enough to be created and uniquely designed by God, how much more must we matter to Him?
New England Aquarium
1 Central Wharf
Boston, MA 02110
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