Ripley's Aquarium

I went to Ripley's Aquarium last Saturday. On February 29th they had a Leap Year promotion where you could get 29% off a regular priced ticket ($29.98 down to $21.29 plus tax and $3.00 service charge). So, of course, I took advantage of the deal. The catch was, you had to use the tickets within two weeks of purchase.

I got there mid-afternoon after walking down. It took me a bit longer than planned because I stopped to take a few pictures of the melting ice rink at Nathan Philips Square along the way. Originally I wanted to go on a Friday to avoid the crowds, but my friend wasn't available then.

As expected it was busy. It was the first day of March Break after all. Luckily, you could skip the line to get in if you pre-purchased your ticket.

When you go in the first area you see is the Discovery Centre below on the lower level. The first gallery you actually visit is Canadian Waters. They have all sorts of fish there. From fresh water fish to East Coast crustaceans to fish from the Pacific Kelp forest.

Next is Rainbow Reef. It's a relatively small gallery with, as the name implies, colourful saltwater fish. Closely following is the most impressive gallery - Dangerous Lagoon. There you get to stand on a slow, moving-sidewalk (the longest of its kind in North America) that takes you through an underwater tunnel where you see rays, turtles and sharks all in a 2.5 million litre tank. That was pretty cool.

After that is the Discovery Centre, Planet Jellies, The Gallery, Ray Bay and Shoreline Gallery. The Discovery Centre is mostly for kids. There's a playground area and people could touch Horseshoe Crabs if they wanted. There's also a café where you can grab a bite to eat.

The Gallery had some neat fish like the poisonous Lionfish and a Seadragon. Planet Jellies had neat-looking jellyfish in neon-lit tanks. Great for pictures. Ray Bay offered you the chance to see stingrays being fed by divers at timed shows. And the Shoreline Gallery gave people the opportunity to touch small stingrays.

Some tips - In the aquarium you're not supposed to use the flash on your camera as not to disturb the sealife. Besides, it wouldn't work properly as all the fish are behind glass. Just set your camera at a relatively high ISO. As well, if you so desire, you can make your way through the aquarium a second time as long as you don't exit through the gift shop at the end (there's no re-entry if you leave).