My Date with the Fishies at the Aquarium

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada (288 Bremner Blvd) recently opened in Toronto. My family and I thus decided to visit the new tourist attraction to see what all the hype was about. I remember that the aquarium was already packed with people an hour after opening but we managed to get our tickets quickly, thanks to the availability of automated ticket machines. We lined up for the entrance immediately afterwards and were inside the aquarium soon after that.

I had expected the aquarium to look like the aquarium featured in the movie "Closer". However, it turned out to be smaller than I had originally thought. That is not necessarily a bad thing but I found it difficult to enjoy the view of fish in the absence of seating, of space, and, consequently, in the presence of crowds. Moreover, the aquarium was largely geared towards kids: apart from the ability to pet a horseshoe crab or a sting ray, there was little to do other than to look at fish. Again, that is not necessarily a bad thing but I expected more.

In contrast, I did love the 97-metre long tunnel that offered a scenic view of the aquarium's littlest and biggest residents. I also loved the viewing glass of jellyfish, which were lit in different colours from time to time. Lastly, I loved the fish in general. This has been the closest I had ever been to sharks, sea horses, and jellyfish and I doubt I would ever get as close to them as I had been that afternoon.

* * * * * * *

Tips for visiting the aquarium: I highly encourage that you arrive early and that you consider going on a weekday to avoid crowds and long line-ups. In addition, take your time looking at each species of fish and reading each description. Moreover, take a seat in front of the jellyfish and watch them transform into hues of pink, red, and green. Finally, get on the moving walkway and enjoy the underwater tunnel.

Cheers! <3 - JJ