Jellies! (Knoxville, Chattanooga, Ripley: live, vs., moving) - Tennessee (TN) - City-Data Forum

BlueCuzco · 01-10-2009, 03:33 PM

Here are two posts about the next gallery to be put in Ocean Journey (Tennessee Aquarium).

"Now that I'm volunteering at the aquarium I'm now very up to date on everything that's going on. (Disclaimer: I don't in any way speak for the aquarium staff, etc.) Today I found out what the next gallery in Ocean Journey is going to be. You see, the expansion was set up so that every year or two the aquarium could open a new gallery and get a new spurt of publicity. First it was Boneless Beauties, which opened a couple weeks after the main building in May 2005. Then in May 2007 Penguins' Rock opened.

"From the Monterrey Bay Aquarium in California is traveling a new jellyfish gallery, which will not only feature plushy invertebrates but also art from the Hunter Museum up on the bluff. Sounds pretty cool! I've heard great things about the jellies at Monterrey so I'm really excited about this one. It will open in May 2009."

-and-

"For those interested in the next addition to Ocean Journey:

"I just got back from a special event at the aquarium for volunteers and select guests, and was excited to find that we were allowed to enter the Quarantine Room in the River Journey building, a room that is off-limits to behind-the-scenes tours and is only opened up for regular foot traffic once a year. The room is where new animals go to make sure they are not carrying diseases, and where diseased animals go to be treated. And, excitingly, it is also the location of the jellyfish breeding tanks for the new "Jellies as Art" exhibition set to open permanently in the Ocean Journey building in May 2009.

"I got to talk to the jellyfish breeder who described the various sorts of jellies that will be on display and mentioned various difficulties with water quality and the like that set the breeding three months off schedule. Luckily everything is going well now and jellies in various stages of life can be seen in the various tanks. It was quite fascinating and only piqued my interest as to what the final exhibition will be like. If it is even partially as successful as the moving gallery in 2000 (and by the looks of it it will be even better) it will definitely bring in the crowds."

-Kristian

TNKY · 01-10-2009, 08:17 PM

Sounds cool, I love aquaruims. When we lived in VABeach we went to theirs often. Now that we're looking to relocate to maybe Chatt or Knoxville, which area has the better aquarium? Obviously this is not a determing factor about the move, just haven't been to either the TN aquarium or the Ripleys outside of Knoxville. And since it's kinda related, whose zoo is better?

atlantagreg30127 · 01-10-2009, 11:41 PM

Hey at least I can get into the Jelly area in Chattanooga's facility and SEE them. Our Aquarium in Atlanta was so poorly designed for crowds you have to go on a Monday morning at 10am to hope to be able to get up to the window to see the things.

Whenever I need an Aquarium fix, I usually drive the extra hour up to Chattanooga instead of our own. LOL

BlueCuzco · 01-11-2009, 08:20 AM

Sounds cool, I love aquaruims. When we lived in VABeach we went to theirs often. Now that we're looking to relocate to maybe Chatt or Knoxville, which area has the better aquarium? Obviously this is not a determing factor about the move, just haven't been to either the TN aquarium or the Ripleys outside of Knoxville.And since it's kinda related, whose zoo is better?

TNKY: I have only been to the Tennessee Aquarium, but know a fair amount about the one in Gatlinburg. Based on my experience on another site people who go there are generally happy with their visit, besides it being a little too expensive. Here are my thoughts: The TN is $20 (with as little as $4 for parking) and the RS is $22 (with more expensive parking), so they are more or less the same. Here are the major exhibits at RS: Tropical Rainforest, a few tropical fish tanks, a large shark tunnel, stingray touching area, and a moving exhibit (currently Mars). Listing similarly sized galleries at TN: Cove Forest, Delta Swamp, streams and rivers (four different galleries), seahoreses, Tropical Cove (stingray and shark touching) & Butterfly Garden, Penguins, Secret Reef, Invertibrates. So I'd estimate that the TN is 50-80% bigger than RS. Plus, from what I hear it has much more information and focuses on education to a much greater degree. Both aquariums seem like generally good intitutions, though, unlike the one in Georgia which gets very mixed reviews.

Also, RS rarely changes or improves except to get a new moving exhibit, whearas the one here is constantly improving. Everytime I go to volunteer there's usually something that they have changed, and they are contantly working on big projects. Ocean Journey itself was an expansion, andLast year the penguins exhibit opened, and next may a new jellyfish exhibit from the Monterey Bay aquarium will open. There is room for three more galleries to open inside of Ocean Journey, and there are plans to change the Gulf of Mexico exhibit in River Journey to something freshwater in the future. The membership benefits at this aquarium are pretty good, as well. You can't tell that I'm at all biased with all this, but I think I raise legitimate points. I hope to be able to visit Ripley's in the future so I can put them in more exact context.

Zoos: I know little about the zoo in Knoxville, but the one here in Chattanooga is pretty nice (and I haven't visited to see the new entrance and expansion yet). It's small, but there are a variety of animals like red pandas, mountain lions, chimps, and snow leopards. If you go, def make a visit in the morning.

TNKY · 01-11-2009, 06:52 PM

BlueCuzco, I'd have repped ya, but have to spread it around. As far as zoos, maybe someone else can compare Knoxville vs. Chattanooga.

jkmewright · 01-12-2009, 07:10 AM

Good stuff Blue! Maybe we saw you the other night

Beretta · 01-12-2009, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TNKY

BlueCuzco, I'd have repped ya, but have to spread it around. As far as zoos, maybe someone else can compare Knoxville vs. Chattanooga.

I didn't realize that Chattanooga has a zoo. It's about time for another trip down to Chattanooga for a tourist visit so maybe we can go there as well. You all have me jonesing for a trip to the Aquarium for sure!

Jon F Moss · 01-12-2009, 08:51 AM

believe it or not, we haven't been to the zoo here yet. i'm pretty sure that the aquarium beats the zoo hands down though.

jkmewright · 01-12-2009, 09:04 AM

The zoo is pretty good. Small but decent. There is a caboose you can enter during your visit that has a plexi cube built in that provides shade for the cats. If you catch one inside it you are 1/2" from a "wild" animal and that's awesome. The petting zoo is alot of fun and the animals are naughty so watch your shoe strings

Zoos always make me kinda sad but the animals seem to be well provided for though their enclosures seem a tad small.

TNKY · 01-13-2009, 06:58 AM

Sadly, due to economic times, many zoos and even aquariums are getting budget cuts. I read about them in places like NY, NC, MO and FL, but thankfully niether Knoxville or Chatt was mentioned (that I saw). I think zoos/aquariums are one of the best family activities around and to see them now suffering is really sad.