Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies {Review}

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies {Review}

 

My crew loves going to the zoo or aquarium in the new cities that we travel to, and we have year round passes to the ones at home. So it was no surprise when we went to Gatlinburg, that we headed to Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies to experience them for the first time.

So the aquarium is right off the parkway, and while the parking situation was very confusing, we finally figured out people get there by either taking the trolley (which stops right outside) or by parking in the garage on the back lot and walking back up. They had a really nice Christmas display going up the day we visited, and it was fun to watch the kids getting their pictures made or checking out the decorations.

Once inside, we started the tour right away with a picture session just inside the entry point. Then we headed to the Tropical Rainforest area.

Discover freshwater stingrays, cardinal tetras, four-eyed fish, poison dart frogs, zebra cichlids, armored catfish, Arapaima, mudskippers, green iguanas, and the voracious and feared piranha.

I loved that we could get up close and personal, even the kids, to see inside the different tanks. There were so many fish and plants to check out and talk about! Plus they had video screens or placards explaining about the variety of creatures and special facts about each of them so we could learn together.

 

Next was the Ocean Realm, where we learned about things such as the Flounder, Weedy Scorpionfish and the Spotted Garden Eel. We loved checking out the garden eels; they look like skinny little snakes sticking up out of the sand, “waving” in the water like a plant would. These guys were a lot of fun!

After we were done checking out the cool fish in Ocean Realm, we went to the Systems Control area. This is like the life support system of the aquarium and almost every part of it was behind glass so we could see it in action. Here are a few facts that we learned while we toured the area:

• The Aquarium has 1.4 million gallons of water in its exhibits. Water travels throughout the building in over 40 miles of pipe – more than the distance from Gatlinburg to Knoxville.
• Shark Lagoon is 750,000 gallons of water. The state of the art filtration system for Shark Lagoon circulates 11,664,000 gallons of water every 24 hours.
• To provide electricity to our exhibits there is a million feet of electrical wiring built into the structure. That is 190 miles of wire – approximately the distance from Gatlinburg to Nashville.
• In one month, the Aquarium uses nearly 630,000 kilowatts of power, which is enough power to light up several Tennessee towns!
• To withstand the water pressure, the acrylic window in the Coral Reef exhibit is over 4 1⁄2 inches thick. It measures 40 feet wide by 9 1⁄2 feet high. This single pane of acrylic weighs over 7 tons.

Another big hit was the Coral Reef area, which is a huge floor to ceiling tank full of colorful fish and plants! I think we found every color of the rainbow inside! Plus this is the place to see the live dive shows on the schedule which caused many giggles and gasps of delight, from kids to adults alike. Our favorite was learning about the Butterflyfishes, who have spots on their tails that look like eyes, so they can fool their predators! Amazing what nature has come up with, isn’t it?

Next on our map? The Shark Lagoon!

This is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. I wish our local aquarium at home had one like this. It’s a long tunnel, really, with a slow moving “glidepath” (the kids call it a magic side walk) which is 340 feet long! It winds through the tunnel, around corners and through different sections while all the fish and sharks swim all around you, even over the top of your head! Combined, we probably took 200 pictures and videos during this section alone. You can either walk on the carpet path or ride the very slow moving glider. Fine for strollers too! Here are some of our shots!

At the end of the tunnel, we had another picture opportunity with a huge shark on a green screen coming to eat us. The looks on our faces were priceless!!

Then came the Discovery Center which is a hands on learning lab really. There are all sorts of creatures to learn about and watch, even pick up the Horseshoe Crabs! This is a great place, especially for the younger group in our crew, because they could finally touch with freedom! LOL There are interactive pieces all over the floor, plus staff to answer questions and help them with any tasks they have difficulty with (a lifesaver for parents with multiple children).

After we tore the kids away from the hands-on area, we headed to the Gallery of the Seas.

Sometimes certain species and environments are so spectacular they look like works of art, almost too beautiful or strange to believe that they are natural and not man made.

Octopus, sea stars, corals and jellies, animals with bright colors, strange shapes and fascinating movements, are just some of the sea’s living jewels highlighted in our underwater art gallery.

These were beautiful tanks filled with all manner of fish and creatures. It was like looking at living pieces of art, and the adults were just as fascinated as the kids. We absolutely loved the tank of huge jelly fish with overhead LED lights that changed colors slowly; it was so calming just to stand there and watch as they float along, changing different colors as they drifted by.

Currently on display is a Slime themed exhibit, where visitors learn how slime plays a role in the lives of fish/creatures and plants. There was a number of tanks with creatures, and a few interactive stations to learn more about slime, used mostly for feeding or protection purposes. It was a neat area, done with vibrant colored lights and displays, while keeping the main area dark which added to the contrast. I also got to stick my hand into a tank of jellyfish to touch them (the kids wouldn’t do it).

We finally headed over to Stingray Bay to check out the different types of stingrays they had on display. This area also has divers that feed the rays from their hands!! Plus you can touch the rays under staff supervision and you have rules to follow of course. I never knew there were so many types of rays, from the size of your palm up to over 6 feet. Many live most of their lives in the sand, but some are found swimming in thousands at a time as they move from place to place.

The last area to see is the Penguin Playhouse where they have a huge display of penguins, which you can see in and out of the water! Get this, they have a tube/tunnel that kids can crawl into the center of the display and stand up in, and you can see them from the other side of the display! It was so funny to watch the kids’ faces as they found themselves right in the middle of the action. Some needed extra encouragement, but once they saw the other kids coming and going with no problem, it was a breeze. Plus when the weather is warmer, they take a few of the penguins outside on the deck for display and a show. As a mom, my favorite part was the window into the nursery to see the expecting moms and the details about them.

While this was the last area of displays and animals, there is a cafe to grab a bite to eat at and the gift shops too. Plus you can purchase your pictures that their photographers take in the two points through the tour.

I can definitely agree that this is one of the best aquariums in the country that we’ve visited so far! You’d think one aquarium is the same as another, but Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is definitely creative and wonderfully displayed. We will go back probably each time we’re in town to see our favorite animals as well as any new installments they make.

Don’t forget to stop by the aquarium when you’re in town, it’s so worth the time to explore. Plus, you can take $19 off the Ripley’s Aquarium visit plus 2 other Ripley’s attraction combo tickets! You can also read about my trip to the Ripley’s Guinness World Records museum and the other Ripley’s Gatlinburg Attractions before you go!

Check them out on the Ripley’s website and connect with them on Facebook and Twitter!