SHARK! For real this time.

Here it is, the long-awaited, much anticipated (ha!) aquarium post! Hooray! I've actually visited two aquariums recently so what is it with me and fish? Anyone who may have actually read my blog knows I went to the New England Aquarium just last week. While that's a great aquarium, it's not the one I'm writing about today.

On my recent weekend trip to New York City, my good friend Sadako (I'd turn that into a link if I knew how) and I ventured out of Manhattan, across all of of Brooklyn, to that strange remaining vestige of a bygone era: Coney Island. Ah, yes, Coney Island. Home of the Cyclone, the sideshow, and the New York Aquarium (oh, and a kick-ass merry-go-round). Our main destination was, as one could probably guess, the aquarium.

The journey there started with a long ride on the subway. (Did we take the Q? I think so.) Here's where I recommend 20 Questions as a fun game for long trips. Okay, back to the trip adventure. I'm trying so hard to make this sound interesting. Sigh.

After getting off the train, it was only a short walk to the aquarium. The New York Aquarium is not huge, not flashy, and not, to my knowledge, a big tourist destination. It does have its charms, though.

The aquarium is actually a series of buildings and outdoor tanks (often with indoor viewing areas). This is nice because the noise level is generally not too bad and, even in a small-ish space, things don't get too crowded. The design also helps designate types of animals and exhibits.

This aquarium visit brought out the movie-maker and photographer in Sadako and the results are a sight to behold. First, maybe my favorite: the jellyfish. The jellyfish building (there are a lot of jellyfish at the NY Aquarium) uses blacklight (I think) to create a cool, underwater effect. It's actually pretty eerie though the sound on this video might not demonstrate that. I still love it though:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6AH58MlmH0&feature=channel
I wish I knew how to just post the video here...

The NY Aquarium is also, as the title of my post suggests, a good place to see sharks. In captivity. Where they can't hurt you. Or something. Here's their video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ45hKA722g&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eyoutube%2Ecom%2Fuser%2FSadakogirl&feature=player_profilepage
Fun, huh? Even if someone lied about a seal.

For your viewing pleasure, one more video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt7MP8kNSc8&feature=channel
Impressive, isn't it? There are some great pictures as well. I should probably post them...

Anyway, the aquarium was, as always, lots of fun. Pretty fish, scary sharks, and so on. Definitely worth a visit.

More information: http://www.nyaquarium.com/

Up next: Wales, for real this time. After that I'm thinking Yosemite, if anyone cares. I have a pretty good story there.

Sidenote to Sadako: sorry if I didn't do this justice... Too tired.