So Many Things to Sea

Yesterday, Beth and I met up with Tavie and Sean on Coney Island (or should that be "IN Coney Island"?) to go to the New York Aquarium. Neither Beth nor I had ever been, although we'd been to other aquariums as kids. One thing I noticed compared to what I'd remembered was the lack of really big animals. I guess that's because of the backlash against places like Sea World or the Mall of America keeping them in tanks that were way too small for them to live comfortably. They do normally have penguins, which also sounds kind of cruel, especially in the summer; but the exhibit was undergoing maintenance that day. I wonder where they keep the penguins in the meantime. I didn't realize that there were outside exhibits, which is probably part of why I didn't wear sunscreen and ended up being burned all over my head and arms. It was overcast and rained on and off, but I guess that didn't matter. There were a few seals outside, but they stayed underwater most of the time, so I didn't get any good pictures.

One of them was tagged with a number, and the guide explained that this was because he kept breaking into an enclosure for endangered fish in California before they sent him across the country. I believe it was Tavie who pointed out how strange it was that the seals were now living so close to the ocean, but not in it. Inside, there were quite a few rays and small sharks.

There was also a Japanese Skull Crab, which I somehow totally missed the first time I looked at the tank.

The aquarium had one of those theaters where they provided 3-D glasses and the seats were wired to vibrate and such, where we watched a short film about sharks, including the wobbegong, nurse, and Great White. I remember a book on sharks and whales I had as a kid that I used to look at a fair amount, and I found the hammerhead shark particularly fascinating. I recall generally being more interested in whales than sharks, though. After the aquarium, we ate at Gargiulo's, an Italian restaurant not on but near the Boardwalk, where Beth and I had been once before. I wasn't going to say I didn't eat any seafood, but then I remembered we had a shared appetizer of tiny baked clams. I used to think I didn't like clams, but I've since found that they're pretty good; it just seems like they're often gritty. We've now visited Coney Island twice this year and still haven't ridden any rides. I'd like to go back when it isn't so oppressively hot and crowded, but that might never happen.