I will soon have the opportunity to get to the heart of what aquariums are and what their role is. Hence, I would like to look back at some of our past visits to overseas aquariums in a series of articles.
Purpose of inspection
I have visited several aquariums on the West Coast of the United States to learn more about the unique characteristics of local volunteerism in 2013 and 2016. This time in 2018, I visited some particularly topical aquariums in the eastern United States and considered the future roles aquariums.
Itinerary
I have gone to 8 aquariums as follows during the itinerary for ten nights and 12 days from Saturday, Sep. 22nd 2018 to Wednesday, Oct. 3rd.
- New York Aquarium (New York) Sunday Sep. 23rd
- National Geographic Encounter (New York) Sunday Sep. 23rd
- National Aquarium (Baltimore) Monday Sep. 24th
- John G. Shedd Aquarium (Chicago) Tuesday Sep. 25th
- Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies (Gatlinburg) Thursday Sep. 27th
- Tennessee Aquarium (Chattanooga) Friday Sep. 28th
- Georgia Aquarium (Atlanta) Saturday Sep. 29th
- New England Aquarium (Boston) Sunday Sep. 30th (Whale watch), Monday Oct. 1st (Inside the aquarium)
The Basics of Volunteering at an Aquarium in the United States
I am writing this section mainly for Japanese people, including me, who is not know well about volunteer systems in America.
- It is not uncommon for US aquariums to have hundreds to thousands of volunteers. (Sometimes more than paid staff.)
- Volunteers have the same responsibilities and roles as paid staff, and they work together to manage the aquarium. For this reason, they provide extensive training for their development.
- The range of activities includes education (including tour guiding and programs for schools in addition to exhibit interpretation) as well as breeding and diver cleaning.
- They also offer a wide range of awards for volunteers.
Introduction of each aquarium
1. New York Aquarium (New York)
- I thought the exhibition successfully blended the dignity of the 1896 museum with modern technology.
- While the old building was very casual about its conservation efforts, the shark exhibit in the new building appealed directly to the citizens of New York about their environmental orientation. In particular, the display of putting garbage in a tank is a common technique, but the way it was presented was so innovative that it took my attention away from the aquarium.
- How well is the message resonating with the New Yorker?
America’s oldest aquarium, which has been with its citizens for more than a century
Garbage floating in a tank disappears with the push of a button
2. National Geographic Encounter (New York)
※A virtual aquarium without biological exhibits
- It’s no surprise that people are editing the information as they see fit, but the appeal and spread of the message can only be described as frustratingly brilliant.
- The content would be much better if it was changed from a one-way tour by a navigator to audience participation.
- Now that they can create so much more, aquariums that deal with real creatures have to question their raison d’etre seriously. However, traditional aquariums might do well not to think of them as competitors, but rather to go out and actively collaborate with them.
A virtual aquarium that reigned supreme in the heart of the downtown area
Raging message panels
3. National Aquarium (Baltimore)
- The design of the six-story building was excellent, and the exhibit made innovative use of the atrium.
- I was incredibly overwhelmed by the beachcombing-like exhibits on the fourth floor, the touch pools, and the thematic tanks for observation (how to hide, how to eat prey, etc.) that were so excellent.
- The dolphin guides are also committed to “showing” the dolphins’ lives as an extension of their breeding activities, rather than making them perform tricks, and we have high hopes for the establishment of a protected area in the future.
National Aquarium ditches dolphin shows and takes a new step forward
The floor of the 12 viewpoints (themes) exhibit surprised me with the amount of detail they were able to draw from.
4. John G. Shedd Aquarium (Chicago)
- As a lakeside city, the exhibition focused not only on the marine environment but also on the overall connection with the lakes and rivers that surround it. In addition, the collection also revealed the relationship between the conservation of the lake and people’s lives.
- From each of the buildings, the animals on display, and the explanations, I felt the history of the museum has changed. In particular, the recent addition of more explanatory panels to the original exhibits made me feel as if I was looking at the Tokyo Sea Life Park.
A historic aquarium in a major city on the Great Lakes
You can touch the sturgeon in the touch pools in the lake area.
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