Something Fishy in Atlanta

The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta is pretty sweet. It’s got whale sharks, beluga whales, and lots of other marine and freshwater animals that are just begging to be stared at. Chris and I had a great time there (even though it cost us a devastating $27 each to get in). We spent hours staring through the massive glass walls that stretched for dozens of feet and even curved up over our heads so we could look at the underbellies of various swimming beasts. It also has a few river otters, and we’re total suckers for river otters.

But something that bothered me about the aquarium was this:

The place showed no modesty at all when displaying the names of its corporate sponsors. In fact, each exhibit – and they were all informative and beautifully displayed – was marked with a large sign informing visitors who, exactly, shelled out the money to make it all possible. Sun Trust, Southern Company, Home Depot and Georgia-Pacific were the big ones, and the whale sharks were sponsored by UPS (seriously). It was all rather disturbing – didn’t my $27 count? Aren’t I a sponsor? Where’s my sign?

I had a great time at the Georgia Aquarium, but I left with a weird taste in my mouth. It kind of tasted like plastic and Coke (maybe resulting from the sight of the Coca-cola museum located next door to the aquarium). I tend to think of aquariums as scientific, educational places, where families and school groups come to learn about the wonders of the seas and the importance of maintaining our marshes and wetlands. It seemed inappropriate for the place to be strewn with brand logos and centered around a large food court that smelled like fried fish and soda.

Regardless, the place is remarkable – I recommend going just to watch the beluga whales and the otters.