Here Fishy

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada

We hitched a ride with our neighbour Joe and took the subway down.  Saved us 20 bucks in parking minus the fare.

It's worth it to go right when it opens at 09:00.
It was nice and quiet and relaxing and you can actually see the exhibits.

Because at about 10:30 the first set of students from a school came.
At 11:00, the grandparents with their grandkids or parents that couldn't get their kids out early, started to show up, with their strollers.

The play area in the center of the aquarium was wide open at around 10:00. But by noon, it was a packed with kids and you couldn't even see the thing.

At 12:00 it was becoming so crowded and rowdy, especially at the center where the interactive water and play place was.  Kids were turning it into a splash pad. Kids were pushing and taking boats from each other, behaving like they were asians hoarding giveways at Centre Island during the dragonboat festival.  WTF.  But parents were there to keep their kids in line.  When everyone wants to play with the same toy.  This is what happens to the young ones.  Overload.

We had already gone through the entire aquarium by 11:00.  I was able to pet a small shark. And saw a blue lobster.  See through a hammer heads eyes and a sharks eyes. And there was a gigantic grouper. Oh about 800lbs.  That would have made a great meal. Yum.


We then we had a bit to eat and Kieran ran into a classmate - Darien - a first year.  And he was with his mom and younger sister.  So we stayed another 2 hours.

It was great.  The two played and enjoyed each other's company.  And when we visited that petting area again.  Kieran wasn't so shy to do it.  I think it made him step up and show his younger classmate what he was made of.  BTW it felt like sandpaper.  Maybe 200 grit.

We were glad to spend part of our time at the aquarium with Darien and his sister and mom.
Glad Kieran saw him and went up to him to say hi.

By 13:00 it was getting so crowded it was difficult to move with out bumping into someone.  So we called it a day.  We enjoyed the aquarium.  And was I ever glad we got there early.

Ripley's Aquarium photos