My daughters and I just returned from a long weekend in Chicago, where we visited the Shedd Aquarium. Flash photography is not allowed, so it’s always a challenge to get good existing light photos. For this photo, I couldn’t get a sharp image of the moving fish, even with a high ISO setting. Therefore, I tried to pan the camera slowly with the moving fish, guaranteeing a blurred background.The fish is not in perfect focus but the image intrigues me; it’s almost like the fish is floating in air. I call this image “floating orange fish” because I forgot to read the sign to actually know what this species is. Click for larger version.
Here’s another shot from the Shedd, from a delightful display of jelly fish, and below that a variety of other stunning images from Shedd:
Great pictures! Moon jellies are always beautiful – they make perfect photography subjects.
We haven't been to an aquarium in quite a while. A couple of summers ago, we went to the aquarium in Camden, NJ, and despite the fact that many of our tax dollars had been spent on improvements, it was not very impressive. We were very nearly the only ones there, and rather than having more docents to ourselves, they too had deserted the place. (Except in the special exhibit, which I can't remember whether it was frogs or seahorses, because at both of those, wherever they were, we were surrounded by museum employees ready to dispense their knowledge to someone – ANYONE – who'd listen!)
The Baltimore Aquarium is my favorite, I think. I've been to Boston, New York, Coney Island, Camden NJ, and Baltimore, so I don't have a huge number to choose from. My favorite zoo, however, is Cape May Zoo in Cape May Courthouse, NJ. The animal habitats are clean, with plenty of vegetation for food, shade, and hiding, and the animals there look healthy and content. Every time you see the staff interacting with the animals, you can tell that they have a bond. I remember one caretaker who was being followed around by a giant tortoise. The man walked up close to the fence and explained to the people watching that the tortoise was hoping for a good scratch under the chin. He crouched down, the tortoise extended his head expectantly, and when the man started scratching the tortoise's neck, it got so happy that it was standing practically on tiptoes! I had no idea their legs could be so long. The crowd loved it almost as much as the tortoise did. Cape May Zoo is only a tiny fraction of the size of the Bronx Zoo, but the feel of it makes it well worth the visit.