Ocean Journey Denver Aquarium: Taking an Adventure Inside

Denver is a city full of exciting places to go, things to do, and adventure. It doesn't matter whether you are the type of individual who loves the outdoors or enjoys a good book indoors; there is something for everyone in Denver Colorado. I have lived in Colorado for most of my life. A couple of years ago I found Ocean Journey. As a scuba dive instructor and a person interest in biology I found the entire aquarium journey to be one of the best in the US.

In August a friend traveled from New Mexico to visit and I decided what better way to have a little fun out of the heat, than to visit the Downtown Denver Aquarium. It has recently been renovated which made it a lot of fun for myself as well as my friend. As you enter through the downstairs door you are beckoned up an escalator to start your journey through North America, Central America, and other parts of the world.

Traveling through North America you are able to see the different habitats around the continent. You will meet river otters, trout, bass, and other river and lake dwelling organisms you might not see elsewhere. The river otters of the North American section were the most fantastic part of this exhibit. Moved from a downstairs tank they have been placed in a tank to include them in a more uniform pattern. One of the male river otters kept doing back flips off of the 4 inch thick glass. He would just swim up flip and swim right back around. The summersault was quite a treat as many times you just see the otters swimming back and forth or sitting on the rocks to clean. There were more otters in the tank swimming around as well.

From North America we were moved to the desert. The desert has less than 10 inches of rain per year offering an arid climate that will be cool at night. There are many deserts around the world, including those in North America. The desert is home to snakes, rivers and lakes with a few fish and birds. The best part of the desert seen is the canyon. In the canyon they simulate the monsoon season of the desert in which deluges appear with plenty of water and flooding. You can even stand in the right place within the canyon to get extremely wet.

After the desert, you are taken to the rainforest. In the rainforest you have many types of frogs, birds, fish, and turtles to examine. You are also led to the largest exhibit in the entire Ocean Journey that of the tiger. Tigers typically live in India and China through they and other big cats can be found around the world. There are a couple of tigers at the aquarium and each is let out for show room exercise. While my friend and I were there we were thrilled to see a male tiger playing. He had a ball in the water that he definitely wanted out, without getting himself wet. So with huge paws and a little maneuvering the ball came up to the rocks. Deciding that was enough exertion, the tiger moved to get a drink at the other area of the enclosure as well as to check if food would be forthcoming. A little later the ball was again a fascination in which the tiger picked it up in his great jaws to carry it towards the other side of the enclosure. Unfortunately there was a bit of a step in which he tripped leaving the ball stuck in a bit of a crevice. I have been to several parks and zoos, but never had I actually been able to see a giant cat, such as the tiger, play with a ball. In fact it reminded me so much of my own cat, who loves to pick up balls and play.

We moved into the underwater exhibits with sea horses, butterfly fish, grouper, and corals. In the underwater exhibit you have almost every type of fish and a few sharks as well. The sharks are sword sharks, lemon sharks, nurse sharks, and reef sharks. This exhibit is also exciting because of the floor glass. You can peer down into the sand and salt water below to see the sharks and other fish swimming beneath you. There is even a small tunnel to see the fish swimming above you. There are also sea turtles and moray eels to view.

This section leads out into another ocean section with pillow start fish, sea anemones, and smaller sharks. In this area you have little bubbles that children or adults can climb under to sit and view the fish and organisms from below and all around as they swim. It makes you feel as though you are really underwater with these animals.

There is one other area once you move through the coral lagoon, sunken temple, and shipwreck areas I have just described. You have the petting tank. In this tank are dozens of sting rays, manta rays, and skates. You can stick your hand in and get to feel the rays. They may even suck at your hand to try and get a little fish. The nice part about this tank is the rays like to come up to the sides and flap their wings so you can touch them without getting completely wet.

From the touch tank you are able to move down into the restaurant. The restaurant is its own attraction. You are able to have an underwater experience while dining on some pretty great food. The last section is the souvenir shop, just in case you would like to take a stuff pal home with you. For an indoor activity that is both delightful and educational you don't want to miss it whether you live in Colorado or are visiting.