Denver Aquarium ~ field trip

Yesterday, they kids and I went to the Denver Aquarium with some others from our homeschool group. The Denver Aquarium held classes for 3 different age groups, for our kids.  My younger kids went to the “Sensational Sharks” class and my oldest went to the class that took them behind the scenes of the Aquarium. They learned all about how the aquarium operates and how they take care of all the fish and animals that live there.

One of the reasons why I enjoyed this aquarium so much, is the way they have everything split up.  They have several different exhibits split up into North America, In the Desert, Under the Sea, At the Wharf, The Rainforest, Coral Lagoon, Sunken Temple, Shipwrecked and At the Beach.

The kids and I had a wonderful time and can not wait to go back.  I took almost 700 pictures.  It was so hard to choose which ones to share with y’all.  I hope you enjoy the ones I chose.

The snapping turtle they have, is one of the largest I have ever seen.  He was HUGE.  I loved watching him, as he swam in the tank.

snapping tutle

They also have soft shell turtles.  This one just looked so peaceful as he swam.  He just glided through the water.

soft shell turtle

Obviously, since it is an aquarium, they have an abundance of fish.  The colors of some of the fish are so vibrant. They are just beautiful.

fish

I have always been fascinated with sea horses. They are very unique creatures.

sea horses

the aquarium also had a lot of different stingrays.  They would swim up to the glass and it looked like they watched you as you walked by.  We saw one that looked like he was smiling at us.

stingray

The tank with the starfish and sea cucumbers was pretty cool.  I didn’t know that the starfish came in so many different colors.

starfish

It was fun to look around at all the different exhibits.  Some of the fish liked to hide and keep sheltered by the plants and coral.

fish

My oldest daughter was fascinated with the ones that were hidden.  She had fun trying to locate them in the exhibits.

Sarah looking at fish

The younger kids couldn’t get over that the piranha tank didn’t have a lid on it.  They were certain that the piranha’s could jump put of the tank.  They also noticed how thick the glass was for the tank.  They were happy that the fish wouldn’t be jumping out.

Samuel and Claire looking at Piranhas

I think we were all surprised to see the tiger at the aquarium.  They actually have several tigers on display, but we only saw one. He was just hanging out, watching everyone walk by.

tiger

Ever since the movie “Nemo”, my kids always enjoy looking for the Nemo and Dory fishes.

clown fish

A highlight of the was the shark tank.  I was surprised by the amount of sharks they had AND the size of some of the sharks.  They have a few sharks that are up to 10 feet long.  The aquarium doesn’t look that big on the outside, but it is fairly large.  We were able to watch them feed the sharks.  You would think the sharks would have plenty to eat with all the other fish that are in the tanks, but they do feed the sharks with fish that they bring in.

shark

We enjoyed watching the sharks and watching all the other fish.  It is really neat to see and learn about the different types of sharks and fish that live together and don’t bother each other.

shark

The jelly fish had tanks of their own.  They were beautiful to watch, just floating around.

jelly fish

I am so glad that we were able to go to the Denver Aquarium. I am looking forward to going back again, soon.  We have talked about getting a membership, so that we can go as often as we want to.  My oldest daughter, also saw that she will be able to volunteer when she turns 17.  She is counting down the days, until her next birthday.  Yes, I do think this will be a place we will visit often, together, as a family.

Have you been to an aquarium before?  What sea creature do you like the best?