Expedition Aquarium

All throughout the year Siobhan and I have been pooling days off and pulling out the tourist map and trying to cover as much ground as we an before our time in Bermuda is up.  Since I have already blogged that this weekend is Destination Flatt's Village, today is a good day to pull out the pictures from the last time we went to the Aquarium.

The day we went, we noticed 2 buses parked in front.  That means 2 things -- first either a load of school kids or a load of tourists are inside, and secondly that it would be a really good time to go for lunch instead.  There are a few choices to eat at Flatt's Village -- there is 4 Star (one of the few places on the island that delivers pizza), Indigo, and Rustico.  In keeping with our spirit of exploring new things, we chose Rustico, since neither of us had ever been there.

The patio at Rustico

Rustico was a good choice.  The food was delicious, with large portions, and we left happy and stuffed...but not until we saw at least one bus pull away from the aquarium.

gratuitous food shot

That gave us enough time to enjoy a tasty cappuccino before starting "Expedition Aquarium," as I dubbed the day based on the made up song I heard coming from the back of my scooter from Siobhan about the 2 Bermuda explorers.  I guess I should have gotten a "go pro" for my bike helmet....the things I would have caught on tape.  But I digress.  The Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo was founded in 1926.  It is a good value for your $10 admission.  The zoo often rescues local marine animals and birds, and offers rehabilitation where it can, which gives it a lot of redemption points in my books.

That's right...I liked my cappuccino enough to photograph it

One inside the aquarium, there are numerous tanks to peer inside and see who is peering back.  Shibby identified most of the cast of "Finding Nemo," except for little Nemo who was nowhere to be found on this day.

Dora from Finding Nemo

Sardines....pre-can

I forget what this it looks like a she...and has 2 big front teeth!

An anemone 

The Lionfish are an invasive species.  Apparently they are very dangerous to the reefs and at risk of wiping out other species through their rabid reproduction and gobbling rate.  How did they get here?  Apparently they were washed into the oceans during Hurricane Andrew  in 1985 when a seaside tank was overcome by the storm.  Prior to that they were in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.  However, when I look at it in its little tank, I feel a pang of sympathy -- it is just being a fish, not an international villain, and it is us who are to blame for its awkward predicament in the first place.  People say something must be done to keep their numbers down.  Apparently they taste like something between snapper and grouper.

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful...

When you walk outside, that's when you realize that the aquarium is actually quite large.  In addition to the turtles that you can see at the front of the aquarium, there are seals, tortoises, tiny monkeys, lots of birds, some bats, a python, a strange tree kangaroo, and more.  For all of the harmless critters, like the birds, toads, and sleepy little red monkey's which do not come out to play that day, you enter the enclosure and stand unobstructed at the edge of their artificial habitat.  This bird below was on the rail...I could have touched her....but I figured she must be sick of that so let her be and just took a picture.

Just hanging out

I shall call the iguana Ozzy

A happy parrot was hanging next to a group of cockatiels

Along the edge of the aquarium there is a lovely walkway, funded by Argus, one of the local insurance companies.  It is a beautiful spot to stop and take in a view of Bermuda while you wander around.

Shibby was a little disappointed that some of the exhibits didn't look very lively;  The Alligator doubled as an algae pond, you could hardly see him under the thick coat of green....I hope it was cooling and that he wasn't a distressed alligator.

As well, Shibby pointed out how cheesy the fake bird and nest here looked.

Well, that is until I hopped up on the wall and peered in to make sure it was fake.  And promptly said "It's loooooking at me...and not in a good way."

Sorry little guy!

Once the little critter (an Australian whatchamacall it...because I honestly don't know, but owl is not the right answer) realized that I was not going to be any more disruptive than I had just been by getting to close to "the fake exhibit," she posed for a very cute picture for me.  I think she is my favorite little whatchamacallit ever!

There was also a den of Flamingos...if you can call it that...they aren't den animals, but it sounded better than "enclosure of Flamingos."  It was there that I witnessed a strange occurrence....Flamingo Fight Club.  It all starts out quiet.  And then two came together, and initially they looked like a Valentine, their necks curing into a cartoon heart and I thought "awwwwwww."

But then they start biting and bashing heads.  Feathers are ruffled.  Alliances are formed.  And so you have, Flamingo Fight Club.  It appears there is only one rule in Flamingo Fight Club....oh wait, that was just a bad movie.  I am sure the rules are evolutionarily based and well thought out by millenia of scholarly flamingos.  I will not try to sum it up in one blog.