Not happy with aquarium I went to

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Wendy

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This weekend I found myself in Gatlinburg, TN. Just kinda happened. While I was there, looking for something to do, I went to the Ripley's Aquarium in the Smokies.

http://www.ripleysaquariumofthesmokies.com/

I will never go to this place again, and I'm curious as to you guy's opinions of what I saw there.

They have a shark tank there with one of those tubes that folks walk thru so they can see the fish and sharks. While I was there they had 3 divers in the tank. One diver was cleaning the walkway tube from insdie the tank and the other 2 divers were the 'safety divers'. By safety divers i mean that they carried big 3 foot long poles that they used to harrass the sharks with. Well I saw it as harrassing. I asked a guy that worked there and he said they were keeping the sharks away from the diver that was cleaning. Everytime a shark (they were mostly sand tigers) would come near a diver (at least 3 -4 feet away) the diver would take the stick and shove it in the sharks face near his eye and nose area and 'guided' the shark away. The worker there could not answer me when I asked how many shark vs diver incidents hey had had to start such a rule. He tried to b.s. me with something like, well the sharks know its their tank and they don't like the divers in there. Well, I would think that the sharks would get used to the divers in the tank, since they are in there several times a day.

But the whole 'to protect the divers' story fell thru when I saw the stick toting diver no where near the diver cleaning, doing the same thing, harrassing the sand tigers, especially when tourist would gather around the tank to watch. It was all show! I don't agree with it and I didn't like it. I left. I don't support stuff like that. I've seen divers in shark tanks before (ie..The Living Seas at EPCOT) and I have never seen divers carry sticks to ward off the sharks.

Oh and then to top it off, ok, first I know its not real coral in the tank, but I saw a diver just sitting on top of the coral. Now alot of the tourist aren't going to figure it out that the coral isn't real, but I thought it set a very bad example. You should set a good example, whether the coral is real or not. This aquarium didn't mention one thing about conversation (although I hear the guidebook said something) obviously they don't mind if they are teaching folks that its ok to sit on coral heads.

And then there was this tank of horseshoe crabs. You could pick them up out of the water and touch them and stuff, if you had trouble getting one, an employeee was there to pick them up for you. I can't imagine the amount of stress that this puts on the crab. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for hands on learning stuff, but I thikn that they were going about this the wrong way. I didn't see the need to take the crabs out of the water.

Ok, I know this rant has gone on long enough. I'm sure those of you that know me, know tha I don't rant unless something really bothers me. I'm curious has to how you guys feel about this, based on what I have written.

:(
 
That's sad. We have a sandtiger shark in the New England Aquarium in Boston. Nobody pokes any animal. They're very well cared for.
 
Sorry...I'm just envisioning these guys poking at the sharks with their big "poles". You would think that would only piss them off more....maybe the sharks are thinking "Hey SnagleTooth, why don't you swim around the left side of that pole-guy to distract him and I'll sneak up behind him and take a nibble!"

Sorry, I'm wierd :loopy:. But really, what good is a 3ft pole to fend off a pissed off group of sharks? Maybe for the price they're putting the "support" divers in the water for, they can invest in one of those super-duper flashy electric shark repellant devices or something.

Or, they can take the advice of a wise camel, and when asked...
What type of shark would make you get out of the water?
He replied....

Yes.
 
That is very sad that the aquarium not only allows such things, but instructs them like this.

On a side note, if you ever get a chance to go to the Mystic Aquarium in CT, it is worth the trip. :) I have some pictures on my web site of the aquarium.
 
That's a very sad story to read... Did you write a note to the aquarium's director ? I think it could be worth it... Or even write to a local paper, anything...

That kind of things drive me MAD.:upset:
 
Maybe we should find an e-mail address and everyone flood them with e-mail them about this practice?
 
If enough of the message board's members e-mail them on this, perhaps we can get them to discontinue these thoughtless practices?

Do they have a web site anyone?
 
I'm glad that you guys are behind me on this. I have already sent my unhappy e-mail to the aqaurium. I posted the link the the aquarium in my original post above, their e-mail address is on it somewhere in the contact section I think.

Here is a copy of the e-mail that I sent:

I recently visited your aqaurium. I am concerned about your shark exhibit and the divers in the tank with them. I observed one diver that was cleaning and then 2 'safety divers' with large sticks keeping the sharks away. Is there a history of shark attacks at your aqarium that warrants this type of treatment of your sharks? The divers with the sticks would make contact with the sharks before the shark was even coming near them. A little too preventative if you ask me. Also I observed the divers with the sticks that were no where near the divers that were cleaning, still using the sticks to keep sharks away from them, obviously for the amusement of the tourist, since several of them had gathered to watch the divers 'interact' with the sharks. I have been to may shark exhibits with divers, and even tourist, diving in the tanks and have never before seen such a poor display of judgement by harrassing the sharks. I know that sand tigers appear to be mean with all those teeth exposed, but they are not aggressive sharks. I know several divers that dive off of the NC coast with them on a regular basis and I don't recall ever hearing about a shark attack.

Also I observed one of your divers sitting on top of one of your coral heads. Now I know that the coral in your tank is not real, but I still think that this sets a very poor example for the guests. Just imagine on their next vacation they go to the carribbean and stand up on the coral reefs with the mentality that " I saw the divers at the aqarium do it, so it must be ok".


I sincerely hope that your divers are more conscious of marine conservation when they are out diving on their own outside of work and don't bring the 'bad habits' they acquired at work of harrassing marine life and destruction of reefs.

I look forward to your reply,
 
Bravo wendy, nice job on the e-mail. Do keep us update on ghe reply or corrective actions taken by the aquarium.

:mean:
 

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