Under the Sea

Sharks, penguins, sea turtles, jellyfish and more! The Shanghai Ocean Aquarium was the perfect way to spend the first day of 2013. I don’t think I've been to a real aquarium…that is unless Sea World counts.

This place was massive with three stories and seemed to have every possible creature with fins, tentacles, or webbed feet.  I felt like a kid in a candy store; amazed by every exhibit in sight. My new favorite animal, if it can be considered that, is jellyfish. I especially like the bright pink ones. They had at least three different types in massive tanks. They were really stunning swishing around in the water with their bright colors like new clothes in a washing machine. I suppose that doesn't sound very luxurious but they were really pretty and you can see the pictures to prove it.

They designed it so you start on the third floor and work your way down the building before exiting in the coolest way possible. We were anxious to see the sharks the entire time and they saved the best for last. You exit the aquarium on a 508 ft “travellator” (moving sidewalk) through an underwater tunnel. Looking around you saw huge sharks, sea turtles, and schools of fish. On a few occasions I was looking over at nothing in particular only to see a huge shark swim right in front of me.

I really enjoyed our afternoon at the aquarium and bought a little key chain souvenir to remember it. If by chance you come to Shanghai some time in your life I would highly recommend it if you can stand fighting your way through a crowd of people hovering around one tank to all look at the same thing. But once you've been in China long enough you are used to fighting your way through crowds. 

Baby Shark Eggs

Weird fish swimming on their back...

Pufferfish

Garden Eel. 

These little guys were awesome. They would bury themselves in the sand, pop up, and then sway in the water. I want them for pets.