A passion for public aquariums

Lisbon AquariumI have a passion for public aquariums. The ones with big tanks, the sharks, the whales. This probably started when I was young and first went to the New England Aquarium in Boston. Its huge central tank with fish larger than me – and made to seem even larger by the refraction of the glass – was fascinating. It isn’t surprising that by the time I was in junior high school I knew I wanted to be a marine biologist. Just like Jacques Cousteau.

It was only later that I realized there was only one good-paying gig in marine biology, and Monsieur Cousteau had that locked up pretty tight.

But still, my fascination with aquariums has never waned. I’ve made it a point to visit the big public aquariums all over the United States, with not a small number also from other parts of the world.

I’ll talk about the features that make each one interesting in the future. For now check out my new Aquariums page to see a list of the aquariums I’ve visited in North America, Europe, and Asia.

And since I’m posting this during what seems to be the ubiquitous “shark week” on the telly, here’s one to wet your appetite for future posts.

Shark, Lisbon Aquarium

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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