Aquariums in San
Francisco
Visit Exotic Tropical
Fish
The
Steinhart Aquarium at California Academy of Sciences is currently in a temporary
location just South of Market at 875 Howard Street (at 5th). The Academy is
expected to stay in their temporary location until 2008 when major refurbishment
at the main building in Golden Gate Park is expected to be completed.
The
warehouse space that the CAS is in would be described as “cozy” by a real estate
agent but would be referred to as “unabashedly tiny” by any real person. The
problem is not that the warehouse is a small warehouse, for it seems to be
rather large and warehouse-y as these things go. No, the problem is that you
just can’t fit a whole lot of science into a warehouse. The old-soon-to-be-new
location at Golden Gate park held about 600 different species of fish while the
current location holds about 8. Or maybe about 80. It’s hard to tell in the dim
light.
When you
first enter the CAS you are in a large room that is not an aquarium but
currently has an installation of “California,” where you will find all sorts of
exhibits about plants and animals that are native to the state of, well,
California.
An
impressive slice of Redwood hangs out and shows you just how large the beautiful
trees really are. There is a screen and computer set up that will give you a
virtual 360-degree view deep within Redwood National Park and the faster you
spin the trackball the faster the forest spins. Don’t play this game if you’ve
been drinking.
Near the
Redwood stuff is what can only be described as a lovely display of death. Dozens
of stuffed critters sit upon shelves in a huge glass case and peer at you with
their huge glass eyes, their mouths forever formed in tooth-baring snarls.
Everything from birds of prey to bobcats can be found in this case and it’s a
little disconcerting when you realize that these creatures roam around
California with nothing better to do than sharpen their teeth.
The
entire California exhibit is just interesting enough for adults to not need a
drink and just interactive enough to keep the kids from whining about how hungry
they are.
There is
a small reptile display that contains a half dozen bored snakes and a lizard or
two. There’s not much to see in this area but the snakes are damn huge.
Upstairs
there are some classrooms, presumably for those children that like to attend
school while on vacation but other than that it’s pretty barren on the second
floor.
The
Steinhart Aquarium is smallish as aquariums go (for the time being) but there
are still some great tanks filled with huge, scary-looking fish that will haunt
your dreams and make you quiver when it’s time to go to the beach. There are
small fish of course but nobody really cares about them unless they are getting
eaten by the big boys.
The most
impressive display at the Steinhart Aquarium has got to be the coral tank. This
is where your admission money is being spent. A massive 18-feet vertical tank
that holds 20,000 gallons of water is home to the country’s second largest live
coral exhibit. In addition to the coral there are numerous species of reef fish
in the tank including clownfish, pufferfish, surgeonfish. You’ll also find sea
anemones and giant clams in the tank.
The most
popular (but wholly unimpressive) exhibit at the aquarium is the penguin tank,
especially during the twice-daily feedings. A small amphitheater (holds maybe 8
or 10 people, no, seriously) sits across from the penguin environment and
through windows in the tank you can watch the flightless birds suck down some
fish. The air reeks of a combination of southern-hemisphere bird shit mixed with
rotten fish and unbrushed children's teeth...do yourself a favor and skip these
disgusting creatures if you are able to. Skip the penguins as well.
The
California Academy of Sciences is open every day of the year from 10 am until 5
pm. Admission for kids 4-11 is $2.00, 12-17 year olds pay $4.50, and adults pony
up $7.00.
By: Drew McKinney - Copyright
SFTRAVEL LLC 2006
