Aquarium exhibit is to die for
By Stephanie Edwards
Many people step into the ocean without really thinking about what lurks beneath the surface.Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is featuring a new exhibit — Lethal Weapons — that may make you think twice about your next dip in the deep blue sea.
The exhibit makes visitors aware of some of the more dangerous creatures that call the ocean their home.One of the first parts of the exhibit talks about Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin’s tragic, fatal dive, when a sting ray’s tail stabbed through his heart and mortally wounded him.
As sad as this incident was, experts have claimed that it was a complete freak of nature occurrence.
However, some of the lethal weapons featured in the exhibit are known for their undeniably deadly powers.
Of course sharks and the Portuguese Man of War are among the top of the list. These frighteningly potent creatures can kill their prey or any living
creature that dares to stand in their way within mere hours of being stung by their dangerous tentacles.
Guests can hear and see electric eels giving off their surprisingly strong electric currents. Eels’ bodies are basically like batteries, with their noses being a positive terminal and their tails being negative terminals. This predator stuns its prey and devours it.
The puffer fish is considered a delicacy by many cultures. However, consuming large quantities of this fish can be fatal.
Like most Ripley’s exhibits, this exhibit is interactive and provides both entertaining and educational aspects.
The aquarium has received the distinguished honor of being named the Trip Advisor No. 1 Aquarium in the United States.
Over the past year, the aquarium received more positive reviews on the Trip Advisor Web site, from its visitors, than any other in the country.
Since the aquarium opened in 2000, more than 10 million visitors have walked through its doors and enjoyed all that it has to offer.
It is perhaps best known for Shark Lagoon, which has been called, “the world’s best shark exhibit in a 345-foot-long underwater aquarium tunnel.”
Guests ride a moving sidewalk through a tunnel that passes through a large aquarium tank.
As guests pass through the tunnel, they are surrounded by sharks, sting and manta rays, eels and other scary creatures of the ocean. One dented section on the tank’s glass is accompanied by a plaque noting that a shark had unsuccessfully attempted to break through the glass.
Be sure to stop by Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies and see why it was named No. 1 by Trip Advisor guests.
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is located at traffic light #5 on the Parkway in Gatlinburg.
For more information, call (888) 240-1158 or visit www.ripleysaquariumofthesmokies.com.
