Here's a pretty little waterfall in the park
And a view of downtown...
And finally... it was 1pm and time to go to the aquarium!!
We walked in and in unison said, "Wowwwwww......" It was incredibly large, with various sections, highlighting different aquatic species and areas of the world. We dug right in, starting with the Ocean Explorer, highlighting deeper ocean creatures who call the 6.3 million gallon habitat home.
Four Whale Sharks (the largest living fish species)...
Along with the amazing Whale Sharks, we got to see Nandi, a Manta Ray. Nandi is the only Manta Ray ever to be in a US aquarium! She was rescued from shark nets off the coast of Durban, South Africa.
Here she is doing a somersault...
She was somewhat elusive... most of these pictures were taken right before we left the aquarium.
Next we visited the Cold Water Quest. Three Beluga whales, Nico, Natasha, and Maris live there. 
Nico and Natasha are both in their mid-20's, and were rescued from amusement parks. Natasha's daughter, Maris, is almost 14. The aquarium is excited that Nico is showing interest in Maris, and hope that this someday results in pregnancy.
There were many other (slightly less popular) residents in the Cold Water Quest.The Japanese Giant Octopus (who dislikes flash from cameras, hence the dark pictures)was one of them. This one is just of his suction cups:
Here is an attempt to get a picture of his body.
A popular (stinky) favorite was the Southern Sea Otter. 
It seemed to enjoy snacking on the ice cubes.
The claw-less Japanese Spider Crab:
And the Weedy and Leafy Sea Dragons also live in the Cold Water Quest.
"Tropical Diver" housed creatures that lived in or near tropical coral reefs. In the entryway were colorful anemones, which you could touch. They were on a "five minute break" from touching, so we just took pictures. 
The sea nettles (which looked like giant jellyfish) were striking:
The Moon Jellyfish is translucent, so there are different shades of light cast to make it easier to see. 
What tropical exhibit would be complete without a Clownfish? 
The cute little creatures sitcking out of the sand below are Spotted Garden Eels. They keep their tails anchored deep in the sand and pull their head down if a fish comes near.
And here is what they do when potential predators swim near...
Before I move on, here's one more of some pretty fish.
The final phase of our aquarium tour was River Scout, which featured freshwater river species. The Small Clawed Asian Otters were entertaining with their constant chirping and playful antics. The whole clan was female; all sisters. 
They were much smaller than the Sea Otter, but just as smelly, and much more vocal!
Here's a Piranha. Looks harmless to me... I don't even see teeth!
How about an American Alligator?
There was a Loggerhead Turtle, who wouldn't hold still for a good shot.
There were several "touch pools" throughout the aquarium where you could touch different fish and animals. Bryan and I both enjoyed touching some stingrays, most of whom seemed to enjoy being touched.
There were other things we didn't touch, including shrimp, sea urchins, sea crabs, and these Horshoe crabs. I wonder what these two are up to??
There were other pictures I didn't post here, but hopefully you are able to get a taste of how vast and remarkable the Georgia Aquarium is!
-Jenny
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