Reid & Robie

If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.

– Loren Eiseley

On long road trips, Robie and I pass the time making lists.

Much like Maria Von Trapp we make a game – if not a song – of our favorite things naming great meals in Paris and Mexico City, listing world-class museums in Florence and Madrid, ranking Christendom’s cathedrals in Italy and Poland, Islam’s mosques in Turkey and Egypt, and the best cemeteries everywhere. Despite returning to landlocked Dallas after our sailing adventure, we never lost our love affair with the ocean. And since we agree with Loren Eiseley’s belief in the magic of water, we’re sharing our list of amazing places for exploring under the sea while still firmly rooted on land.  

But if our list doesn’t include your hometown’s famous fish tank or your favorite aquarium, feel free to write about it in the comments below. Who knows? We may just show up on your doorstep looking for a place to crash so we can check it out.

Reid & Robie’s Top 10: Aquariums

Before we get to the list, Robie and I feel compelled to add three well-earned honorable mentions:

• 5.8 Undersea Restaurant, Hurawalhi Island Resort, the Maldives – Though technically not an aquarium, the experience of dining in the largest all-glass underwater restaurant in the Maldives is pretty magical.
• Sea Base at EPCOT, Orlando, Florida – I haven’t seen this one, but Robie has. And it’s hard not to be impressed with most anything Disney does. When it opened in the mid-1980s, Walt Disney World became the site of the sixth largest ocean in the world. And after it opened, the Caribbean Coral Reef Aquarium was the largest saltwater tank on the planet for the next two decades.
• Tokyo Fish Market, Tokyo, Japan – Okay, I know this is another non-aquarium, but Robie made the excellent argument that there were tons of live fish squirming around at the market, and that the enormous warehouse filled with every variety of fish known to man was one of the most entertaining places we visited during our trip to Japan. And that’s saying a lot because there’s so much to enjoy in this fascinating country. Plus, after a visit to the fish market, breakfast at one of the many sushi stalls afterwards is a hard meal to beat!

No. 10 – Newport Aquarium, Covington, Kentucky – It’s been several years since our visit to this small aquarium, and though the displays were well done, algae on the tanks meant they needed a good scrubbing.

No. 9 – The Florida Aquarium, Tampa, Florida – We liked the Waves of Wonder gallery with loads of anemones and clownfish (like the title character in Finding Nemo). And this is definitely a great place to stay cool indoors after getting sunburned on Clearwater Beach.

No. 8 – Dallas World Aquarium, Dallas, Texas – While the aquarium tanks showcasing underwater ecosystems around the globe are the main draw, this place also features an indoor jungle with tropical plants, an outdoor penguin exhibit, birds, insects and jaguars. But please, don’t be the guy who raps on the jaguar enclosure. Look at him; don’t taunt him.

No. 7 – Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California – I know this one gets a lot of acclaim, and it is good, especially the sea otter exhibit. But after hearing so much hype I expected more. 

No. 6 – SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, Sydney, Australia – This place was surprisingly good – especially the seals. And since the aquarium was undergoing major renovations during our visit, we hope to return to the quay and see the new digs one day.

No. 5 – Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, New Orleans, Louisiana – This is the most recent aquarium we visited on a trip to see the Big Easy’s impressive, new World War II Museum. For me, the highlight here was the Great Maya Reef which felt like walking into a submerged Maya city in Mexico or Guatemala.

No. 4 – Curacao Sea Aquarium, Willemstad, Curacao – This small little place just off Mambo Beach has an interactive petting pool as well as an underwater submarine where you can sit and watch the sea creatures in their natural habitat. Plus, they rent scuba tanks and let you feed the manta rays – no certification needed!

No. 3 – National Aquarium, Baltimore, Maryland – Though it’s been nearly two decades since our visit, I still remember the Dolphin Discovery and the film On Dolphin Terms: The Story of Dean & JoJo about the friendship between a marine biologist and JoJo the dolphin. When I met JoJo years later in the Turks and Caicos, I acted like a giddy teenager meeting her favorite singer in a boy band. 

No. 2 – Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta, Georgia – A big reason we love this one is the whale shark exhibit. Even though the massive whales aren’t sharks, seeing those enormous, gaping mouths in the water is all it takes to make me swim the other way.

And the No.1 Aquarium – Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, Illinois – First, there are the smiling faces of the beluga whales. Then there’s the Caribbean Reef with sharks, stingrays, turtles and coral, the best we’ve seen outside of donning mask and snorkel and jumping into the Caribbean’s turquoise waters.

That’s our list. So, what’s your favorite aquarium?