Yesterday, a friend and I visited Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, a new privately-run aquarium located beside the CN Tower in Toronto. I have uploaded some of the photos already, with more to come.
It’s certainly a spectacle, both in terms of the species on display and the layout of the facility. A big portion consists of tunnels of plexiglass through large underwater habitats, allowing visitors to see many species arrayed around them at once.
I am, however, left somewhat divided about how to feel about the place. Their website says that they have a “Comprehensive Environmental Purchasing Policy”, but it remains the case that the facility is an artificial hotspot of biodiversity, drawn together from around the world and presented for the entertainment and education of paying guests.
I’m open to the argument that people need to see nature and biodiversity in order to value them, and the aquarium does make some allusions to the harm humanity is doing to the global ocean through over-fishing, pollution, and climate change. It’s plausible that some aquarium guests will come away from the experience with a greater appreciation for marine biodiversity, and perhaps a greater willingness to play a role in protecting it.
At the same time, there is a degree to which the aquarium is nature in a box for the privileged. The habitats are full of artificial coral and kelp, and ecological themes are mentioned more than emphasized in the surrounding documentation. The “[p]olicy banning staff use of plastic water bottles on site” seems inadequate compared with the main environmental impacts of the facility, both in terms of the acquisition of so many species – some explicitly labelled as endangered – and in terms of the huge power and water usage the facility clearly requires.
The aquarium was full of beauty and biological novelty and I was grateful to go. I would encourage others to do so as well, though it is probably worth thinking about what such places imply for the human relationship with the rest of nature, as well as the contrast between the energy and expense we are willing to devote to showcasing the diversity of life, at the same time as our large-scale choices are rapidly causing that diversity to diminish in the wild.
Ripley’s Aquarium is collecting endangered Sand Tiger Sharks from South Carolina during their migration through S.C. while en-route to their breeding grounds. They have currently caught 5 Sand Tiger Sharks, 3 sharks donated by other aquariums, and most are being housed at the Ripley’s South Carolina Aquarium until they have their final total of 10. These sharks will be transported to a “Secret” location in New York where they will sit in water cages until spring of 2013. Spring of 2013 they will be transporting these sharks across the border to their final destination of Toronto.
Biologists hunt for sharks for Toronto’s new aquarium
Shark researchers have started reeling in sand tiger sharks for Toronto’s new Ripley’s aquarium.
“Sand tiger sharks are a protected species in the United States because of their small population; the Ripley’s team had to get special government clearance before they started their hunt. The exception was granted for educational purposes.
However, thousands of sand tiger sharks are slaughtered internationally each year for shark fin soup, a dish often served at traditional Chinese weddings.
Toronto city council voted to ban the sale and possession of shark fins or their derivative products last October.
Shark fin soup is considered the main reason why many shark populations have been pushed closed to extinction. Every year, 73 million sharks are killed by finning.
Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada hopes to use its sharks as a tool to educate people — especially kids — about our relationship with sharks.”
The full set is now up: slideshow.
We used to be frequent visitors to the Vancouver Aquarium and I think that we learned a lot there. After the orcas started to die, many people including our family started to question the wisdom and ethics of keeping these beautiful creatures in captivity. As our children grew up, our attendance to the aquarium dropped off.
Recently, I took several of my students to the aquarium and was really disturbed by ti. First of all, it has become so expensive that it is unaffordable for most families. It has also become very commercial. Photos of the visitors are taken at every step, stores are overflowing with tacky souvenirs and the food store is unhealthy and expensive. I found the fish and chips option disturbing as well. The poor penguins look forlorn outside. Although the fish tanks and exhibits are fantastic, it felt more like a circus to me than a replica of the wonders of nature. Having said that, the jelly fish exhibit astounded me with its fragile and exsuisite beauty.
In conclusion, I still think that there is much to be learned from the aquarium and the programs that it offers. The cost of admission is too high to allow most children and their families to take advantage of the visual feast.
Considering you took photos with what I assume is your dSLR, I assume its OK, but what is their photo policy? Nothing was on their FAQ.
Also you don’t seem to have any reflections, did you use a polarizing filter or was the tank and/or lighting enough to minimize them?
I ask because my wife and I are potentially going in 2 weeks time and I’d like to know what to bring.
I called to ask, and they allow cameras and camera bags.
I positioned myself to minimize reflections and distortion from the glass. A polarizing filter may help, but there isn’t a lot of light to start with, and the place is so crowded that a tripod would be frustrating, even if the staff allowed you to use it.
I shot all of these with available light, my 50 f/1.8, my 24-70 f/2.8, and just a few with my 100mm f/2.8 macro. The biggest issue is low-light.
For instance:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sindark/12215204443/in/set-72157640304270515
This was shot with my 50 1.8 at 1600 ISO. If I had pushed it to 3200 or 6400, the chroma noise would be even more evident.
You will notice lots of tourists uselessly firing flashes at the glass. It’s a variant on a theme.
Oh, and it’s definitely best to shoot RAW. They light many animals with harshly-coloured light, so being able to adjust white balance arbitrarily after the fact is very helpful.
Thanks for the tips…
The last time I tried to shoot a museum with exhibits behind glass I was more annoyed by people using flash around me than the glass itself but I still managed to get some good shots.