South Carolina Aquarium

Today I took the kids to the local aquarium. We're members of the Vancouver Aquarium, and we weren't sure if it was worth the considerable ticket prices to visit the Aquarium here in Charleston. But I'm so glad that I did!
The South Carolina Aquarium doesn't have any large outdoor pools with large animals like the ones we have at home. No dolphins, no belugas. But overall I think the facility is larger, with lots of exhibits that are very different from home, with more of a focus on the local wildlife - which of course, we're not familiar with. Ultimately we spent several hours there and had a wonderful time. Well worth the expense!

 Fascinated by deep sea life.

Amazing 2-story high tank filled with giant deep sea fish.  

Majestic sea turtle grabbing a bite of lunch.

 Dwarfed.

 Believe it or not, there are 2 flounders hiding in this photo. Can you find them?

 Awesome touch tanks for the kids, with gentle rays, huge horseshoe crabs, and other sea life. 

Even Little Ms. Chicken touched them!

In this stingray tank we got to feed shrimps to the stingrays. The kids were a little intimidated to do it, but it was really fun! 

 A stingray looking for lunch. You can see the little shrimp falling off my feeding rod - but don't worry, those stingrays are impressively good at finding food even though their eyes are on the opposite side of their bodies from their mouths!

 'Liberty' is a spectacular bald eagle who was found injured and needed to have part of her wing removed. 

She can't fly, so she has to live in captivity.

 My little babes in an eagle's nest. Plenty of room for more!  

Oh wait, there aren't going to be any more...  nevermind. 

Plenty of room to stretch out!

 Albino alligator. 

Apparently there are fewer than 50 of these guys in the world, because they so rarely make it to adulthood. 

Their camoflage is critical for their ability to hunt, and these snowy white characters aren't sneaky enough. 

Also, they get sunburned. Friend, I can totally feel your pain. 

 Is there anything cuter than a ring-tailed lemur? I think not.  

These guys aren't local to South Carolina, of course, but the Aquarium had a Madagascar exhibit.  

Checkin' out the lemurs.

  Tomio has a strange affinity for Jeeps. I don't know why; before today he'd never been in one. 

This play Jeep was pretty well the best thing that had ever happened to him in is whole life, 

and I had difficulty dragging him out of it!