Click here to view my photos of the Academy

So I finally got to go to the California Academy of Sciences last weekend. It was a lot of fun. We drove up from San Diego up the 5 and stayed at a friends place. We went on a Saturday when it wasn’t too busy, but when I arrived I was told that the Planetarium was sold out for the day. big bummer. I was really looking forward to that most of all.

My evaluation of the place. The building is wonderful and just great in its design. The exhibits were nicely done. The rain forest was an unexpected surprise for someone who enjoys photography like I do. Lots of cool flowers and butterflies to capture there.

Steinhart Aquarium left me torn. I think the exhibits were some of the best I’ve seen in all the aquariums I’ve gone to. They have great aquascape and plenty of exhibits for you to see. A nice selection of fish, though there was nothing breathtaking like the huge fat morish idols of the Long Beach Aquarium. The coral selection however was dismal. There was this amazing “reef caves” exhibit (the picture in the album with the black wall and circular tank viewing window) that could have been amazing. There were a million and two places for suncorals, dendros, scleronepthias galore…but they just left it empty and you stared at nothing but an empty overhang of rock. In the reef exhibit there were a few softies and some other LPS, but nothing looked flurishing. It looks like there could also be some more light added to the tank.

I can’t wait to see what the place looks like in 5 years if they really get some reefers in there to stock the tanks and care for them. This place will be a million times better than the Long Beach Aquarium which happens to be one of my favs.

Reference to California Academy of Sciences

http://www.my1uplife.com/2008/10/california-academy-of-sciences-steinhart-aquarium