Summer Vacation Redux #27: Denver's Downtown Aquarium

After a day at the Denver Zoo, I went to the Denver Aquarium and stayed there for Dinner at the Landry Restaurant. The Aquarium is amazing and covers such a wide range of animals and habitats. From an introductory area of Northwestern North American freshwater rivers, to historic and paleolithic displays with reptiles and amphibians. Then Coral Reefs to tropical rivers, followed by a large habitat for a trio of Amur Tigers. It's all amazing and excellently executed.

The meal afterward at the restaurant was also wonderful. I had the fresh fish and chips and my friend had a shrimp and pasta dish. We ate at a table against a floor to cieling glass wall of a multi-story tank with fish the size of motorcycles casually swimming past. Our server was so amazing--I gave him a $20 tip! I can totally recommend this as a valuable place to experience in Denver.

 You first enter a space with open river habitats that mimic some of the freshwater river systems of the West and Northwest of North America.

 A cave passageway introduces you to one of the former species of the region.

 followed by a handful of Reptiles like these western vipers.

...and this Pied Chuckwalla, Sauromalus various.

 There are many smaller aquariums set up with displays of international coral reefs.

 There is also the obligatory under water pass through!  And a huge shark tank at which point in my visit, my camera's batteries died!

 Another series of tanks depicts habitats of the Pacific Coastal piers.

 More open river habitats from Topical Africa and Asia.

 A room of anemone tanks.

 And then a large multi-story habitat for a trio of Sumatran Tigers, Panthera tigris sumatrae.

 There is a controversy over the Aquarium's housing of these tigers, but I honestly feel that it is misplaced and I'm so sick and tired of these opportunistic, bullshit animal rights claims.  The tigers are well cared for, have a spacious habitat and provide an example as ambassadors for the species to bring people into greater awareness of their plight and the need for greater efforts to protect their wild cousins.

I finished my visit with dinner in this truly unique dining environment.