On January 12, U of T booked Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada for one night, exclusively for the students of its colleges. Being an aquarium enthusiast, my first trip to Ripley’s during this excursion turned out to be both informative and exciting!
While it lasted from 7 to 11 P.M., one trip through the aquarium took only approximately an hour. It was definitely worth it, though; all around, the aquarium featured a multitude of unique kinds of aquatic life, including traditional fish, shark tanks, massive kelp reefs, and whole sections for different kinds of jelly fish and sting rays. There were also fun activities where you could touch some of the fish, including horseshoe crabs and small sharks. Information in the aquarium exhibits provided detailed life history accounts for the different species, as well as important conservation information, especially for some of the endangered species being hosted there.
Dory!
Detail of a few individuals in the starfish tank.
Cool mirror image of this massive specimen in one of the jellyfish tanks that shows their fluid form.
Huge tanks of tall-standing kelp reefs featuring many species of fish.
The event was organized as part of U of T “re-orientation” week for returning students, and some of the university’s career and other advisors were also at the aquarium to chat with students about the opportunities that their POSTs would open. Overall, a well-organized, educative, fun event!