FANTASTIC FISH AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

EXHIBITION REVIEWS

BY: MADDY HOWARD

Are you feeling curious about the creatures seen lurking on TTC subways, streetcars and in subway stations? I know I was, after seeing countless advertisements for Curious Creatures: From the Travels of Robert Ripley at Ripley's Aquarium.

Quote from Robert Ripley. Photo courtesy of Maddy Howard.

Robert Ripley (1890-1949) is most well-known for his "Believe It or Not" Odditoriums. Ripley was a cartoonist, explorer, adventurer, reporter, and collector of the odd and unusual. He unbelievably (or believably) travelled to over 200 countries in 35 years. Ripley's Aquarium brings together seven aquatic species from around the world, coupled with unique artifacts collected from Ripley's numerous travels. 

The Fiji Mermaid. Photo courtesy of Maddy Howard.

Aboard the Chinese junk-style ship, the Mon Lei, Ripley travelled North America's eastern seaboard. Curious Creatures invites you aboard a replica of the Mon Lei to accompany Ripley on his around-the-world tour. 

Boarding the Mon Lei for fantastic adventures. Photo courtesy of Maddy Howard.

Curious Creatures takes visitors to China, Australia, Indonesia, the Caribbean, Japan, and California to experience the unbelievable. Each region of the exhibition highlights a different aquatic animal. These fishy friends include Goldfish, Peacock Mantis Shrimp, Splitfin Flashlight fish, Polkadot Batfish, Giant Isopods, Frogfish, and the Sarcastic Fringehead (who isn't that sarcastic). Above each tank is a television screen that gives more information about the fish, such as where it's found, its prey, and other fun facts about the species.

Additional information for the Sarcastic Fringehead. Photo courtesy of Maddy Howard.

Display of Goldfish from China. Photo courtesy of Maddy Howard.

Ripley's passion for the odd and unusual is showcased throughout the exhibition, not just through the interesting creatures on display, but also through the artifacts he collected. While the fish are the focus, the exhibition looks at the different people and cultures that Ripley encountered on his adventures. This creates an informative and fun exhibition for adults and children. Being able to see the fish and the artifacts side by side, the exhibition truly makes it feel like one is voyaging around the world with Ripley. The world is as unique and diverse as these animals and hitting the highlights of Ripley's tour really brings that home for the visitor. 

A collection of artifacts from Ripley's adventures. Photo courtesy of Maddy Howard.

The use of stereoscope images around the exhibition also helped to take the visitor around the world with Ripley on his adventures. Each stereoscope station held three to four images from Ripley's various tours. This was an exciting element that helped to engage visitors and continued to intrigue. 

I particularly enjoyed the exhibition's use of informational panels. These text panels were not done in the traditional sense, but were short, sweet and comical. Most of the text in the exhibition was related to different creatures on Ripley's tour. Inside circular text panels, a cartoonish image of the creature was shown along with a fun fact. 

A cartoon Frogfish and a stereoscope station. Photo courtesy of Maddy Howard.

Inside the stereoscope, Robert Ripley on one of his expeditions. Photo courtesy of Maddy Howard.

The world is a unique and marvellous place, filled with the odd and the unexplained. Curious Creatures brought a sense of wonder to both visitors young and old. 

The exhibition opened March 2, 2018 and is running indefinitely, so sail over to Ripley's Aquarium to swim with these fantastic fish. 

Source.

AWESOME OR NOT AWESOME? RIPLEY'S AQUARIUM EDITION

EXHIBIT REVIEW

BY MEAGHAN DALBY

I have mixed feelings about aquariums. It’s probably because I watched too much Free Willy as a kid, and my mother’s disdain for Sea World, but I just can’t tell if the fish are happy. Anyway… this post is not going to be about animal rights (though maybe we'll have a post about that in the future), it’s about Ripley’s Aquarium as a centre for learning. But it was because of my moral dilemma that I haven’t gone before now. Well, that and the fact that it costs $30. But I kept hearing how AMAZING it was, so I managed to get a discount, and a few friends and I went on a watery adventure. 

Dramatic lighting sets the mood
Source: Meaghan Dalby

For this post, I’m going to review some elements of the aquarium. There were things that were awesome, and things that were less awesome, and since we all love lists….

Spin Browser … Awesome!
These “Spin Browsers” (definitely could have had a cooler name…) allowed the visitor to control the speed and direction of the video being played. You can move the wheel to make the video move super fast, you can rewind, make it go in super-slow motion. It was very cool because it allowed the audience to take control and explore the things they wanted to further.

Of course, if I had been thinking, I would have filmed myself playing with Spin Browser. But I wasn’t thinking, so all I have is this photo. You can kind of get the idea…

Spin browser allows visitors to control the action
Source: Meaghan Dalby

Moving Sidewalk … Not Awesome
Seriously? This seems super unnecessary and also made me feel like I had stepped onto the set of Wall-E. The walk moved super slowly, and forced you to move along at a prescribed pace, which didn’t jive with the speed I wanted to go. To be fair, there was normal floor right beside, so I just avoided the moving part. I’m not sure if it was installed to keep people moving during high-traffic times, but honestly, thinking about the maintenance I'd bet it’s more trouble than it’s worth. 

You can see the resemblance...
Source: http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_original/divusykzeshocmo8vvb1.jpg

Jacob unable to contain his excitement on the moving sidewalk
Source: Meaghan Dalby

Blatantly Obvious Signage … Awesome!
There is nothing more frustrating than coming up to an interactive and not knowing what to do with it! The Aquarium has sought to destroy this frustration with these signs. Simple problem? Simple solution.

Source: Meaghan Dalby

Broken Interactives … Not Awesome
I am fully aware that thousands of kids run through the Aquarium every week. Any science centre worth it’s salt knows that everything has to be robust and nailed down, because kids are little you-know-whats and will destroy everything in their paths. However, it was still disappointing that when I went to “see like a shark” I couldn’t. Stupid kids. 

Now I'll never know what a shark sees :(
Source: Meaghan Dalby

Showing Behind the Scenes Up Front and Centre … Awesome!
A really cool part of the Aquarium was seeing all the tanks and regulators needed to control all the different pools. It’s a trend to let audiences come “behind the scenes;” it’s popularity is proven with the increase in Collections tours. I think Ripley’s made the right choice in showing this feature, and making it part of the attraction rather than hiding it from view. THINK OF ALL THE SCIENCE PUBLIC PROGRAMMING ACTIVITIES … THINK OF THE POSSIBILITIES! 

Pumps and science stuff
Source: Meaghan Dalby

Immersive Experience … Awesome!
The reason, I’m certain, that the Aquarium is so popular and I kept hearing rave reviews is because of how you feel when you’re walking through. The tanks which house the animals are overwhelming, and you get the sensation that you’re at the bottom of the ocean looking up at all the fish and other marine creatures. There’s also some pretty spectacular mood music, which made me feel like I was a mermaid (so obviously super brownie points for that). The entertainment aspect of it was spot on, and you really felt like you were swimming with the fish.

"Fish are friends, not food"
Source: Meaghan Dalby

Guys! We found Nemo(s)!
Source: Meaghan Dalby

Pretty Lion Fish
Source: Meaghan Dalby

Overall, my experience at Ripley’s Aquarium was pretty average. There were some really cool things, and the stars of the event, the fish, were extremely beautiful. However, I didn’t quite get the unified, curated experience I am used to getting from a museum. I felt like I was bouncing around, and gathering random facts. This is where you can say, “well, duh, Meaghan, it’s not a museum, it’s an aquarium”. To that I say, no, not necessarily a museum, but yes, cultural and educational centre. There were some really neat elements, which I would use in my own cultural heritage institution, but there were a few lessons learned too.

What do you think? Are my expectations too high? What's your experience with the Aquarium?