Pics from Daisy's Florida trip...

[daisy]

In the picture of the tank/tubs what you don't see is that this room has about four sets of double tank/tubs wherein there are coral frags. different tubs had different varieties of frags. I could not get into the room, so i had to take pics through the glass - so sorry i couldn't really show you more - it was SO impressive! there were two skimmers, each maybe 7 feet tall? if you're in the vicinity of pittsburgh, the zoo is worth it just for the aquarium.

Sadly none of my pics of the aquarium itself came out well - it was jam-packed full of people and dark, so i had difficulties getting good pics with my p.h.d. camera... oh well.

 

[daisy]

and one last pic - polar bear playing! he's behind glass, so pardon picture quality please...

 

[masterswimmer]

Nice pix, welcome home.

That polar bear looks like he's doing a Coke commercial.

swimmer

 

[daisy]

That polar bear had enough personality to do the commercial! He and his brother share that tank - i mean, cage. there is a tunnel that goes under the water so that zoo-ers can go underneath and watch the bears swimming. Polar bears spend 10% of their days in the water, so if you're willing to watch, it's cool.

This guy was doing his darndest to break this ball. at different points, he was slamming it against a wall, jumping on top of it, throwing it like in the pic, and attempting to drown it - he went from the pose above to jumping into the water with it.

everyone around me (and it was crowded) was going on and on about how cute he is - and all i could see in my mind is the pic in the metropolitan museum of art of a polar bear on all fours staring down at a nice, fat, very dead seal, pool of blood in front of its mouth - the pic is black and white, so it's not so gory, but these "cute" animals are THE MOST FEROCIOUS/POWERFUL land predators on the planet (according to the signage at the zoo), and I believe it!

(of course, I am set to wondering whether the folks at the Pittsburgh zoo pitted a polar bear against a lion!!!)

It is better to be home than I could possibly say.