Aquarium steals the show
Aquarium opens to display wet reality — virtual and otherwise
Up North Newspaper Network
DULUTH, MN.—Ready or not, the Great Lakes Aquarium opened for business Saturday on the Duluth bayfront as one of the most hotly anticipated Up North tourist attraction.{IMG1}
The people were ready; some of them lined up at about 8 a.m. to be at the front of the line, awaiting morning-long media previews for the noon ribbon-cutting and official opening of the doors.
The creatures inside were ready, featuring all 70 known fresh-water species of fish — dozens of some, hundreds of others — in various glass-walled tanks, some of which rose from floor to the second level, while an unnamed scamp of an otter in a private habitat stole the show from its finned fellow-attractions.
The staff and assembled dignitaries, including the always-enthusiastic Duluth Mayor Gary Doty, also were ready, joining Aquarium staff membes to meet the media throughout the morning.
Clearly the most enthused official was David Lonsdale, the executive director, who spent his last 17 years running a huge salt-water aquarium in Chicago. “I’m a marine biologist,” Lonsdale said. “And I’ve been waiting for the chance to have an aquarium that does something to celebrate fresh water.”
As for the facility itself, it was MOSTLY ready, and it got readier as the day went on.
The facility itself absolutely qualifies as a stunning conversation piece, sitting there less than a stone’s throw from the harbor itself, and across the avenue from the DECC. In its basic blue, green and red splendor, the building resembles a chunk of modern art, with various angles, bulges and decks. It might be a thing of beauty to some and range to being an eyesore to others, but its unusual shape and position undoubtedly will help attract customers.
By noon, estimates were that the Aquarium was about 65 percent ready, but was opening nonetheless. Workers scurried about, trying to finish off some details as the doors opened to ticket buyers. Some crewmen worked on hands and knees to fine-tune things, while media and the first gang of customers crowded past them.
The huge and impressive wall of water was turned on, and the water flowed down its facings. It also splashed, unexpectedly, to either side and had to be switched off. Either that, or Aquarium officials could have added a kiddie wading pool to take advantage of the widening strip of overspilled water.
Turns out, workers caulked the bottom three rows of glass, but not the upper three rows, and the smoothly spilling water caught the uncaulked ridges and splashed unpredictably, according to Lonsdale. No major problem. Just a few delinquent gallons from among the 170,000 gallons required to keep the place going.
By midafternoon, diligent workers had gotten the place closer to 90 percent ready, and the crowd seemed impressed with all that it found.
It found impressive booths and scenarios on different levels, interwoven in a series of displays that could keep anyone fascinated for hours at a time.{IMG2}
Separate areas displayed Great Lakes fish the way they were 150 years ago, mostly whitefish, long before various other breeds, such as salmon, were introduced, and displayed in an adjacent booth. Another booth showed smaller, schooling fish, saved by glass walls from being devoured as lunch by the larger fish next door.
A display simulated a river cascading into Lake Superior, and all kinds of rainbow trout and other fish cavorting bout within easy view. Another showed duck habitat, complete with ducks, and similar layouts for other fresh-water creatures. A virtual-reality submarine presentation joined other large and small presentations of creatures, weather and other specifics.
Other displays allow ticket-buyers to experiment by making waves — literally. A long glass case is sectioned, and sends tiny waves along from right to left, but operating a series of hand controls can raise or lower different sections, and gives a graphic depiction of how waves can increase and change angles and depth.
Still another allows you to take the wheel of a huge lake freightor, and a virtual reality screen allows you to gaze over the bow as you turn the wheel. Other areas offer explanations and experiments to show the different Great Lakes and their connecting locks, and all sorts of historical-perspective displays.
By far the most popular item was the otter display, which will soon become home for four otters.
“This otter is a loaner,” said Lonsdale. “We’ve got her until Aug. 22, when it will go to the state fair. But we are going to be getting four otters for this display.”
Visitors can only hope some of the four are as rambunctious as the as-yet unnamed opening-day otter, which cavorted in a couple of small pools of water, ran up on the banking, disappeared into either of two little caves in the rock wall, and generally stayed in perpetual motion, to the delight of spectators of all ages.
Another highlight came when, after viewers had been impressed by the Lake Superior fish in their two-story, vertical glass-walled tank, were joined by a Scuba diver, who returned the gaze of visitors from inside the tank, while salmon, lake trout and some huge and prehistoric-looking sturgeons mostly ignored him.
Judging by the awed expressions on the faces of kids at the dry-side of the glass wall, the ticket-buyers won’t be able to ignore him, or the numerous other displays and presentations.
What does the backside look like?
More sights from the aquarium
Scuba diver, fish mingle at aquarium
A giant sturgeon seemed unimpressed at Saturday’s Great Lakes Aquarium opening by the invasion of a Scuba diver in the two-story Lake Superior fish tank that featured dozens of lake trout, salmon and other fish.
About the Author
John Gilbert is a lifetime Minnesotan and career journalist, specializing in cars and sports during and since spending 30 years at the Minneapolis Tribune, now the Star Tribune. More recently, he has continued translating the high-tech world of autos and sharing his passionate insights as a freelance writer/photographer/broadcaster. A member of the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year jury since 1993. John can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11am on 610 KDAL(www.kdal610.com) on the "John Gilbert Show," and writes a column in the Duluth Reader.
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