Deep down inside, for as long as I can remember, I’ve always wished I could be a marine biologist. Surprisingly I aced my science classes. Of course, life got in the way and bills had to be paid and well let’s say, I am not a marine biologist.

A few years back, I walked by the site where they were preparing to build the aquarium, right below the CN Tower. I was so excited to go in but at that time it was jut a big hole in the ground…..no sharks yet. 2 years later it was finally here. Regardless of what day you go, you will quickly be immersed in not only a sea of 16,000 aquatic animals but hundreds of people with their faces squished up against the (what seems like) 5 foot thick glass, all trying to get a great glimpse of all the fish, sharks and turtles that are gracefully swimming in their tanks.

Thankfully we had the chance to go in two hours before they actually opened so the place was pretty much ours. It took us about 2.5 hours to go through the entire space. Note that it was 2.5 hours with myself and a less than 2 year old who doesn’t care about the other fun, interactive games they had there; I’m sure it would have been much longer if she could participate in the other fun. By the time we left and got back to the entrance/exit, you could hear the excited kids at the entrance just waiting to get into see all the fish.

It can be such a memorizing experience that everyone should get the chance to see. I’m truly thinking about getting a yearly membership…even if it’s just for myself. It is the perfect place to just relax and take in the beauty (aside from excited screaming children). I caught myself bringing my daughter back to the “cave” area to just stare at all of these amazing creatures. I can’t begin to explain the amount of fish that were in this aquarium but it was a lot and it was amazing. Unfortunately my brain couldn’t stop thinking of a contingency plan if one of the big aquariums broke….

“Where we would we run?”
“Would it break if we were on the bottom floor and could we get to the top in time?”
“Would a shark hit us or even worse, bite us if it was out of the tank?”
“Should I stick my hand in this tank and possibly get stung by a Stingy Ray?”
“Realistically, could that thing bite my head off? How bad would it hurt?”

And so on……crazy, I know. It makes me wonder if I’m the only crazy person that thinks like that. I wouldn’t be surprised.

Recently my family had the pleasure of visiting Ripley’s Aquarium and were we ever blown away! It was a fantastic underwater adventure that I’d recommend to anyone young or old.

Ripley’s Aquarium has 16,000 aquatic animals (Yes, 16,000!!!) and features North America’s longest underwater viewing tunnel. You’ll be able to get up close and personal with 3 touch exhibits featuring horseshoe crabs, sharks, and rays as well as a daily dive shows every 2 hours. Watching the employee dive into the tank with a huge piece of bok choy to feed the fish was quite amazing. My husband was impressed at how much the fish loved the bok choy since he’s not a fan ;)

Be absolutely certain to bring your camera. It’ll get a work out! Overall I was surprised to see such beautiful underwater creatures. What stunning creations!! Getting to pet a shark was pretty cool too.
My kids had a ball … even my youngest who usually complains about any long walks was jumping and running around like a little maniac! Not a single complaint!! And I mean honestly how could a kid complain when there’s this awesome playground 1/2 way through the experience?!

A bit pricey but when your in it well well worth it! go after 7 and you get $5 dollars off admmision.