Florida Aquarium
There is nothing like the Florida Aquarium!
Magnificent! We were fortunate to have a private event at The Florida Aquarium in Tampa this past Tuesday 10/22 and I cannot say enough about the hospitality of the entire team but I will do my best. First I want to thank Aimie Johnson for working so hard to make this event possible for us to enjoy. Aimie has over 16 years of experience in marketing communication, sales and business development. Her experience working with many high end companies will only help the Florida Aquarium continue to grow the awareness and create new partnerships and we (B.A.C.A.) are very happy to be a part of that. I also want to thank Carolyn Henika (Director of Sales), Josh Calero (Group Sales & Tourism Coordinator) and Kimberly Lemakos (Event Coordinator) for putting on a memorable evening, allowing us to see what our corporate/group guests can expect. Without the combined efforts of these individuals this evening would have not been the success that it was. I cannot forget to thank the wonderful Catering staff who worked the event making sure we had plenty of food and drinks to fuel our journey into the deep; Ryan (F&B Captain), Doug (Bartender) and Krystal, Maddie & Daja, (servers) — View Florida Aquarium Website
Not often have I ever been able to experience the freedom to peruse such a facility without the clamber and chatter of others jockeying for a glimpse of an exhibit. Having completely free reign and without distraction allowed us to truly experience the wonders of not only sea creatures but many other species of aquatic life. The first exhibit closest to us was the Sea Dragons exhibit. I was amazed at these majestic creatures. Some like the Dwarf Seahorse are as small as a dime and others such as the Pipefish are so well camouflaged like the sea beds they dwell in they are almost impossible to detect. As we made our way through the maze of stingrays, moray eels, sea turtles and touch tanks filled with jellyfish and starfish we entered a tall glass atrium. Inside we encountered a large simulated wetlands environment home to alligators, river otters, white gar and even a couple Burmese python. We moved onto the shallow bays and beaches exhibit that included spiny lobster and a behemoth 300 pound goliath grouper… Gary & I were thinking of how many ways we could have lunch from that guy alone. I can’t tell you what the butt of the joke in front of the Moon Jellies tank; if you put two heads together you may be able to figure it out. Our final stop was the coral reef ecosystem encompassing a half a million gallons of natural seawater. This exhibit was brimming with sharks, barracudas, porcupinefish (puffer fish to me), sea turtles and many more exotic creatures. One of the highlights I have yet to mention was a very special guest that made a personal appearance was Shelly. Alex De Mola (Biologist), presented Shelly to us for an up close and personal experience. Shelly is an African black-footed penguin. They are the only penguin species found on the African continent.
These are only some of the attractions available to patrons but there was more we unfortunately were not able to explore. For the younger guest the Aquarium offers a Splash Pad Zone. An outdoor water play zone with both wet and dry play elements for kids that allows them to play freely and burn some of that boundless amounts of energy they seem to have. This area features water dump buckets, spray zones and a designated water play area for toddlers too. Near the Splash Pad area in the Aquarium’s outdoor plaza is their 4-D Theater…
This 4-D experience is a combination of visual drama (3-D film) with various sensory effects built into the seats and theater environment. The 4-D experience brings on-screen images to life with added effects such as bubbles, snow, scent, FX lighting, water mist, seat vibration and wind. Guaranteed to captivate the whole family!
The Florida Aquarium is located in the Channelside district of Downtown Tampa home to the largest Sea Port in Florida the Port of Tampa. Almost 900,000 travelers pass through this port and the first thing they see after disembarking their cruise ship is the Florida Aquarium. The Florida Aquarium anchors the eastern side of the Channel District with over 200,000 square-feet of air-conditioned fun. It’s a world-class facility with hundreds of entertaining and educational exhibits and is the must-see attraction for all ages looking to explore the underwater world that surrounds Florida. For their efforts in education and conservation as well as educational outreach programs they have been endorsed by the American Zoological Association (AZA).
Thank you to all that attended and most of all thank you to the amazing team at the Florida Aquarium for hosting B.A.C.A.