The Experience: This week I visited Adventure Aquarium in Camden, NJ.  And, yes I made it there safely. No problems. No assaults. I wasn’t mugged. But it was freezing outside, that was about the worst of it. The directions to get there were clear enough, and there was only a little traffic on the way back.  The only Aquarium that I have been to before this is the Baltimore Aquarium which sits on the bay in Inner Harbor. So for this article I will commonly refer back to the that visit as a reference point, and a fair comparison between the two aquariums. 

When we got there I was not surprised to find that the Aquarium is enormous. From the outside, the building stretches, what seems to be several “blocks.” It is brightly decorated on the outside, and sports a beautiful view of Philadelphia. We paid for our tickets, which were pretty expensive considering the two 4-D shows we added to the bill, and rushed in to avoid being in the biting cold any longer. We shed our jackets and winter clothing and found a locker to stash our stuff for the rest of the day. After a bit of confusion, a dollar refund later, we figured out the proper way to use the lockers and were ready to continue 

We worked our way through the crowded gift store and diner that was near the entrance, and made it the start of the exhibit. Here I flashed my knowledge, and admittedly showed off some of the things I knew, reciting facts about fish without looking at the tablets of information, and adding some that it didn’t even mention. A summer working at a pet shop, paying dividends in useless information.

Some interesting tank designs were not lost on the spectator. One included a giant tank that was visible from many different locations. Some had large open panes of glass in which you go see large tortoises, various kinds of sharks, and a slew of other fish circling their enclosed area. The tank, which was decorated with a “sunken” ship, also had smaller viewing points which resembled the bolted interior of a submarine window. 

Another interesting tank design included a small overhead tank that only held stingrays. From this view one could see the entire underbelly of this bottom dwelling creature as they “glided” around the tank.  We tried to hold back a smirk from the tasteless jokes made at the expense of Steve Irwin and his fated assassins as dirty glares were shot in our direction from others who did not approve of posthumous humor. 

The most stunning tank arrangement was a glass tunnel that ran through the larger tank, leaving the viewer with a feeling of a complete surrounding of water. Sharks, and other large creatures swam overhead, oblivious to the gathering of tourists snapping away photographs in amazement. After spending about ten minutes in the crowded area, I conceded that a good picture would be impossible with so many in the tunnel. 

The aquarium also had a group of other aquatic animals, such as seals and penguins, which were held in outside tanks, much to our dismay, as we had left our jackets in lockers. Along with this, there was also an inside exhibit of two hippopotamus’ and water birds which were free to fly overhead, which added a level of unpredictability to the trip, and an extra pep in your stride. 

Next, and our final part of this trip was the 4-D shows. We had bought two tickets, one to the Planet Earth series and one to a SpongeBob show. Both shows were OK but ultimately disappointing. The word 4-D, did not live up to the “extra” dimension it claimed. It was basically the same 3-D show, with the same crappy paper glasses that make you go cross-eyed, and some water shot at you. The only consolation from this, and the brevity of the shows, was that the SpongeBob show was pretty funny. 

The Upsides: Awesome animals, interesting tank designs, “tunnel tank,” a large selection to see, interactive exhibits.

The Down Sides: A bit pricey, in Camden (if you really care), expensive food, lackluster 4-D shows.

Comparison and Verdict: In a retrospective look back at both aquariums, it is clear that the Baltimore Aquarium was just slightly better than the aquarium here at Camden. The aquarium was just as large if not larger. It included a wider diversity in animals, and had a rarer collection that included giant octopus. But not by much. The Camden Aquarium offered a wider selection of interactive exhibits, that allowed visitors to pet baby sharks, jellyfish, starfish, and other creatures. If you can take the trip to Baltimore, the aquarium is spectacular, but if you live in New Jersey, you would not just be settling to go to Aquarium Adventures. It is worth a look, and has something to offer everyone.