Marine wonders make great study break

It had been approximately three weeks since I had set foot in Baltimore, and I actively sought out what the city had to offer me. My goal to become an adroit Baltimorean by the end of the year necessitated the exploration of the nooks and crannies, starting with the Inner Harbor. During my first visit to the Inner Harbor, I spotted an unmistakable, angular glass building that speared the skyline.

I did not have to wonder too long before I figured out that it was one of the main attractions of Baltimore that had caught my interest: the award-winning National Aquarium, hugging the harbor on East Pratt Street. When I learned that the aquarium sheltered more than 660 species of marine animals, my interest was piqued even further. When I realized that from Sept. 6 through Mar. 28 admission is just $12 on Fridays after 5 p.m. (compared to the normal price of $35), I was sold (literally and figuratively).

After my last class of the day was over, I grabbed some dinner with my friend who accompanied me on the small adventure, and rode the JHMI and the Circulator to the aquarium.

When I first walked in, I was greeted by lush, rain forest settings that I trekked through before entering the four main exhibit levels. On the first floor, a coral-filled, blacktip reef tank holding an enormous array of stingrays, sharks, fish and a sea turtle with one flipper covered the majority of the space. Due to the breathtaking architectural plan of the building, the tank could be seen from the second and third level of the exhibitions, providing greater depth and vision with every ascent. After levels of clownfish, octopus and blowfish, I finally reached the fourth floor, where I was transported to a slightly humid, but not uncomfortable, world-renowned rainforest world, where I saw languid sloths, monkeys and loud birds.

I think one of the most amazing aspects of the aquarium is the sheer number of wonders to see; everyone takes something from the experience. My friend loved the Chesapeake Bay fish tanks with the rock fish because the display showed what the bay could look like if it were managed well by humans (he majors in sustainability).

My favorite was the 225,000 gallon shark alley exhibit, where I walked down a multi-story ramp, and the ring-shaped tanks enveloped me in an eerie but exciting darkness with various sharks swimming about. If shark tanks and dolphin shows aren’t enough to lure you in for a portion of your weekend, one wing of the aquarium offers arguably the greatest view of the Inner Harbor ever.

I felt a particular kinship with marine animals, maybe because I am from the coast and practically grew up on the beach. Or perhaps taking a study break by immersing myself in the atmospheric aquarium was just that therapeutic.

Whether you go for a study break or a different reason, paying a visit to the aquarium makes for the perfect Friday night, between getting off from school and heading into weekend partying.