Georgia,  Travel

Top 4 Fascinating Stops On the Georgia Aquarium Behind-the-Scenes Tour

March 20, 2020 / 40 Comments
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Are you a fan of aquariums? Have you ever wondered what happens above the water? If you answered “yes” to either of those questions, than you need to take part in the Georgia Aquarium behind-the-scenes tour called “Behind-the-Seas.”

The Georgia Aquarium Behind-The-Seas Tour

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❤️ A special thank you to the Georgia Aquarium for my complimentary ticket, the discount on my family’s admission, as well as the Behind-the-Seas Tour tickets, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own. ❤️

The Georgia Aquarium

The Georgia Aquarium is located in Atlanta, Georgia. It is the the largest aquarium in the western hemisphere clocking in at 10 MILLION gallons. Yes, you read that right… 10 MILLION! Their Ocean Discovery exhibit alone holds over 6 million gallons! That’s a lot of water!

View from second floor over looking the lobby of the Georgia Aquarium

This was our first visit to the Georgia Aquarium but in a way, we kind of felt like we had been there before. Why? My family is HUGE fans of the show “The Aquarium”, on Animal Planet. It takes you on a behind-the-scenes adventure through the Georgia Aquarium to see what goes into taking care of all of the animals that call this place home. Animals such as whale sharks, manta rays, sea turtles, and even albino American alligators!

Coral reef mural inside the Tropical Diver Gallery at the Georgia Aquarium

The show also highlights the Georgia Aquarium’s dedication to protecting aquatic species around the world, such as rehabilitating injured sea life, researching Beluga whales in the wild, and rebuilding coral reefs. All important issues that help keep protect the beauty and wonder of our oceans.

With all that being said, I knew during our visit to the Georgia Aquarium we had to take part in their “Behind-the-Seas” highlight tour. It did not disappoint!

VRBO

The Georgia Aquarium Behind-the-Scenes Tour

Informational hallway at the Georgia Aquarium

The “Behind-the-Seas” tour offers visitors two new perspectives of the Georgia Aquarium: exclusive views from above the galleries and an inside-look at what goes on behind-the-scenes. We’re going to count down for you our favorite experiences we encountered during the tour.

#4 – The Filtration Room

Large floor to ceiling acrylic wall in the Ocean Voyager Gallery at the Georgia Aquarium

When you are standing next to the floor to ceiling acrylic wall in the Ocean Voyager exhibit, you can’t help but wonder where in the world do they get, and filter, that much salt water. Let me welcome you to the filtration room.

Georgia Aquarium behind-the-scenes tour stop in the filtration room.

The filtration room is where you will find pumps, filters, and miles and miles of pipes that move 261,000 gallons of water a minute. As you walk through this area, make sure you look above your head. There are so many pipes that you can’t even see the ceiling in this room.

Fun Fact! Do you know what the Georgia Aquarium has in common with Michigan? I’ll give you a hint… it has to do with the large white bags in the photo above.

Give up? The Georgia Aquarium actually acquires some of the salt they use to make salt water from Detroit, Michigan. 1,100 feet under the city of Detroit you will find a salt mine. It first opened in 1910 and covers more than 1,500 acres. I love visiting a place with a little home state connection.

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#3 – The Vet Facilities

Penguins inside the vet facilities during the Georgia Aquarium behind-the-scenes tour

Next stop, the vet facilities. If you’re in to the science aspect of aquatic creatures, this is the spot for you. You will get the opportunity to peak in the windows a diagnostic lab, a research lab, the room where they prepare the animal’s food, and so much more. The best part of this stop was the Georgia Pacific Penguin Nursery.

African Penguin at the Georgia Aquarium

The Penguin Nursery contains two specialized sections: an incubation and chick rearing area and a penguin fledging pool. The African penguin is currently listed as endangered so the Penguin Nursery plays an important role in the conservation and research of the African penguin. If you are lucky enough to book a Georgia Aquarium behind-the-scenes tour during the penguins breeding season, you might get to see eggs in an incubator or a fledging learning how to swim.

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The Tropical Diver Gallery is home to 200 species of coral and holds 164,000 gallons of water! Throughout the gallery you can find over 90 different species including the bignose unicorn fish, foxface rabbitfish, and, of course, every child’s favorites, “Nemo” and “Dory.”

Tropical Diver Gallery coral reef exhibit

At the center of the Tropical Diver gallery is one of the largest living reef exhibits, of any aquarium, in the world! In this recreation of a tropical Pacific coral reef there are hundreds of swimming creatures, mesmerizing anemones that flow with the currants, and beautiful coral in all shapes and sizes. There is even a wave overhead that mimics the crashing waves you would find in the ocean.

Georgia Aquarium behind the scenes view from above the coral reef in the Tropical Diver Gallery

Another stop during the “Behind-the-Seas” tour is a bird’s eye view from above the reef. The lights in the picture above provide special lighting to accentuate the colors of the corals. You can also watch the machine that creates the waves that break over the reef.

Georgia Aquarium behind the scenes tour coral reef stop

Also, take a peek inside a special tank where the Georgia Aquarium is doing what they can to research, and conserve, live corals. This provides a great learning resource for them so they can continue to understand the important roll of coral reefs in the ocean. There were so many corals, all in different shapes and colors.

Different shaped and colored coral reef that the Georgia Aquarium is growing and researching

And last, but not least……..

*Drum roll, please!*

Panoramic view at top the Ocean Discovery Gallery during the Georgia Aquarium behind-the-scenes tour

The Ocean Voyager gallery is known as the largest single aquatic exhibit in the western hemisphere. It is about the size of a football field and holds 6.3 MILLION gallons of water.

Ocean Voyager acrylic under water tunnel

The Ocean Voyager also features a 100 ft acrylic tunnel to give guests a unique underwater experience and the largest viewing windows in the world. Standing at 23 feet tall by 61 feet wide, and 2 feet thick, visitors will have no problem getting an unobstructed view of the many different animals swimming around.

Why is the Ocean Voyager tank so big? This exhibit was specially designed to house some pretty big animals like the manta ray and whale shark. Whale sharks just happen to be one of our favorite animals.

A whale shark swims by the acrylic wall in Ocean Voyager Gallery

Whale sharks, unlike their name, are not whales. They are actually filter-feeding sharks. The whale shark is the largest fish in the world and the largest fish known to have ever lived on earth. The Georgia Aquarium currently has four whale sharks, two females and two males, and their names are Trixie, Alice, Yushan, and Taroko. Trixie is the biggest whale shark measuring 31 feet long!

Whale shark feeding during the Georgia Aquarium behind-the-scenes tour

For our family, the highlight of the of the tour was getting to see the whale shark feeding. Each of the four whale sharks have a “lane” that they feed from. The animal care specialists ride in inflatable boats along a rope that runs the length of the tank, giving the whale sharks ample room to eat and turn around.

Whale sharks are filter feeders which means that they take in huge gulps of water, filter out their food, then “spit” out the remaining water. The animal care specialists use a ladle to dump their food into the water in front of them as they swim. They are fed a diet that consists of zooplankton, (tiny shrimp and fish eggs), as well as krill, jellies, and small fishes (sardines, anchovies, etc).

Did you know that a whale shark’s mouth can reach up to four feet in width, but their throat is only the size of a quarter?!?!

Georgia Aquarium Behind-the-Scenes Tour Reviews

The whole Georgia Aquarium behind-the-scenes tour was such a memorable experience. Being able to see what goes into the care and conservation of each animal was inspiring. Getting that close to a whale sharks is something that our family will never forget. Our family can’t wait to check out the new shark exhibit next time we are in the area!

The word "aquarium" painted on the floor of the parking ramp

Whale sharks are currently listed as endangered which makes the research and conservation that the Georgia Aquarium does, just that much more important. So if you are in the Atlanta area, I highly recommend you stop by the Georgia Aquarium to show them your support. Oh, and if you can’t make it there yet, make sure you watch “The Aquarium” on the Animal Planet. It will get you hook, line, and sinker! 😉

If you are planning a trip to Atlanta, you need to check out CityPASS. You can save 40% on your choice of five of the top Atlanta attractions including places like the Georgia Aquarium, Zoo Atlanta, and the Fernbank Museum of Natural History.

Know Before You Go

Atlanta – What you need to know before you go.

Read about our other water adventures:

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