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Sunday, November 15, 2009

Our 2008 Trip to the Vancouver Aquarium

We went to the Vancouver Aquarium on June 14, 2008, to celebrate Heather's birthday. And the day before we ended up walking Gastown. The day before the trip to the Aquarium we ended up meeting a rather friendly seagull who evidently enjoyed posing for photographs


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©2008 FalconRose Photography, all rights reserved

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While we were there, we also saw a Helijet S76 take off for its run to Victoria or to YVR. They do have various routes. Walking further down into Gastown, I was able to see the famous "Gassy Jack" statue. Named after Captain John Deighton, a steamship operator and a saloon-owner at the turn of the century. For more info on Gassy Jack, you can go to this URL Wikipedia Entry on Captain John Deighton.


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We saw a variety of animals at the Vancouver Aquarium, but unfortunately I found that my 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 was rather slow for most of the photography I needed to do at the Vancouver Aquarium. At some point I'm going to definitely have to upgrade to f/2.8 lenses


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©2008 FalconRose Photography, all rights reserved

Asides from the fact that the black-tipped reefshark pool was more than crowded that day and I couldn't get a clear shot to save my life, the 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 was so slow that I couldn't handhold it with the speeds that it was shooting at.


If you notice the cold-eye pointed in my direction, you kind of wonder what that shark was thinking. "I think that photographer will make a nice, light snack, wonder if he's loaded with MSG?"


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©2008 FalconRose Photography, all rights reserved

Going now from the pelagics to the reptilian. When we walked past this display, it took me a moment to realize that these were living, breathing specimens of American Alligator. At first I thought that the Vancouver Aquarium had cheated and brought in mechanized displays (I think the low glass also had something to do with it too as it seemed to me, rather flimsy, if the alligator decided to lunge. This sequence of shots kind of proved to me that the alligators were real.


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this image and preceding ©2008 FalconRose Photography, all rights reserved

I had to say at first, that he seemed a little plastic...


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©2008 FalconRose Photography, all rights reserved

This evidently is a tiger-ray. I wanted to focus in on his eyes. The eye is the same coloration as the camoflage on his body so his eyes practically blend in. But you can still manage to see them. It's amazing how long they can keep their eyes open without blinking (even more amazing to think that it's under water and you have sand and silt being washed up against it's cornea.


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Red-fin Piranhas ©2008 FalconRose Photography, all rights reserved

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©2008 FalconRose Photography, all rights reserved

There was also a display of skulls that a curator was waxing eloquent over. It was interesting...and a bit macabre.


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©2008 FalconRose Photography, all rights reserved

The otters are adorable. But it was amazing how small the tanks were that they swam in. It just seemed like they were swimming laps.


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©2008 FalconRose Photography, all rights reserved

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©2008 FalconRose Photography, all rights reserved

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©2008 FalconRose Photography, all rights reserved

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©2008 FalconRose Photography, all rights reserved

We also took a ride on the miniature train. The kids loved it.


Since we have a 50mm f/1.8 and hopefully in the near future a 35mm f/1.8, I hope to go back to the Vancouver Aquarium and retake some of the shots that didn't turn out so well.


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