A Family Day at the Aquarium in the Bay Area

We spent a day at an aquarium somewhere in the Bay Area back in late August of 2009. The main attraction was the massive tanks, filled with schools of silvery fish that moved as one, and colorful coral reef environments.

Our daughter, just a toddler then, was completely mesmerized. She pressed her hands against the glass, watching the fish swim by. It’s always interesting to see these places through a child's eyes; the scale of it all seems to really hit them. Her expression in one photo with me pretty much says it all – pure, wide-eyed surprise.

At one point, a diver was in one of the larger tanks, maybe doing some maintenance or feeding. It was a strange sight, seeing a person in full gear moving among the rocks and fish, trailing hoses and equipment.

Before we left, she found a large, golden tortoise sculpture. She gave it a tentative pat, smiling for a photo. It was a simple day out, but a memorable one.