THE GEORGIA AQUARIUM

When I decided to do this post I came upon a very odd conclusion.

I've been a free lance photographer most of my life and have had

a very limited "job history" to add to my vast resume.  Strange, 

I rarely made it past a year, 20 minutes the shortest.  Hard to believe,

I received a W2 form for that 20 minute mistake.   

Last year I got a job as a photographer at the Georgia Aquarium.

I was very excited to be at a tourist venue.  In Hawaii, I worked at a 

luau as a photographer with sales at the end of the evening.  I loved it.

The difference here was that I was hired as a photographer but ended

up primarily as a sales person.  I lasted 3 months and left when I got

sick with pneumonia.  

I loved the environment and the energy that visitors brought.

This was my world behind the scenes...

...this was my world as a visitor.

This is no ordinary alligator.  They say he once scaled his enclosure

and was found the next morning asleep on a rock at the food court.

They built a taller glass surround...no more field trips.

I heard that every once in a while they let the penguins have run of 

the place.  They got to walk around the main areas.

The aquarium features habitats for aquatic life.  Rivers, oceans,

and my favorite exhibit, Cold Water Quest.  This is where the 

most magical creature lives... the Belugas.  I'd spend most of my

breaks watching them.  I was never alone.  There is always a crowd,

all of us mesmerized.

I love them so much that I booked a "Behind the Scenes" training session 

on my 59th birthday.  They took us on a tour  throughout the facility,

showing us the labs, feeding stations, and all the systems that most people

never see.  We ended up on elevators up to the floors level with the

top of the Belugas tank.  We took classes and finally put on our wet

suits for our interaction with the Belugas.  The water was freezing cold 

and filled our suits.  Wasn't expecting that.  The most amazing thing

was touching and feeding them during their training.  I was surprised

that they felt like cold hard boiled eggs.  It was an experience I'll

never forget.

Working at the Aquarium was an experience I'll never forget either.

2013