London Aquarium

Just thought it was interesting that it is finally getting some attention and Sealife have bought it out and spent a lot - £5 million - on it and it is said to have really improved! One thing that is great is that you can no longer 'stroke' the rays because they have finally realises it gives them burns!! Was wondering if anyone had been?! Might have to pop over there soon

I havent been MAtt, but all this chat about aquarium makes me realise that a trip to here

http://www.blueplanetaquarium.com/default.asp?css=1

is well overdue

That looks like great aquarium!! I better grab my camera and get a ticket!!

It is a good day out. I love walking through the tunnel and seeing the sharks swimming round. When they go over the top of the glass tunnel you can really see their teeth in all their glory

I havent been for a while, and it is a bit on the coslty side when you take into account prices for kids, food, and compulsory viisits to the shop, but even so it's enjoyable

IIn plymouth, they have a shallow(ish) pool thats open topped - it gives the impression you welcome to stroke the fish as their is no cover of anykind (not even mess or acrylic) so they empoy a person to guard the display - how rediculous is that?

I stopped my nephews from stroking the fish, they said 'were allowed too at home (in Canada) and I explpained by stroking the fish, they are hurting the fish

I then took em to my local harbour to feed the wild fish (grey mullet) and seals - I think they prefered that experience tbh - btw - the seals are used to stealing bait from the anglers anyway so we werent exactly encouraging them - I made sure we did it in a place where the seals wouldnt come to harm from boats etc

That sounds wicked Rich! Its not quite the same going to the Thames

Matty wrote:

One thing that is great is that you can no longer 'stroke' the rays because they have finally realises it gives them burns!!

How so? In the Dingle Aquarium that I just visited, you're still allowed to and the Rays come over specifically to be touched. Although there's a Warning Sign telling you to only touch the top of their heads and not their backs...

In the Blue Planet over the river, they too have a ray tank where you can stroke the small rays that are there. The rays come over to you and raise themselves out of the water to be stroked. There are signs asking you to stroke them on their underneaths if I remember rightly

DUnno exactly (never been a scientist) but i think its the oils on our skin or somthing along those lines that is known to cause fish and in particular rays and other members of that family flesh burns, so Sealife have stopped it.

OK - first of all there is the 'health n safety' part - now we as fish keepers know of various weapons etc our darling fishy friends have (spikes, spines, venom, teeth, attitude, pink nets et al)

Some of you may or may not be too aware of some of the aromoury sea fish have, the list is much like the above - actually, fish we love to eat inthis country is more than adequately protected, by spines and razor blade like gill covers - but you may be surprised when I tell its the Sea Bass.

Rays, many or most of whom, are close members of the shark family and as such dont have scales like regular fish - they have 'rough skin' (in years gone by ot was and by some still is, used as the underlayer for the hand grips on swords) skates n ray also being prey to bigger boys have a reasonable array of protection, as the most likely direction for attack on them is above, they have sharp spiney upper side (thornback ray is a good example of UK coastal ray and commonly seen as the petting fish in aquariums) ans thses spines can easily hurt a human hand.

The next thing is the well know fact that human handling of fish causes harm - but an old wives tale has crept in abou the burns

Its generally a problem with bigger fish - especially with anglers catching large carp and such like, ie the practicse of catch and release - this is why its so hotly debated in terms of cruelty - I personally eat what I catch (in the summer, I catch mackerel and Garfish).

What happens with larger fish is that their body and internal organs are supported by the water, when a human lifts them out, they tend to crush the inards - not only that, but as the fish is wet n slimey - a human will groip tighter than is actually required and thus more pressure applied to the fish, as a sub-result, the fish slips in the hands and as we all know, fish have a slime layer or outer skin - which is a natural barrier against water born infections - when dmaged by careless handling (too rough) the slime is removed and exposes areas odf the actual skin to all the outside nasties

We all know about the fungal infections our pets get, wild fish are the same - im guessing/educated assumption that people are sometime rought (or even intentionally cruel) to these display fish and cause infections (not burns) - maybe ots a decision made by the head of each facility as to whether or not contact with the fish is allowed as there doesnt seem to be any 100% concrete case for any one theory.

One idea I heard about was the potential for humans to pass on MRSA to display fish in this manner - as for me - im not sure how long MRSA would last in the marine environment or how the fishes' own autoimmune system would cope/deal with MRSA.

As my final piece of cheese for the fondu mix - my siamese fighter females would often (everytime my hand was in the water) come over ans swim between my fingers and rub herself against me - she never seemed to do herself any harm - although I never 'stroked' her ie put my own physical force behind it/applied pressure etc - it was 100% their terms and mybe this is the difference, if the rays like to brush themselves (probably parasite removing) against human hands, as long as its done on their terms, I dont really see the harm - but as with everything in life, it takes one or two idiots to ruin a good thing for the rest of us so my theory is one or two fish have been intentionally hurt and the result is hands off the rays for everyone.

Woah interesting read! But i was quoting the interview with the sealife director in my paper so maybe we shouldn't trust the people "up there"!

Well - i was a keen angler for many years (about 20) and had come across this mainly when I dabbled in carp fishing - I also know that NO mackerel caught on rod n line survives being returned to the water. Strange but true, in all my years of fishing and reading the various magazines - alot was made of treating wounded fish with whatever before returning them (be it mouth ulcers, or cuts/wounds and or torn fins) but never ever 'stress' - im sure many fish caught by anglers and returned (even witht he best care and well meaning) die once back in the water.

Also - without sounding big headed - ive used in the above what ive learned from various other places/interests including science (no im not professing to be an ichthyologist - which you can tell from the wrong spelling ) - but i think this is another example of we humans not understanding enough what goes on under our own noses on earth and being too obsessed with space

my thought s on this are - why look to try n survive in space (as a species) when we should be clearing up our mess here, not trying to expand our landfill site outside of our own planet.

Point is - there is alot about fish we dont know - however - I fully understand and in fact prefer (admire) the idea of better safe than sorry and discourage 'petting' of fish. Neither do I like the idea of swimming etc with wild dolphins (ie actual contact) - looking is fine, but why oh why must we always fiddle (sheep are different thats allowed )

Very good points and I do agree with you in that case (even though i have been swimming with dolphins )

I think swimming with dolpjhins must be just such a wonderful experience. Was this in a tank or a wild environment Matty?

The captain of the boat who took us out to see Fungie still swims with him about once a month. What a privilege..

Once in a tank and the other time we were sailing and they were there and we just leaped off the boat! Its absolutely amazing!

a dozen yaers ago when kids were still kids we went to flordia and the Bahamas
while there we went on a trip to a dolphin experience - we even got in with themm in a tank that was only waist high where you stood, they swam up to you so you could stroke them
feels just like felt as i remember what an experience that was wonderful - ho ye kids liked it too.

also went to sea world in the terrors of the deep that was amazing - the shamu show was
i good show as well.



dekker

I've been to Seaworld also - it was quite impressive. It was especially amazing to see Manatees and Beluga Whales up close.

yes they are fabulous creatures so graceful - we payed them a couple of visits during the day.





dekker

I wanna go!!!

me toooooo
I Think we should all go to see them on a trip together.

Matty wrote:

I wanna go!!!

You''ve just been to New Zealand where I want to go... ...so no!

Hehe "Insert smug face here"

yes new zealand for me too the secnery from the lord of the rings movies is stunning.

but sea world will do chez thats an awesome place as well been twice 1993/96 just brill.




dekker

Matty wrote:

Hehe "Insert smug face here"