Under the Deep Blue Sea

On a recent visit to Atlanta we spent one day exploring the Atlanta Botanical Garden. The next day was hot and sultry, and we retreated to the cool comfort of the Georgia Aquarium. This world class aquarium is a must see for anyone visiting the Atlanta area. Even with large crowds the visibility was great, and I wandered for hours, transported into the world of the deep blue sea. The following photos are a hint of what I saw in person.

The creatures above are called jellies, rather than jellyfish, as they are not fish.Above: These fish are not to scale at all. The fish on the bottom right is a giant grouper, and he is HUGE.Above: Life in the sea is varied and fascinating. The little creature on the bottom left is aptly called a sea dragon.

The following photos are all views taken of the enormous display called Ocean Voyager. This tank contains 6.3 million gallons of water.
The very large fish are Whale Sharks. There are four of these magnificent creatures in the display. They came from the waters off the coast of Taiwan.

I took the following shot so one can get a perspective of just how big this tank is!I was fascinated by the Manta Rays, who performed a ballet of twirls and flips:

My visit to the Georgia Aquarium confirmed what I already knew: Our world is filled with fantastic wonders, and most of them I have never seen! 

Imaginary Worlds in Atlanta

I recently saw a very big snake in my garden. He was shiny black with a yellow stripe down his body. I watched as he slithered into his hole under a shrub. It wasn't the biggest snake I have seen this season. This past weekend I confronted a towering cobra, who was coiled and posturing with extended hood and readiness to strike. But I was not afraid.

The cobra is an example of mosaiculture, an art form that looks similar to topiary, though not topiary at all. Steel frames are stuffed with a growing medium and equipped with an internal irrigation system, and then thousands of plants are plugged into place to create colorful textures. Regular grooming maintains the artistic lines. The Imaginary Worlds exhibit is running through October 2013 at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

There are 19 living sculptures in the exhibit, including a grazing unicorn, a shaggy dog, and a 25-foot-tall Goddess rising up from the earth. Here are a few of these magical creations:

There were also some more traditional sculptures that I really liked, including this happy little girl:

And look closely at this boy playing the pipes. Do you see the dragonfly?

And, finally, here are just a few of the plants that caught my attention:

It was a great day at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, and I didn't want to return to the real world!