L'Oceanogràfic: Europe's Largest Aquarium

Thanks to Bill Frist and his Illegal Internet Gambling Enforcement Act our President signed last week, I am not headed off to South Africa for PartyPoker.com this week. Instead I am sitting in chilly Dallas watching the Travel Channel who is featuring the construction of the aquarium in Valencia, Spain. It's pretty amazing watching how engineers, botanist, zoologists, and architects created a safe environment for the 100,000 marine life who now inhabit The Oceanographic Marine Park.

The aquarium features three Beluga Whales who were raised in captivity. Belugas are endangered and aquarium scientists took great care transporting the whales. Transporting the Belugas is challenging. Flight patterns were carefully selected so turbulence could be avoided.

One part of the show featured scientists looking for sharks along South Africa's Natal Coast (...and yes I was pouting profusely as I watched them dive). They were experimenting with tonic immobility on Bull Sharks. As I watched the scientists put the sharks in a trance, the narrator said "they [Bull sharks] are not usually agressive, but you never know"....um...??? They did look pretty relaxed in their tonic state....and then I thought, maybe Mr. Frist, now that he has left the senate, needs a little South African vacation of his own. He should go play with some Great Whites. OK so I am changing subjects...

I still recommend the Travel Channel's feature on the aquarium to Republicans, Democrats, poker players, and scuba enthusiast alike.