From - Fri Aug 17 21:40:34 2001 Return-Path: Received: from peakpeak.com (tz0016.peakpeak.com [207.174.69.16]) by gash2.peakpeak.com (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id XAA31036; Mon, 13 Aug 2001 23:01:54 -0600 Sender: snowbear@gash2.peakpeak.com Message-ID: <3B78B1C0.EDCB8A56@peakpeak.com> Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 23:06:08 -0600 From: Pam North X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.61 [en] (X11; U; Linux 2.2.12-20 i586) X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: "Green, Guerin" , "Douglas, Laura" , "North, Pam" Subject: Article Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Status: X-Mozilla-Status: 8001 X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 X-UIDL: 391deae700001a77 OCEAN JOURNEY -- WORTH THE TRIP by Pam North Sometimes there really is a good reason to make a visit to the flatlands. Surprisingly, many Gilpinites have never visited the first-rate museums and educational attractions that lie just down the hill. One of the newest of these is Ocean Journey, and in view of its well-publicized financial pinch, this might be a good time to support your local aquarium. You'll definitely get you money's worth. Ocean Journey's focus is a little different than the average aquarium. Its invitation offers, "Your destination is the ocean. Your journey is the river. Escape." While water is, of course, the main event, the overall importance of it in our environment is what the story's all about here, and the thread of continuity offered by this theme and the method of presentation ensures the visitor of a more memorable and encompassing experience than that of just staring into a succession of fish tanks. One phase of the exhibit follows the course of our own Colorado River on its 15,000 mile westward journey from the Continental Divide to Mexico's Sea of Cortez. Craggy granite walls, pine-scented air and a tumbling waterfall set the scene for the river's Rocky Mountain birthplace two miles above sea level, with native cutthroat trout swimming effortessly in the racing, icy currents. Descending from the high country from 12,700 feet in elevation to 5100 feet, the river slows and spreads to create rich wetlands teeming with life. The air grows warmer as the descent to 4200 feet is made, and cinnamon-colored sandstone canyon walls, pinon and juniper are the surroundings, with tiny creatures nesting in the river's banks. At 3700 feet, the river grows quiet, and bass, catfish and trout swim silently in the pooled waters behind Glen Canyon Dam. The Colorado River enters the thirsty desert at 480 feet, and tiny colorful pupfish, tenacious dwellers in this unforgiving environment, may be seen. The river, drained in strength by the demands of agriculture, power generation and recreation, meets the lapping surf of the sea, and then merges with the crystal-clear waters of the Sea of Cortez. All along the river's journey is a fascinating variety of flora and fauna. The ocean exhibit holds about 180,000 gallons of salt water, and is home to about 35 species of creatures. Still another river journey awaits, this time in another part of the world. Indonesia, like Colorado, is marked by the passage of a powerful river through unique geography. The Sumatran river, the Kampar, also flows down from high mountains, but its 300-mile journey to the sea passes through the rain forest, where endangered Sumatran tigers inhabit a shaded oasis, cooling themselves in the dappled waters. A forest of mangrove trees, the only tree in the world able to exist in salt water, signals the final phase of the Kampar's passage, and just beyond is a coral lagoon, protected from the ocean's crashing waves by a barrier reef. A little farther away is the South China Sea, where sharks swim. This dazzling exhibit holds 320,000 gallons of water, and is inhabited by more than 900 fish. Another exhibit, the Sea Otter Cove, features a pair of enchanting sea otters that were orphaned by a storm, and rehabilitated by the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Sea Otter Research and Conservation Program. The antics of these perky creatures, a species that use rocks as tools to open shellfish, are a great source of entertainment. Housed in a separate aviary hut next to the main facility is a 4000-square-foot temporary (through the Labor Day weekend) exhibit, Outback Adventure, which features exotic wildlife of Australia. This interactive presentation allows guests to hold and hand-feed birds, and view a python, lizards, frogs and scorpions. Ocean Journey's summer hours are from 10-6, and 10-5 the remainder of the year. Admission prices are $14.95 for adults, $12.95 for youths 13-17 and seniors over 65, and $6.95 for children 4-12. Children 3 and under are admitted free. The facility is located 700 Water Street in Denver. For further information call (303) 561-4450. This is a fine presentation, an enjoyable experience and a painless education.....what more can you ask for than that? Guerin and Laura..... Photo for article (view of facade of building) is at: http://www.hlswilliwaw.com/albums/albums/ocean-journey/ADSCN0909.jpg