Guest Author - Jilly Florio

You will want to be all set to enjoy your visit to an aquarium by planning your afternoon in advance. Here are some simple tips to make your next aquarium visit easy and enjoyable!

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• It's a good idea to check out the website of the aquarium you plan to visit. You can see hours of operation, admissions fees, times for special shows or docent walks, or find about when it's feeding time for the tanks. Watching the various fish communities eat is always worth seeing!
  
• Wear comfortable shoes. You will be doing a lot of walking and it just makes sense to wear shoes that give you some padding underneath, and maybe even some support on the sides. Light tennis shoes are a good option.
  
• Lighten your purse, or leave it locked in the car. It's much more comfortable to wander around when you don't have a heavy or uncomfortable bag dangling off your shoulders.
  
• Bring a light jacket. Aquarium interiors are often air conditioned. If you get chilly in air-conditioned buildings, it will be nice to have a shawl, windbreaker or zipped hoodie to pull on. I like to use a shawl, since I can easily tuck it into my purse, but for others, wrapping a sweatshirt around the waist will do just fine.
  
• Don't forget your wallet! I really enjoy shopping in aquarium gift shops for the really unique gifts, posters and books you can find there. Plus, your purchase help fund the aquarium, enabling them to provide more and better exhibits and educational programs.
  
• Turn off your cell phone when you get there. It's unpleasant for other people to be distracted by the various ringing sounds on today's mobile phones. Also, no one should have to listen to you yak away, when they are trying to relax. :) Remember that watching fish is a meditative experience.
  
• You might want to ask at the front desk whether cameras are permitted, and to get ideas on how to get great fish pictures, if so. Remember that your flash will most likely only reflect back at you. Try to set your camera's auto flash off.
  
• Make sure you have a sun hat and/or sunglasses for aquaria that have outdoor viewing areas, touch tanks, tide pools or picnic areas that you may wish to enjoy.
  
• Speaking of which, you might consider bringing along a picnic lunch. Many aquariums are situated along the coast and offer pretty picnic spots with tables or benches for your enjoyment.

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