Wednesday, November 26, 2008

identification is fun.

Older Foreign Lady: These sea animals?
Employee: Yes... [unsure, forced smile]

********************

A 70's-ish woman is standing with her daughter, pointing at various animals as they swim by.

Woman: [points] Ooh! A shark! [points] Ooh! A Turtle! [points to large school of fish] Are those real?

********************

Our "African" exhibit features hippos, dozens of free-flying birds, and an African Crested Porcupine, which hides behind a log (it's nocturnal), has 3-foot quills, and weighs about 40 pounds.

Woman: [points at porcupine] Ooh! Look at that big bird!

********************

At Touch-A-Shark

Woman: These alligators?

********************

The aquarium is full of interactive things for small kids- buttons to push and levers to pull. One such exhibit requires that you push a red button. Doing this lights up a picture of a Foxface Rabbitfish, which is venomous. In the picture, the Rabbitfish has hypodermic needles in its body, pointing out through its fin spines, to show you that its spines and venom sacs function like a needle injection.

6-year-old boy: [pushes button] Look! Drugs!
The boy pulls on his chaperone's sleeve and gets her to push the button.
Chaperone: Yep, Drugs!

No comments: