We went back to the Sydney Aquarium today. We went there when we first arrived in Sydney and Cooper has been begging us to take him back. I am not a huge aquarium fan, but it was a cold and rainy day, so it seemed a good time to go. And I am SO glad we went back! It was so much better this time. Partly because Tucker is "older" and was really excited to see all the creatures and Cooper was really into not only seeing the creatures, but learning about them as well.
The first creature we saw was the platypus. This is the one "famous" Australian animal we had yet to see. It sure is a funny looking creature! We watched it swim back and forth for quite some time. Printed on the wall next to the tank was the dreamtime story called, "Why Platypus is Special."
Very early in the dreamtime the ancestor spirits were deciding on totems and the animals, the water creatures and the birds were vying for what they thought was the top position.
The birds had decided to invite the platypus. "She belongs among us," they said. "She lays eggs and she has a bill like a duck." "Oh no, I am glad to be invited to your meeting, but I am not really a bird. But I will think about it." she said as she scampered back to her waterside hole.
Soon after this all the animals held their own meetings. "I think," the kangaroo said, "we should invite the platypus to join our group. She is different to us in some ways, but she runs on land and is covered in fur as we are." Platypus was surprised and happy to be receiving so much attention, but told them, as she told the birds that she had to think before she could make a decision.
So, the next day she went to discuss this strange situation with her friend spiny echidna. The echidna thought carefully and then advised the platypus not to join any of the groups. They talked a while, and the platypus could think no better answer. So, the platypus sent separate messages to the birds, the animals and the water creatures. She invited each group to a place near her home, and insisted that they must all come together in friendship.
When the platypus emerged from her hole, a hush fell over the whole crowd. "You are all my friends. I understand the birds because you have to keep your eggs warm as I do. I understand the water creatures because like me you dive to the depths and explore the underwater world as I do. And I feel akin to the animals who run on the land and grow fur like I do. But I am grateful that Byamee, the father-of-all has seen fit to make me a little like each one of you. So it is my hope that each time you see a member of my family you will be reminded of Byamee in the sky world, the great father-of-all, who made each one of us."
At this time the aboriginal people could each interchange bodies with their particular totem animals. They heard what the platypus had said. They heeded her message, and agreed that she was unique and should be regarded as very special. The story was told to each generation, and aboriginal people of all areas, century after century, have continued to respect the platypus.
In traditional times, whenever people saw a platypus scurrying around the creekbank or swimming in the river, they regarded it as an omen of good luck. Perhaps that is why most of us feel a special thrill when we see one nowadays.
After the platypus, we continued on throughout the different exhibits. We saw some enormous crayfish, amazing flashlight fish, upside down jellyfish and the ever-cool octopus. We saw the blue-ringed octopus too which is one of the most deadly creatures in the world and can apparently been seen on the beaches all over AU. Sure makes you feel great while you are wading in the ocean.... Cooper, once again, made friends with some random women we met in line and spent the beginning of our time there talking to them and telling them to "Look here! and "Look there!" There was a cool computer activity as well where the kids could "colour" a page and then email it home!
The boys were able to touch several shark eggs. Who knew that eggs varied so much from one kind of shark to another? Not me! Here are a few the boys got to touch.
The next stop was the dugong tank. For those of you who do not know what a dugong is it is a huge marine mammal and is the only strictly-marine herbivorous mammal. It was really hard to get a good picture of these guys- they are so huge and well, they were underwater. Here is the best I got.
We actually ended up spending a long time just watching the dugongs and the other creatures in the tank and then stayed even longer to listen to the dugong talk. The story they had to tell was very interesting. The dugongs they have at the aquarium are two of only six dugongs in captivity in the world! These two were both rescued as pups. Both were released back into the wild and both had to be recaptured because they were not making it. In the wild, the dugong eats seagrass, but in captivity they eat lettuce, preferably romaine or cos, as they call it here. Seagrass cannot be harvested because there is so little left of it in our oceans so lettuce is the next best thing. Can you imagine only eating lettuce all day? Imagine how thin we would all be! These guys definitely are not what I would call thin! Another interesting tidbit-- sailors long ago who had been at sea for years and years and had not seen a woman in a long time, would often report seeing women in the waters they sailed. These "women" were most likely dugongs or their cousins, manatees, and from these "sightings" came the myth or idea of mermaids. Cool huh?
After our time with the dugongs, we wandered through the rest of the exhibits and were about to settle in to watch the shark feed, when little Mr. Mischief, aka Tucker, ran out the gate to the shop and, of course, we followed. There was no way back in at that point without going all the way back to the beginning of the exhibits and, well, I was just not up for that. So, we browsed a bit in the store and each of the boys got a little stuffed creature- a dugong for Tucker and a Rainbow Lorikeet for Cooper. Then it was off to lunch with Doug and home again in time for a nap for Mr. Mischief. :)
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