Posts
2011, 06-22:
Report on: SHEDD AQUARIUM = “JAZZIN” Music + JELLIES Exhibit + FIREWORKS
JELLIES Exhibit
On June 22nd, the SHEDD AQUARIUM in Chicago started their series of “JAZZIN’ At the Shedd”, wherein they offer live jazz performances each Wednesday nite thru August 31st (except for July 20th)...
... The event runs from 5 to 10 pm, with performances in the NORTH Terrace section of the Sick Family Lakefront Terrace on the north side of the Aquarium; the entry is $ 18 per adult & $ 16 for children...
... My friend Ed B joined me on the opening nite of the “Jazzin’” (which was set-up as a “Member’s Appreciation Nite”)...
... Upon arrival thru the special side entrance on the South Terrace, we were given white wristbands which identified us as a Member’s group...
... Inside, we found the Restaurants open, with “Soundings” Café on the Lower Level 1 (+ tables set-up selling specially-prepared hot selections outside of it) & the lower-priced “Bubble Net” Food Court on Lower Level 2 (with a roped-off area providing a small “private” section for Members)... Drinks were also sold (for those of proper age)...
... We were allowed to view the open marine MAMMAL areas, where we could see the Otters, the Beluga Whales and Pacific white-sided Dolphins swimming around near the Abbott Oceanarium, + the large sea-lion lazing in his Grainger Sea Lion Cove...
... In the lowest-level “Underwater” viewing section, we looked at the Penguins sitting on the rocks & swimming around happily...
... Visitors were allowed to view the Shedd’s newest exhibit in the MacArthur Special Exhibit Gallery (“behind” the Oceanarium seating area). It’s called “JELLIES”, which has become the term aquariums have begun using for what we used to call “JELLYFISH”...
... They “changed” the name because the creatures involved are NOT true fish at all (& not even vertebrates): they’re free-swimming components of the phylum Cnidaria...
... They’ve been on the Earth for at least 500 million years (way before the dinosaurs existed), & can be found in EVERY ocean (with some even found in fresh water, tho those don’t sting)... Most have a body structure not unlike an umbrella in shape...
... I visited the exhibit, which I found FASCINATING and INFORMATIVE... The jellies move via contraction-pulsations of the bell-shaped area of their bodies... They have NO brain or central nervous system, or any dedicated circulatory, respiratory or digestive systems...
... Their bodies are oxygenated by diffusion, and ABSORB nutrients thru a lining of their gastrovascular cavity... Some jellies are bioluminescent...
... They’re composed of up to 95% water, and they have varying abilities to sting and inject venom into those creatures that come near their often-lengthy “tentacles” (only some of which cause bad reactions in humans)...
... Yes, all-in-all, they appear quite “OTHER-worldly in many ways (& have survived numerous episodes of mass extinction on this planet)!...
... The exhibit has a figurine of the longest jelly, the Lion’s Mane, which can have tentacles reaching-out up to 120 feet (36.5 meters)...
... The giant Nomura’s jellyfish (found in the western Pacific near China, Korea & Japan) can grow to weigh more than 400 pounds (200+ kg)...
... Shedd has shown the “MOON” jelly for a number of years...
... In 2008, such jellies (each up to a basketball in size) came together by the hundreds & clogged the intake pipes of a NUCLEAR power plant in California... (And, other jellies clogged a power plant in the Philippines in 1999)...
... In Northern Ireland, there was a coastal salmon farm which had an invasion of billions of mauve stinger jellies in 2007. They caused nearly $ 2 million in damage by killing ALL the salmon there...
... For this exhibit. The Shedd has added a number of more “exotic” types of jellies than they’ve displayed before, such as the “egg yolk” variety (named because that’s what it tends to look like, as seen below)...
... One of the numerous plaques gave information on what a jelly’s “mouth” is used for (as shown above)...
... Another showed how a jelly helped advance MEDICINE...
... One of the more unusual-looking varieties was an “UPSIDE-DOWN” jelly (as shown below)...
... It lies that way on the ocean floor & holds algae which helps further photosynthesis...
... Sometimes, jellies reproduce in massive numbers (since they can lay thousands of eggs each day). Such events are called “BLOOMS”, & it’s still unclear why they happen when -- & to the extent -- that they do...
... When times become severe, up to 500 million jellies can float into the Sea of Japan EVERY day. Since they can each be the size of a refrigerator (as pictured below), that can cause numerous problems for fisherman and people near the shore!...
... Sometimes, jellies can eat so much, they double their weight in a day...
... One of the prettiest varieties shown in the exhibit was the purple-striped jellies...
... Another interesting one was the sea nettle...
... And, here’s another intriguing variety...
... Plus, one with some wide tentacles...
* - - - - - - - - - *
“JAZZIN”
... Around 7 pm, Ed and I went out onto the north Terrace as they announced the MUSIC would be starting soon...
... The VIEWS from the (tent-enclosed) Terrace are beautiful:
... We happily looked at the city’s skyline & harbor area...
... Before it started, they held a little “contest” for the audience. Near us, there was a table with two young clean-cut couples... One man (in a dark blue striped shirt) went up & answered some questions, for which he was happy to win a “Jellies” MUG (as shown below on the table)...
... Later, the host announced people could go upstairs & sign-up for a “raffle” to possibly win the aquarium’s special “BELUGA ENCOUNTER” (valued at $ 250-350) wherein a person can don waders & enter into the WATER in the Encounter Habitat..
... There, you can join with a trainer on a ledge & TOUCH a Beluga whale & help with some training techniques...
... The couples mentioned above decided to go upstairs & enter the contest... And, at one point, Ed & I also went up to put our names in for the raffle...
... Near the main hall, we found there were small BANDS playing in various halls, + more FOOD available for sale from tables & booths around the area... There were even tables set up around the Pritzker Caribbean Reef where people could watch numerous species swimming around in the large tank...
... While upstairs, we went thru the always-interesting AMAZON RISING exhibit, & looked at the fish, + a weird-looking flat-headed Mata Mata TURTLE swimming around (as seen below)...
... And also a caiman lizard in the water...
... We returned to the North Terrace, &, from seats right by the far-north wall, we looked at the skyline some more, with views enhanced by a series of dramatic fast-moving CLOUDS overhead...
... While there, a host announced the results of the BELUGA ENCOUNTER raffle... Remember the couples mentioned above?... One of the young women (named Emma) was very surprised (& thrilled) when she WON the prize for a future Encounter!...
... Around 7:30 PM, the JAZZ started, provided by the talented DETOUR JAZFUNK group, consisting of PHIL SEED on guitar, BEN “Jammin” JOHNSON on drums, KENERY KENT SMITH on bass, and TIM GANT on keyboards (as pictured in photos below)...
... It was very relaxing & enjoyable to listen to the music...
... And to see the LIGHTS come in the gorgeous SKYLINE views off to the northwest...
... Then more JAZZ...
... And still more CITY SKYLINE sights...
* - - - - - - - - - *
FIREWORKS
... Around 9:30 PM, the FIREWORKS show started at the east end of NAVY PIER (to the north of where we sat on the Terrace)...
... There were BEAUTIFUL sights as the fireworks continued...
... And, the colorful display had a VARIETY of “types” of fireworks...
... All of which could be EASILY seen from the Terrace...
... And all of which was ENJOYED by those there...
... Plus appreciated by those who viewed from the lower-level Sick Family Lakefront Terrace located outside the “Soundings Café”...
... So, you had the music...
... And nice warm weather...
... Plus dramatic VIEWS of Chicago...
... And an impressive 10-15-minute FIREWORKS show...
... All in all...
... A RELAXING...
... And very PLEASURABLE experience, which I heartily RECOMMEND...
... On June 29th, the Band will be the BILL BORIS GROUP (which plays “straight-ahead jazz, funk and R&B”...
... July 6th, they will feature trumpeter GREG DUNCAN with his QUINTET Group...
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