Tyler Collins
Ripley's Aqaurium
Ripley's Aquarium is nestled in the middle of downtown Toronto, at the centre of entertainment district - among the busiest in the city. But these days, the crowds look a little different.
And by different, that means non-existent.
Whether you've been before to meet the fishes and thousands of aquatic friends at the aquarium before or not, the operations at Ripley's have been unique from other businesses adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic. They made it fun.
Yes, there are dozens of new procedures in place to maximize guest safety. But the aquarium has found creative ways to make them both effective and fun - and incorporated into the theme of your visit.
Oakville News first visited the aquarium seven years ago, shortly after they first opened. But they've adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic differently than most tourist attractions have.
Tyler Collins
"It's disappointing how quiet downtown Toronto is," says Peter Doyle, the general manager. "But it's reassuring as a visitor because there's never been this much space."
Doyle gave us a tour of how the aquarium has redesigned its exhibits and the guest experience to see how the aquarium has adapted.
Obvious new protocols include things like enhanced disinfections and added cleanings throughout the day. But staff who are doing it have "clean team" shirts. We saw one of them approached by a child, and she was happy to explain what she was doing so they understood what she was doing. That's part of the integrated visit while still being aware of today's conditions.
"We've always been a safe, sanitized environment because we have live animals," he says. "We're even more so now. There's no need to be scared because we've taken all the right precautions."
The exhibits are the same, but the layout is new
The best innovations Ripley's Aquarium installed are making the safety guidelines fun. There are colourful stickers, for example, showing groups where to stand while looking into the large tanks.
"Our control flow makes for a pleasant experience because we've fixed the direction our visitors are travelling in. In fact, our new streamlined path through the aquarium makes for a better than normal experience."
It's true - some of the exhibits that were previously free-roaming now have stantions directing guests where to go next. This limits contact with other families. And unlike busy days in past years of the aquarium's operation, there's a huge amount of elbow room. If you've been before on a busy day, the difference is astronomical.
But the distancing goes further than that. Doyle says admission is currently capped at 30%, even though 95% of the attractions are open. (The children's playground is the notable omission.)
But the best new social distancing feature is in Dangerous Lagoon's moving walkway - the aquarium's flagship attraction. The moving walkway through the underwater tunnels is still operating. Now, however, there are colourful surfboards painted on the walkway for groups to stand on together.
Ripley's Aquarium is still a great day trip from Oakville
What makes the changes Ripley's different from other attractions in the GTA is they've found whimsical ways to highlight safety. Not only are the measures effective, but they're themed to the environment and have seamlessly been integrated into the experience.
"We're about mixing science and fun - and that carries over into our new systems," says Doyle. "Everything is real, and we do it in a fun way."
"One of the challenges was maintaining the building - namely our water quality. 90% of our costs are fixed in maintenance and taking care of the animals."
Does Doyle have a favourite exhibit? "Seeing the jellyfish in the light-up wall tank," he says. "It's so mesmerizing to watch them. They're always changing, and the lights are changing; it's relaxing. It's my favourite...but don't tell the sharks I said that."
There's a majesty to seeing the animals swimming around. This is specially true in tanks with multiple species - they live in harmonious existence, much like us with them in their homes.
It's different from an open-air animal encounter like visiting the zoo (even driving through in your car.) Because the aquarium is indoors, it's a fully controlled environment, designed intentionally to mimic waters from around the world.
The sea creatures have no idea of what's been happening in the world outside during their 102-day closure. Spending time with the aquatic animals is a peaceful experience for us, their human counterparts. "We [the staff] have had the fish to ourselves. But the animals are excited to have people back."
Ripley's Aquarium is currently open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. Learn more by visiting the aquarium's website here.
