Aside from a dramatic come-from-behind win in a race to the top of a climbing wall at nearby Coney Island, visiting the New York Aquarium was probably the highlight of my afternoon trip out to the area. That may be because the inside parts of the aquarium were air-conditioned. The insufferable heat that day made me really want to jump in the water with those sea lions. Fortunately, I did not do that but instead went around to see all the sea creatures living in Brooklyn.
It seems that the most bizarre and charismatic animals of the sea are over-represented in this exhibit. California sea otters, for instance, don't live anywhere near New York, but they sure are entertaining, so there are several to be seen here. But that was fine with me. I very much enjoyed watching those otters -- they always look like they're having so much fun swimming around in the water.
On the inside of one of the aquarium's buildings, you can see the sea lions swimming around underwater. They seem to enjoy swimming straight at the glass, then stopping right there. It is a bit thrilling to see one of these giant animals coming right at you and then stopping right at your face, eye-to-eye.
A few of the other cool things to see here: seahorses, jellyfish, an octopus, rays, Beluga whales, and assorted fish of many colors, shapes, and sizes. I imagine this would be a great place for kids, and indeed, I tripped over several of them who seemed to be enjoying themselves.