A Guest Report – Again

February 17, 2006

(I now have permission to post this article again . . . so, yet again I give to you a guest report on our new aquarium. And, due to the revoking issue we experienced before, I promise to leave it up for at least the weekend so you all have a good chance to read it in detail, or because I don’t have anything else to post, one of the two)

We have a new aquarium in Atlanta. I haven’t been yet, but my friends Sarah and Kendall are frequent visitors and wrote this report, which Kendall graciously said I could post (hope you don’t mind Sarah) . . .

Gentle Giants of the Sea: A Chronicle
Aquarium Reporters: Sarah Leer and Kendall Pearson (Annual Pass-holders)

It is a rainy Saturday afternoon.  What shall you do with your time whilst it is pouring outside?  You COULD remember your Baptism and perform Baptism “labs” in the quad.  Or you COULD practice “scripture reading” with your favorite T.A. ______ (insert hottie name here).  But the best way to spend a rainy afternoon or any afternoon for that matter is at the world-renowned Georgia Aquarium. (Play dramatic music.)

Sarah: When Kendall and I first entered the Georgia Aquarium a shot of excitement ran up our spines. (only a third of Kendall’s because she only has a third of a spine.) As we walked into the great room, seeing all of the exhibits in the round, we glanced at one window and saw the Gentle Giants of the Sea.

Kendall: We gasped simultaneously at the magnificent whale sharks, Ralph and Norton.  You see, Sarah and I have waited our whole lives to see a whale shark.  For they are the world’s most gentle and largest fish.

Sarah: That’s right Kendall they can grow up to be 46 feet long.  Although, Ralph and Norton are currently 18 and 16 feet respectively.  They swim around all day with their mouths wide open eating krill-averaging 16 pounds a day.  They hang out with around 400 yellow trevally fish and never eat one of them, because did you know their throat is only the diameter of a quarter? And they are so gentle.

Kendall: Ralph and Norton’s viewing window is approximately 60 feet by 30 feet.  They live with thousands of other animals who are cuddly and cute but they are not gentle giants and will not be covered in this report.  Sarah and I have spent enough time with the gentle giants that we can affectionately tell them apart.

Sarah: Norton is my whale shark and has a notch in his lower lip; this doesn’t make him any less handsome than Ralph.  He is shorter, has fewer spots on his belly and likes to hang around the top rim of the tank.  Norton is a Pisces.  Norton does not like long walks on the beach because that would mean death.  Norton likes to listen to the smooth vocal stylings of Beyonce and Cher.

Kendall: Ralph is my whale shark does not have a notch in his lower lip, he is longer and has more spots on his belly.  You might wonder where Ralph met Norton…according to our sources they met in Brokeback Ocean located near Asia.  However, Ralph does not like Cher and he is a better whale shark for it. 

Sarah: There are some other fish and some other tanks but we spend most of our time gazing at Ralph and Norton and our favorite tour guide Josh.  Josh does not have spots on his belly nor does he eat Krill from a bucket.  But he does like Cher. 

Kendall:  We hope this report has encouraged you to rush out and meet our friends: the gentle giants of the sea: Ralph and Norton Whale Shark.  (If Rob McClellan calls them whale fish in your presence please reprimand him accordingly. Rob does likes Cher and long walks on the beach.)

Stay tuned for our next riveting report from the aquarium sidelines when we tackle Beluga Whales: White Gentle Giants of the Sea. 

Posted in life by Sarah Walker Cleaveland