Charleston : South Carolina Aquarium

One of the first places we visited during our first full day in Charleston was the South Carolina Aquarium, which exceeded my wildest expectations. We got to see Liberty, a rehabilitated six year old bald eagle, who may have had an unfortunate encounter with some power lines. She seems to be very happy in her current home, which is surrounded by vertically strung piano wire for safety and patron visibility.



They have a 42 foot deep tank, which is the deepest tank in North America. Their gorgeous exhibits of the tank are from floor to ceiling, making it optimally accessible to viewers in wheelchairs or strollers. Horizontal supports are invariably near eye-level for me, so I rejoiced when I saw how how beautifully everything at this eight year old facility had been designed. Since there were also fewer people there, it was probably an even more pleasant experience than going to the New England Aquarium.


They have several exhibits open to the outdoors, including one for this frisky otter.

This yellow bellied slider thinks you should visit the South Carolina Aquarium if you are anywhere near Charleston.

You can look at more photos here and I'll be adding additional videos to the set.