National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium
May 1st, 2008
It was an overcast, rainy morning as P.A.S. Elementary students from grades 3, 4 and 5 along with Mr. Hunter, Mr. Ward, and Mrs. Chang took the High Speed Rail system south to spend the next two days getting a unique perspective on how marine life has evolved and continued to flourish in the many levels of our oceans.
During the trip, they got the chance to see all the regular exhibits which included an impressive 14 meter high kelp forest, huge whale shark tank, 3D movie about the prehistoric seas, and even explored the intertidal zone along the coast near the museum. Once the regular public left at closing time, they began their own “Night at the Museum” which began with an afterhours guided tour of both the coral reef, water’s of Taiwan, and whale shark tank. When it came time to sleep, everyone arranged their bedding by the whale shark tank and settled down for the night. Of course, it took some time to get used to a 4 meter shark gliding by every minute or so.
The next day there was time for a daylight exploration of the coral reef exhibit and an entertaining Beluga whale show. Few of the students knew just how playful and curious these small white whales can be. After that it was time to head back to Hsinchu. It was a trip that won’t be soon forgotten and helped everyone gain a deeper respect and understanding of the creatures with which we share this world.