Jerusalem kids invited to sleep with the fishes
Back in 1989, songwriters Howard Ashman and Alan Mencken argued for ocean-based optimism in the lyrics to “Under the Sea,” their award-winning song from the Disney movie, “Little Mermaid”:
Ariel, listen to me
The human world, it’s a mess
Life under the sea
Is better than anything they got up there
That’s an argument that sounds more plausible than ever these days.
So, perhaps mindful that the 29th chapter of the Book of Isaiah uses the term “Ariel” to refer to Jerusalem, the Israel Aquarium in Jerusalem is expanding its efforts to enable visitors to experience a taste of the life under water.
It has extended its Thursday hours and offerings, which now include behind-the-scenes tours where visitors can learn how the aquarium gets the huge amounts of water it needs to keep its tanks filled and hear from fishkeepers about the lives of the fish, invertebrates, amphibians, and aquatic reptiles at the aquarium.
The tours include a close-up look at the feeding of the aquarium’s sea turtles. Some of them were rescued from Israel’s shores and healed at Israel’s Sea Turtle Rescue Center before they were moved to the aquarium.
And in what probably will be the biggest thrill for those who choose to accept the offer, the Aquarium is offering Thursday night sleepovers for kids 6 and over.
But have no fear, parents: The kids will be treated like the land-lubbers they are. They’ll be kept out of the tanks.
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