In our family, birthdays are holidays.

Are they recognized by the federal government?

No.

Should they be? Probably. 😂

But in our house, everybody gets one day a year that’s their day.

We take the day.

We plan something special.

And we make a memory.

There are five of us, which means we get five built-in family holidays every year.

Seems perfectly reasonable to me.

And for my birthday last year, instead of planning a trip somewhere, I decided we’d have a staycation right here in Atlanta.

Because sometimes you don’t have to leave home to find something incredible.

Especially when home happens to have one of the best aquariums in the country.

Tiny Trip Snapshot 🚆

Where: Georgia Aquarium — Atlanta, Georgia
Who: Our family of five ❤️
Occasion: My birthday 🎂
Trip Style: Atlanta staycation + animal encounters
Admission: We already had annual passes
Favorite Experience: Journey with Gentle Giants — Swim 🦈
Biggest Surprise: SEA LIONS 😂
Would I Do It Again? In a heartbeat.

And next time?

I’m coming for the belugas.

Surprise! We’re Not Going to School Today 😂

The kids had absolutely no idea what we were doing.

It was a normal school morning.

Everybody got ready.

Got in the car.

Started the usual drive.

And then…

we waved goodbye to the school as we drove right past it.

Happy Mom’s Birthday, kids!

You’re skipping school.

They’d been to Georgia Aquarium before and already loved it, so when we eventually pulled in, they were perfectly happy with the arrangement.

Cool. Aquarium instead of school.

What they DIDN’T know was that this wasn’t going to be our normal aquarium day.

They thought we were going to look at the animals.

They had no idea we were about to get IN THERE WITH THEM.

Why Georgia Aquarium Is One of My Favorite Atlanta Attractions 🐠

If you’re visiting Atlanta—or you live here and somehow haven’t been yet—Georgia Aquarium is probably my #1 Atlanta recommendation.

And yes, I’m biased.

I LOVE animals.

Land animals.

Sea animals.

Animals that want cuddles.

Animals that could theoretically eat me.

Apparently we’re not discriminating.

But Georgia Aquarium really is extraordinary.

Today it has more than 11 million gallons of water and 500+ species, and Georgia Aquarium says it is the largest aquarium in the Western Hemisphere. It’s also the only aquarium in the United States where you can currently see whale sharks.

And you don’t just have to stand on the other side of the glass.

That’s what makes this place so special to me.

You can get IN.

😳

Georgia Aquarium offers a whole collection of animal encounters and in-water experiences, several of which we packed into this one very memorable birthday.

Tiny Money Tip 💰: Watch the Georgia Aquarium Sales

Before you pay full price, check for promotions.

Georgia Aquarium runs different specials throughout the year, and we’ve taken advantage of them more than once.

Sometimes there are promotions involving children’s admission. Sometimes passes go on sale. The offers change, so check the current deals before you buy.

Don’t read this six months from now and yell at me because your kid isn’t free.

For this particular birthday adventure, we already had annual passes, so our general admission was covered.

Our splurge was the experiences.

And we SPLURGED.

We did:

Penguins.
Dolphins.
Sea lions.
Seals.
Sharks.
Rays.
Behind the Seas.
And finally…

we got into Ocean Voyager and SWAM WITH A WHALE SHARK.

Best birthday ever.

Behind the Seas: What’s Happening Back There?! 👀

We started with the Behind the Seas Tour, which I really enjoyed.

I’m one of those people who wants to know how everything works.

How do you feed everybody?

What’s behind that giant tank?

What happens where visitors can’t see?

How on earth do you operate an aquarium this size?

The tour gave us a completely different perspective of the aquarium.

We even got to watch feeding time from behind the scenes at one of the large shark habitats.

A few animals were getting their vet check up.

And that’s where we learned something I found hilarious.

There was this giant tiger shark.

F1.

You’d think she’d be terrifying.

Nope.

We learned she was actually pretty skittish and shy.

Once again proving that sharks have been victims of terrible PR.

Thanks, Jaws.

The Penguin Encounter: Cute…But Watch Your Feet 🐧💩

Let’s talk about the two experiences that were a little more meh for us.

First:

Penguins.

Were they adorable?

Absolutely.

They waddled into the room and looked exactly as cute as you’d expect.

But here’s something nobody puts on the brochure:

Penguins poop.

A LOT.

It felt like every couple of minutes somebody was pooping.

So while you’re trying to enjoy this magical little penguin moment, you’re also mentally calculating the splash radius.

Cute penguin coming toward me!

😍

Wait.

ABORT.

😂

I’m glad we did it once.

But compared with some of the other experiences available at Georgia Aquarium?

I probably wouldn’t spend the money to do this particular one again.

The Dolphin Encounter 🐬

This one probably suffered from our previous travel experiences.

During the dolphin encounter, we interacted with the dolphin from the side of the habitat.

We were able to touch and feed the dolphin and participate while the trainers worked through some of their tricks.

It was cool.

But we’d already swam with dolphins at Discovery Cove.

And once you’ve actually gotten into the water with them…

this felt a little like a backpedal.

Had this been our first close dolphin experience, I probably would’ve felt differently.

But for us?

Glad we did it. Wouldn’t pay to repeat it.

SEA LIONS. 😂❤️

And then…

THE SEA LIONS.

Oh my goodness.

Are these the funniest sea creatures on Earth?!

They have SO MUCH PERSONALITY.

They’re energetic.

They’re expressive.

They’re hilarious.

We took pictures with them.

They performed a little dance.

They sat beside us.

And they even gave us kisses on the cheek.

🥹❤️

I am convinced they understand significantly more than they’re letting on.

And honestly?

I’d adopt one.

Apparently there are laws and practical concerns surrounding keeping a sea lion in my backyard pool.

Whatever.

This encounter surprised me because I didn’t go into the day thinking:

SEA LIONS ARE GOING TO BE ONE OF MY FAVORITES.

But they absolutely were.

I would pay to do this one again.

Seals: Also Adorable…Just Slightly Less Chaotic 😂

We also got to spend time with the seals.

They were fun.

Cute.

Interesting.

But after meeting the sea lions?

The seals were giving slightly more:

“Hello. Nice to meet you.”

while the sea lions were giving:

“OH MY GOSH YOU GUYS ARE HERE!!! LET’S PARTY!!!”

If I had to pick between the two?

Sea lions all day.

Zip Up the Wetsuits. We’re Getting IN. 🦈

This is where the day went from:

Really cool birthday outing.

to:

OH MY GOSH WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING THIS.

We zipped ourselves into wetsuits and headed for the water.

And these were easily my favorite experiences of the day.

Because apparently I’ll happily climb into water with sharks…

but put me on a roller coaster with a giant drop and suddenly we’re discussing risk management.

Makes perfect sense.

Shark & Ray Interaction 🦈

First we got into a shallower habitat for the Shark & Ray Interaction.

And I LOVED IT.

The rays were hilarious.

They were incredibly social and constantly swimming around us.

We got to feed them, which is when I met:

Aries.

Aries was apparently a bit of a bigback.

Everybody was supposed to get their turn.

Aries apparently interpreted this as:

“Wonderful. More scallops for Aries.”

He kept trying to cut the line to snag another one.

Honestly?

Respect.

Then came the zebra sharks.

And my favorite was Lavender.

She was beautiful.

Gentle.

Engaging.

And she had this subtle light-purple tint to her skin that made her name absolutely perfect.

We fed the sharks and were able to touch them as they swam past us.

And standing in the water interacting with them completely changes the way you look at sharks.

These were definitely not the monsters television had prepared me for.

And Then We Swam With a Whale Shark 😭🦈

We saved the best for last.

Journey with Gentle Giants.

And I don’t know that I will ever forget this experience.

Georgia Aquarium’s enormous Ocean Voyager habitat is home to whale sharks, manta rays and thousands of other fish.

And we were about to get in it.

There were fish.

Turtles.

Rays.

Sharks.

And none of them particularly cared that we’d arrived.

It was basically:

Oh. Humans are in the tank again.

Just another Thursday.

And then there was Yushan.

The whale shark.

❤️

He was absolutely magnificent.

There’s no other word for it.

Whale sharks are the largest fish species in the world, and seeing one through aquarium glass does NOT prepare you for what it feels like to be in the water beside one.

He was HUGE.

And yet he moved through the water so effortlessly.

Just…

gliding.

First, Though…WHY IS THIS WATER SO COLD?! 😂

There was definitely an adjustment period.

Even with a wetsuit?

That water was chilly.

Then there’s the snorkel.

I’ve learned this about myself:

It takes my brain a couple of minutes to accept that putting my face underwater and continuing to breathe is apparently something we’re doing now.

So we got ourselves acclimated.

Adjusted to the water.

Got comfortable breathing through the snorkels.

Buddied up.

And then started swimming around the habitat.

Yushan ❤️

We weren’t allowed to touch the animals in this habitat.

But the animals could touch us.

And apparently Yushan did not receive the personal-space memo.

He frequently swam near us.

Sometimes he came close enough to nudge us.

And when something THAT LARGE swims beside you, you don’t just see it.

You feel it.

He displaced so much water that as he passed, his movement created a current that actually pulled you in his direction.

I couldn’t get over his size.

Or how graceful he was.

Or the fact that I was looking through a snorkel mask at this enormous whale shark swimming right beside my family.

We spent roughly half an hour in the water with these incredible animals.

And even after all the animal experiences we’ve done over the years…

this is hands-down my favorite ocean-animal experience I’ve ever had.

I would pay to do this again.

No hesitation.

Okay…What Would I Actually Pay to Repeat? 💰

If you’re looking at Georgia Aquarium’s encounter list thinking:

Good grief, Kait. I cannot book ALL OF THESE.

Fair.

If I were spending my own money again and choosing from the experiences we did, my list would be:

Journey with Gentle Giants Swim — YES. 100%.

My #1.

Shark & Ray Interaction — YES.

Getting into the water completely changes the experience.

Sea Lion Encounter — YES.

Pure chaos and personality.

Dolphin Encounter — probably not again for us.

But that’s heavily influenced by having previously swum with dolphins at Discovery Cove.

Penguin Encounter — cute, but probably not again.

I can appreciate penguins without standing in the poop splash zone.

Next Time: Belugas…and PLEASE Bring Back the Shark Cage 🤍🦈

Of course, I’ve already started planning what I’d do next time.

Because apparently doing approximately every animal encounter available in one day was not enough.

Georgia Aquarium now offers a Beluga Encounter, and I would LOVE to do that one.

I’m fascinated by belugas, so that has officially made the list for our next big aquarium day. Just watching them swim in the tank with a blanket or playing ball with each other has me wanting to jump in to join the fun.

But there’s another experience I REALLY hope makes a comeback someday:

the shark cage dive.

Because apparently my brain sees the words SHARK CAGE and thinks:

“YES! THAT SOUNDS FUN!”

This is very on brand for me.

Put me in the water with sharks?

Absolutely.

Let me swim next to a whale shark?

Best birthday ever.

Lower me into a shark habitat inside a cage?

Where do I sign the waiver?

Put me on a roller coaster with an inversion?

Ma’am, I have a family. Absolutely not.

The shark cage experience isn’t part of Georgia Aquarium’s currently listed encounter lineup, so it’s not something I’d plan a visit around today.

But if they ever bring it back?

I. AM. THERE.

So if I were planning another big encounter day, my wish list would be:

Journey with Gentle Giants. 🦈
Sharks & Rays.
Sea Lions.
Belugas. 🤍

And if the aquarium officials are listening…

BRING BACK THE SHARK CAGE. 🦈🙌

And What Did We Eat? 🍔

Food court.

That’s it.

Nothing memorable.

Nothing I’m going to tell you that you absolutely HAVE to order.

And for once?

I don’t care.

This birthday wasn’t about finding the best restaurant in Atlanta.

It wasn’t about dessert.

It wasn’t about the hotel.

We weren’t even really traveling.

It was about the animals.

And seeing just how close we could get to them.

FYI: What to Expect With the Experiences 🦈

If you’re thinking about adding one of the animal experiences to your visit, there are a few things I’d want to know before booking.

Bring a swimsuit. 👙

For the in-water experiences, you’ll wear your swimsuit underneath the wetsuit. Georgia Aquarium provides the specialized gear you’ll need, but definitely don’t show up for your swim in jeans thinking you’re ready to hop in.

And don’t worry about spending the rest of your aquarium day smelling like Eau de Fish Tank.

There are changing areas and showers, so we were able to shower and clean up afterward. That made it much easier to schedule the water experiences in the middle of a full aquarium day rather than feeling like we needed to immediately head home afterward.

Give yourself time to change.

Getting checked in, going through instructions, changing into a wetsuit, getting your gear situated and then showering and changing afterward all take time.

I wouldn’t schedule your experiences back-to-back without looking carefully at the timing.

Nobody needs Mom running through Georgia Aquarium yelling:

“MOVE IT! WE HAVE SEA LIONS IN 12 MINUTES!”

Check the Age Requirements BEFORE You Book

This is important, especially if you’re bringing kids.

The requirements aren’t the same for every experience.

For example, Georgia Aquarium’s current rules allow several animal encounters beginning at age 7, while the Journey with Gentle Giants Swim currently requires participants to be at least 12 years old. There are also rules about adult participation with minors. Georgia Aquarium

Those requirements can change, so read the current restrictions for every experience before purchasing it.

Don’t plan the entire birthday around swimming with a whale shark and then discover at check-in that somebody isn’t eligible.

That would be a VERY different birthday memory.

Accessibility ❤️

This is also something I can speak to from personal experience.

Our oldest daughter is blind, and the staff were wonderful about accommodating her.

I really appreciated that they didn’t treat accessibility as meaning she simply had to stand nearby while everybody else got to participate.

She got to experience it too.

❤️

And for an attraction that’s so visual on the surface—giant viewing windows, colorful fish, enormous habitats—the hands-on experiences gave her another way to connect with the animals.

Georgia Aquarium currently encourages guests with specific needs to contact them in advance, and its accessibility program includes accommodations for guests with visual needs. For the swim and dive experiences specifically, the aquarium says its Dive Immersion Team is trained through the Handicapped Scuba Association and welcomes participants with disabilities. Georgia Aquarium

Tiny Tip 🚆: If someone in your group needs accommodations, contact the aquarium before your visit and tell them which experience you’re considering. Don’t assume something isn’t possible just because it’s an in-water encounter.

Our experience with Aubrey was genuinely positive, and that matters to me when I’m recommending somewhere to another family.

And One More Thing…

The rules aren’t identical for every animal.

Some experiences allowed us to touch or feed the animals.

During the whale shark swim?

Hands to yourself. 😂

The animals could swim over and touch us—and Yushan certainly did—but we weren’t allowed to reach out and touch them.

Listen to the animal-care team, follow their instructions and let the animals decide how much interaction they’re interested in having.

After all…

you’re visiting their house. 🦈😂

Wait…This Is in Georgia?! 🍑

This is exactly why I wanted a category like this on the blog.

Sometimes we get so focused on planning the next vacation that we overlook what’s sitting in our own backyard.

We didn’t need a hotel.

We didn’t need a week off.

We didn’t need to drive six hours.

We woke up at home.

Got dressed.

Pretended we were taking the kids to school.

Drove straight past it. 😂

And a few hours later…

we were swimming next to the largest species of fish on Earth.

That’s a pretty incredible staycation.

Worth the Drive From Atlanta?

Well…

if you’re already IN Atlanta?

GO.

And if you’re visiting Atlanta, Georgia Aquarium would probably be my #1 recommendation.

You don’t have to book five animal encounters like a crazy person celebrating her birthday.

That was me.

The aquarium itself is worth visiting.

But if your budget allows you to add one of the immersive experiences?

That’s where I think it goes from:

“We went to a really cool aquarium.”

to:

“REMEMBER WHEN WE SWAM WITH A WHALE SHARK?!”

And that’s the whole point.

Birthdays Are Holidays 🎂❤️

I think this day also perfectly explains why birthdays are holidays in our family.

There are five of us.

That means five times every year, someone gets a day that belongs to them.

Maybe we travel.

Maybe we stay home.

Maybe we eat somewhere special.

Maybe Mom kidnaps everyone from school and makes them climb into a tank full of sharks. (FYI the kids jumped in with zero hesitation!)

The activity isn’t really the point.

The memory is.

Years start blending together.

Birthdays don’t have to.

Because somewhere in our family’s timeline there’s now a birthday where we can say:

“Remember when we skipped school and swam with a whale shark?”

Yeah.

I remember. ❤️

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Tiny traveler. Big adventures. No airplanes required. 🚆❤️