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DEL.ICIO.USFirst arrivals awed, proud
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The allure and fear of the deep sea were the bait Monday for Lisa Crawford and Carey Overby.
The 29-year-old friends from Decatur were the first season pass holders to enter the Georgia Aquarium on Monday. They had planned for two years for this moment, and set up camp in the rain at 4:45 am.
Crawford wore a blue felt hat in the shape of a fish for the occasion. She loves the ocean and has vacationed at “every beach in Florida.”
Overby wore a pink octopus hat. Being underwater scares her. On a scuba trip to the Cayman Islands, she had a panic attack.
“This is a way that I can closely experience the ocean all around me,” she said just before walking in.
Also at stake for them was their hometown’s reputation. Both were born and raised in metro Atlanta and roomed at UGA. When people say there’s nothing to do in Atlanta, they think that’s unfair — and hope the aquarium will help change that image.
“I want to be wowed and know that we did it right,” said Crawford, waiting for Deepo the orange mascot fish to welcome her in.
At 9 a.m. the sea opened to landlocked Atlantans. The friends had only an hour before Overby had to leave for work.
They headed directly to the Tropical Diver coral reef exhibit. Waves crest over the top of a tank that curves across the ceiling to the floor, and a spectrum of colorful fish and coral.
“That was the experience I wanted to have — underwater,” Overby said.
She wasn’t claustrophobic. Later in their whirlwind tour, she even entered a little cave and popped her head into a glass enclosure to see African penguins and have her picture taken.
The aquarium, and her investment in time and money, lived up to her hopes and expectations.
She walked through the gift shop on the way out. “I know where everyone’s getting Christmas from this year,” she said.
As season pass holders, they’ll spend hours here in the future. Monday was just their first dip in the inside ocean, soothing and enthralling like the real one.
Comments
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By Duke
November 22, 2005 12:09 PM | Link to this
Hi Lisa and Carey…I couldn’t believe it was you guys. Just wanted to say hello.
By Lisa
November 22, 2005 01:57 PM | Link to this
Well you know, if it is over the top and ridiculous- then it is us!
By Carey
November 22, 2005 02:00 PM | Link to this
Hey Duke, good to hear from you!