On the cusp of the most exciting project we have embarked on since opening, today we celebrate the Aquarium’s 19th birthday!
We officially opened our doors on 13 November 1995 – however, as two staff members who have been here from the beginning can attest to, it was no small feat!
Two Oceans Aquarium CEO Dr Patrick Garratt and Specialist Technician Vincent Calder have been working at the Aquarium for longer than it has been open: an impressive 20 years.
Both remember the ups and downs the team went through to get the Aquarium ready for the public on launch day. The Ocean Basket Kelp Forest Exhibit proved to be a bigger challenge than anyone had expected.
“Several things went horribly wrong with the kelp forest that pushed the opening to a month later,” recalls Vincent.
“We took great care to put all the fibreglass rocks into the exhibit, and then the day came to switch the wave generator on,” explains Dr Pat. “We were all very excited about this, and there was a great big crowd at the main window. We switched it on ... and suddenly all the rocks started to move; they were swaying from side to side! Unbelievable! We realised very quickly that the framework we’d put in was too light to hold the rocks. So we had to take all the water out, all the rocks out, all the gravel from underneath the rocks, and put in a steel framework especially built for us. That took weeks. And that was just the first issue we had!”
Both are proud of the Aquarium’s achievements, and how far it has come in the past 19 years.
“It is great to see the Aquarium grow into this big machine. We started with such a small team and we have grown to well over a hundred staff. That is amazing to see,” says Vincent.
“There are volunteers who started years ago and are still part of the Aquarium; they help us a lot and take a load off the regular staff. They are very reliable.”
Says Dr Pat, “I’ve been very blessed to work with amazing people at the Aquarium right from day one ... and even prior to opening! We’ve always had fantastic people working here, and that’s just continued. It’s been an amazing journey to take with them. Our staff’s support, enthusiasm and passion are delightful to see, and I thank them for that.”
But what about the animals? Some of them must have left an impression too?
“There are some animals that have been with us since the beginning and I have seen them grow big and fat as well, probably fatter than they would have in the wild!” says Vincent. “If I ever retired I would miss them – I have developed a soft spot for some of them.
“When the octopuses get to a certain size, they become restless and dance around the tank, not looking happy. Now, my job is to take them and release them back into the ocean. One day we had this huge guy and as I was driving towards the ocean near Paradise Drive, he popped open the lid of the bucket I had him in and got out!
“I ended up with an octopus on the dashboard of my car spraying water all over. I had to stop in the wind and rain and try to get him back into the bucket. There I was on the freeway, wrestling an octopus! Let’s just say I failed and had to drive home and tell my wife I had an octopus in the car.”
Dr Pat also has his favourites: “A lot of the yellowtail have been with us from the beginning, as well as the stumpnoses. And when the red stumpnose get old they develop big lips and a stump on their head. The biggest one is called Mick Jagger – there’s quite a resemblance!”
Dr Pat also stresses how important the latest expansion project is for the Aquarium. “With this new display, what we are offering the public is something far more exciting and bigger than what we’ve ever had before.”
Congratulations to our two long-serving staff members, Dr Pat and Vince. And a huge thank you to everybody who has supported us, and is celebrating our 19th birthday with us today, as well as our founding sponsor, I&J. We look forward to revealing our brand-new exhibit soon!
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