One of the really cool things about visiting the California Academy of Sciences are the exhibits. Of all the exhibits they have out there, I truly enjoy the Rain Forest and the Philippine Coral Reef displays. The four story dome that emulates a rain forest is a sight to behold and an experience worth reliving many times over. While the inside of the dome is quite humid, as most rain forests typically are, the animals and plants on display are wonderful and quite fascinating. It’s an amazing display as one ventures through the spiral ramp that takes you all the way up four stories high. Each level represents the levels of the rain forest canopy and what type of animals one might find. Each level is an experience. I paid particular attention to the reptiles during this trip. I was quite fascinated by the textures and colors of the different species of lizards and geckos. Once one reaches the top, the only way down is via the clear glass elevators which takes you down below the trees canopies into an Amazonian flooded forest. After exiting the elevator with its underwater view into the Flooded Forest tank, visitors will find themselves in a cooler, darker gallery lined with live animal displays. Here, the humidity of the rain forest quickly disappears. The galleries are dark as if simulating the bottom recesses of the rain forest. Further into the exhibit one will reach the main Flooded Forest tank, a 100,000-gallon tank, where hundreds of fish will cruise overhead, including catfish, bass, and angelfish.
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