What do you do on a Friday night? It’s no secret that every so often parents want to have a little fun! However, sometimes it’s exciting to do something new and innovative! We were invited to Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada in Toronto, Canada for Friday Night Jazz night and we decided to take them up on that musical underwater adventure. In the heart of downtown, I asked my partner to join me and off we went to have this unique experience.
Ripley’s Jazz Night is great for a night out with friends or a date night with that special someone. For those who live around the GTA, just hop on the Go train and it is a quick walk to Ripley’s. We take the skywalk. For others visiting from out of town or Abroad, Ripley’s is so easy to find as it is located right next to the CN Tower!
On the second Friday of every month, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada hosts an enchanting live music jazz night paired with some of the most intriguing aquatic life you will ever see!
Located across the aquarium are cash bars so you can have a drink and enjoy the ambiance that Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada is so well known for. Friday Jazz Night is included with Ripley’s current Sharks after Dark or Express Anytime General Admission.
When we arrived we entered the first exhibit and we were entranced by the excellent live jazz music. Peeking over the ledge, we could see people listening to the singer and enjoying their time, as we left the admission area, the speakers projected the band’s music perfectly. We relaxed. We get to enjoy each other!
We got to see aquatic life that is native to Canada. Don’t let this country fool you, we have amazing lakes and oceans that hold some interesting fish. It would surprise you! In the Canadian waters, we never thought that in these 17 curated habitats would show such diversity in aquatic life.
The Pacific Kelp Exhibit has a wave maker. This is used to simulate the surge conditions of the British Columbia shoreline.
When you see it, it’s striking, but this is the habitat that imitates the natural life of a fish in BC! This is such a fun exhibit to experience. These 17 exhibits total over 665,000 liters of water. Canada can stand side by side with the colorful/colorful fish of its exotic counterparts.
The Rainbow Reef is a beautiful oasis with colorful/colorful aquatic life that you never thought existed! You are now front row and center to the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region. This exhibit has over 200,000 liters of water and is home to over 100 species of fish. This exhibit also has daily interactive dive shows. See if you can see a diver in this exhibit! It is such a neat experience.
The striking colours/colors of the fish is inspiring. Their patterns are unbelievable with their spots, stripes and designs that grace their bodies. Spend a lot of time in this exhibit and see how many of the over one hundred species you can spot!
We entered the Dangerous Lagoon. This is the crown jewel of Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada and this is an experience that you will never forget. You enter a moving walkway. That’s right, you just stand and relax with the beautiful jazz music playing in the background. But this is no lazy walkway. You have now entered an underwater tunnel, home to some of the most striking aquatic life you have ever seen!
Keep your eyes peeled for the giant turtles! We also promise you will encounter the swordfish, who often loves to sit on the tunnels ceiling. This is a great photo opportunity. Then there are the sharks. You will see many sharks and other fish that will be a once in a life time opportunity.
This large exhibit at the aquarium has almost 2.5 million liters! The moving sidewalk is the longest of its kind in North America which allows each guest to get an opportunity to see all of Ripley’s marine life up close! It helps you get to experience the sights without worrying about crowds. Just hop on the moving sidewalk and enjoy!
If you thought you have seen it all, you are certainly not through all of the exhibits that will entrance you.
At the Discovery Centre, you will get a close up look at their clownfish. Pop your head in in one of Ripley’s viewing bubbles at the discovery center. Are you ready to get your hands wet? Enjoy the horseshoe crab touch pool where you can admire and touch these ‘living fossils.’ This is a great stop if you have brought the children along with you to just relax and interact. Adults and children alike will love these exhibits.
There is also a “research submarine” which offers a unique view of the dangerous lagoon. Did you see any sharks? Don’t miss this Ripley’s staple.
The next stop is The Gallery which features a variety of delicate species from around the world. These amazing adaptations have helped them survive.
Featuring six salt water and three fresh water exhibits, there is over 50,000 liters of water in this gallery!
Make sure to see the Living Coral Exhibit, which has live coral that is grown in an offsite facility. In this gallery, is our personal favorite, the sea horses. Check out to see if there are any babies! We also love the sea dragon, the showier version of its sea horse friends.
They are so majestic but most people only know about seahorses.Revel in the fact that the male seahorse gives birth and usually Ripley’s has babies in their own feature, until they are old enough to swim with the other adults. Absolutely stunning! But I digress, they are my favorite sea creates so I may be a bit biased.
Swarm: Nature By Numbers is an experience you will never forget. Come face to face with Halloween crabs and awe in the blue blubber jelly fish. There is also flashlight fish, coral cat fish and 1,000 new creatures for you to see in the ever changing SWARM exhibit.
Check out the new look down viewing tank and look for the silver shimmering fish. Ask about the scarlet cleaner shrimp manicure. It is a touch exhibit which is a must see!
Get excited for Ray Bay the next gallery. Ray Bay features dozens of rays for you to enjoy and one species from the hammerhead shark family. This is such a cool gallery because you can also come up close and personal with a hands on experience at the top of Ray Bay!
Planet Jellies is an experience like no other. You are in a different world as you are surrounded in habitats of jellies. The gallery is backlit with colour changing displays and it features five different species of jelly fish. With jazz music playing in the background, this is a gallery that you want to take a seat and soak in (pun intended) the beautiful jelly fish that engulf you. Go up close and see the details of each Jelly Fish. They are intricate and deserve your attention. Learn more about this species with the fascinating facts that align the walls. This is not just a gallery but an EXPERIENCE.
Life Support Systems is fascinating as this is a behind the scenes look into the aquariums life support systems. This gallery is like no other, look at the life support and filtration equipment which gives you actual stats and information about the water quality and conditions from each aquarium.
The Shoreline gallery is interactive! Fun and friendly educators are there by your side to help you make contact with some of these unique species! This creatures are literally at your fingertips and with amazing jazz music in the background, you will become transfixed as you enter the aquatic world!
Friday night date night was not the same for us! Ripley’s Jazz Night was incredible. We not only enjoyed ourselves immensely on this unique date night in Toronto, but we could see everyone having a blast. With a drink in hand, couples and friends alike enjoyed the great music, incredible sights and being placed into a whole new world of aquatic life. This is a must see in Toronto! Whether you live locally or are visiting from out of town or abroad, you have to get down to Ripley’s and spend your Friday at Jazz Night at the aquarium!
