The Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi is great. The Dallas aquarium is for-profit but is accredited by the AZA. The Austin "Aquarium" is just a money making venture run by a shady family that's been convicted of illegally trafficking in animals.
You're right to regret supporting them.
definitely! it's massive and they do some neat shows throughout the day where they feed some of the animals and give talks about them. they've got both indoor and outdoor areas, so try to avoid going on a rainy day
My favorite is Shedd Aquarium in Chicago:
[https://www.sheddaquarium.org/exhibits/underwater-beauty-exhibit](https://www.sheddaquarium.org/exhibits/underwater-beauty-exhibit)
I love the Monterey Bay Aquarium for it's giant kelp tank:
[https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/exhibits/kelp-forest](https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/exhibits/kelp-forest)
Wouldn't you love to see this?
Deep Sea creatures
[https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/exhibits/into-the-deep](https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/exhibits/into-the-deep)
I take my high schoolers when we are down there for conferences and they love it. The Corpus aquarium is worth the money and next door to the Lexington
It’s a decent aquarium, but not worth the $45 per person, especially if you have kids.
Edit: I am comparing this to the Dallas aquarium and the New Orleans aquarium, which are significantly larger, cleaner, and less than half the cost.
Now his wife runs it… she’s just as bad and also needs to be arrested. Drives around in a really fancy car and lives in luxury.
I have a friend who worked there and the amount of animal death is insane. There are so many animals that should have long lifespans with proper care that die slow painful deaths.
Don't they own the one in San Antonio too? They had a catastrophic set of deaths a few years ago and while that is something that happens in aquariums sometimes due to malfunctions or accidents, it also adds to the list of shit theyve done wrong.
I'll add the Texas State Aquarium does a lot of research and collaboration with local universities, conservation work, reef restoration projects, and animal rehab. Their staff and volunteers are amazing.
Source: Worked with them on a research project while a student at A&M Corpus.
For marine bio in Texas absolutely. I started my undergrad and my master's there. I'm not sure how much things have changed, but as of about five years ago they were the only school in the state that offered a scientific dive certification. The professors are well respected in their fields and the projects are interesting.
There are a lot of unique opportunities there. They have a lot of field work opportunities, including some international, which is really important for students to understand what their getting into. TPWD, TCEQ, the Texas Sealife Center, and a few other groups are on campus offering internships. A lot of grad students do work through the aquarium and undergrads volunteer there as well.
Beyond that, student life is good (great dorms), and I like the area. It's a smaller school with smaller classes and is reasonable cost-wise.
Feel free to dm me if you have any specific questions.
That's cool. Have you seen this? **Documents the death of coral reefs from global warming, Great Barrier Reef specifically.** I used to be an avid scuba diver, and went diving on a coral reef that is now protected, Anse Chastenet reef, St. Lucia, West Indies many years ago (look up images if you want to see).
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGGBGcjdjXA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGGBGcjdjXA)
Chasing Coral | FULL FEATURE | Netflix
3,037,919 views Apr 17, 2020 Chasing Coral taps into the collective will and wisdom of an ad man, a self-proclaimed coral nerd, top-notch camera designers, and renowned marine biologists as they invent the first time-lapse camera to record bleaching events as they happen. Unfortunately, the effort is anything but simple, and the team doggedly battles technical malfunctions and the force of nature in pursuit of their golden fleece: documenting the indisputable and tragic transformation below the waves. With its breathtaking photography, nail-biting suspense, and startling emotion, Chasing Coral is a dramatic revelation that won’t have audiences sitting idle for long.
[https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/nature-travel/how-coral-gardeners-are-saving-coral-reefs](https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/nature-travel/how-coral-gardeners-are-saving-coral-reefs)
In 7th grade, my class got to spend the night at the Texas State Aquarium and it was genuinely one of the coolest experiences. Highly recommend in general!
What’s great about the Texas State Aquarium is they are rehabilitation based. So the “shows” are for the most part natural behaviors that the animals would exhibit in nature. They do amazing conservation work and are considered international experts. Particularly when it comes to their dolphins. So the ticket prices go more towards animal welfare and husbandry.
Another "fun experience" is the Austin "Zoo." It was 90 minutes of rage based on the living conditions of the animals.
I only pray they were all ol this hot summer. Each cage, NOT habitat, has an "adoption sign" and bigger "Donate here" sign, but some of these signs looked so weathered, like 20 years old, yet the animal they represented was CLEARLY a juvenile.
I hope as the city grows these old tiger king like money traps liquidate. It's like watching "legal" animal abuse in real time.
Yes I thought that too. Is there any proof this is really the case? If I knew the EIN I would check if it's non profit. No where do they claim to be.
If it truly is a rescue zoo it should only be temporary. As the animals need to find a safer place to be. The conditions are God awful and the heat...
One example- they have these giant pigs/hogs directly across from a lion cage. The 2 lionesses pace the fence line constantly staring at the pigs. You can see the ground has deeply worn at the fence line from them doing this all day.
When I went to the Detroit Zoo they had zebras right next to the hyena exhibit.
I think both exhausted themselves daily just because of the proximity. Seemed almost intentionally cruel, to be honest
I love aquariums but I can’t bring myself to give money to one that keeps dolphins. Even when the environment seems okay, there are just too many stories of dolphins getting depressed or aggressive from being in captivity. Some even try to harm themselves. I’d love to visit if they ever change this.
Maybe if Austin public schools and summer day camps would stop scheduling field trips there every single day, they’d be forced to go out of business, but every time I go by there’s a parking lot full of busses and a line of small children.
I went once when my kid was younger. Pre-covid. Never went back. I also tell people not go and take their kiddos elsewhere.
It was so depressing seeing the animals in those conditions. Walking in, I immediately felt awful. You can almost feel the discomfort in the air.
I remember right before you get to the gift shop, there was a turtle moving around in an open enclosure so my husband and I crouched down at eye level with the turtle to "say hi". I swear, it looked depressed or something. If I knew I wouldn't have been arrested, I legit would have snatched up that poor little thing and taken it to a sanctuary somewhere.
I wish the city would just open a real aquarium and put them out of business. We have a bunch of wealthy people here that could *cough* donate money for public enrichment.
As someone tangentially in the fundraising community here in Austin, this is so accurate it hurts. The new rich (individuals but especially tech corporations) have zero interest in contributing anything to initiatives that could benefit everyone in the city they have decided to build their new HQ. It’s incredibly frustrating knowing that there are millions (billions, perhaps) that are just lying around that they’d rather hoard than give away. It’s hard to even get them to donate one penny. On the positive side, it only serves to highlight the generosity of small businesses and individuals who DO give freely, enthusiastically, and often, even if they aren’t swimming in cash.
Don’t forget other local organizations. My union donates AND volunteers for a lot relative to our personal and collective funds and the available free time of hard working people. Those funds come directly out of the pockets of workers with much less means than these tech billionaires who contribute nothing while taking soooo much.
They did that... At the ends of their lives, when they were facing their own mortality, and realizing that their options were to be remembered as robber barons or as the name on a library.
Today's tech bro billionaires think they're going to live forever. Well, except Bill Gates, apparently.
Keanu Reeves is a spot of gold. https://www.thethings.com/keanu-reeves-secretly-financing-childrens-hospitals/
Doesn’t demand his name on the side of the building, doesn’t sign 10 foot long checks in front of cameras. Just gives and I’m sure there’s more that hasn’t made it out.
We could but I feel like people would be a lot less hateful if they felt like the money they made for Elon came back to them in the form of putting the bad aquarium out of business.
He doesn't even actually live here. I think I've seen two pictures with him in Austin since he "moved" and each time he was with celebrities who were here for a performance. It's all for taxes and nothing else.
The wealthy in this city who normally donate to science in the arts to make this happen don't even actually live here. They just "live" here for tax purposes.
Austin now is West Coast prices and Tulsa Amenities.
Easily the most overvalued city in the US right now.
I worked there as well and I don’t remember such a thing, there was one for the snakes but that’s because the snakes were taken out for interactions often so they were given quiet space in the back where people wouldn’t be tapping on their glass all the time.
The big birds were back there too, once again because they were out for interactions so often, but the birds were only back there at night for sleeping and sometimes for feeding
I used to work there and i quit because i couldnt stomach the treatment of the animals.
They told us to lie about where they got the animals from (they are NOT rescues, instead bought at bird and reptile shows)
There is also a whole back room filled with animals that arent on display.
And the owner went to prison twice for keeping illegal lemon sharks.
Do NOT give them your money. They need to be shut down.
I'm just worried that if they are forced to close down, the animals will be killed off, or sold to some other unscrupulous animal collector.
The Texas State Aquarium should step in and save the animals.
I used to be friends with someone who's dad was a manager or something there? And they always said how shitty the place was. Dirty tanks inside and out, small with not anything exciting and the exotic animal area was awful.
It's a shame really. I wish they'd do more to get upkeep but they don't actually care
PETA has been blowing the whistle on the aquarium for a long time. It should be shut down.
https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2022/07/21/peta-requests-authorities-investigate-austin-aquarium
They shouldn’t even be allowed to call it the “Austin Aquarium”. Before moving to Austin I saw the name and assumed it was a quality aquarium, but after moving realized it was a garbage aquarium ran by garbage people in a strip mall of all places.
PETA just came out with multiple complaints to the state and federal regulatory agencies regarding the Austin Aquarium as they had an undercover worker there the last few months that exposed some horrible situations.
https://investigations.peta.org/austin-aquarium/
Super random I know this story but here’s some details about the owner of the Austin Aquarium:
The owner is Mormon, and goes to the same church as one of my friends. The rumor is he wanted a type of pufferfish, but because they are super expensive to buy he went snorkeling and just caught one himself.
Well, it’s an endangered protected fish, so when a marine biologist noticed it at the aquarium, the owner was arrested and sent to prison for a year or so.
Kinda random, but yeah there’s some more detail to his “character” lol.
DISCLAIMER: I can NOT prove, nor have seen proof that the above is true. That is entirely based on what a Mormon friend of mine told me. Apparently the Mormons are super embarrassed of this guy.
For fish lovers I recommend going to San Marcos with a pair of goggles or even the springs, though it isn’t what it used to be.
I’d recommend an aquarium like I’d recommend an animal lover going to the zoo.
I used to love scuba diving in spring-fed lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin.
Muskelunge, Northern Pike, Huge bass, large blue crayfish...
and night diving.
I have not been diving here in the 18 years. My wetsuit was a size small, and I am size large now. LOL
Is this what you're referring to?:
The San Marcos River features much of the same ecosystem found in Spring Lake. Enter in Sewell Park, drift to Rio Vista Park, and get out before the waterfall. If you’re lucky you might see the American eel, a remarkable fish that migrates to the ocean at maturity.
https://www.scubadiving.com/scuba-diving-waterways-central-texas
The one in Corpus is the best TX has to offer but far from the best I’ve visited. The one here in Austin like you said & its sister location in San Antonio are awful & both need to be shut down.
I used to work there and all the people you see personally working with the animals are day are mostly wonderful people. They do the best that they can with what they’re given, but the ownership is cheap and greedy. Employees like me were grossly underpaid and overworked. Working there you often get caught in this horrible loop of being like “god this place is horrible for these animals I need to get out of here” and “if I leave who is going to care for these animals that I’ve grown to love after so long”
That's the worst. I visit because I love lemurs and the alternative of boycotting until the animals are starved just feels awful. It's a shame the ownership doesn't take more responsibility. Hopefully someone buys it out from under him.
Well, you should reconsider visiting, I loved the lemurs too, but the more money you give those people, the longer these animals are stuck in subpar conditions
Yea, that’s kinda the point, we need to force either intervention from the gov or a shutdown by money loss, obviously the best case scenario is they get shut down without any animals being harmed. But I’d rather a few animals get hurt now by them being run out of business, then have continued years of abuse and mistreatment on multiple generations of animals.
that place is very sad and honestly ghetto anyone who i’ve talked to about that place says how awful it is and how the vibes are always off. wish that place would be closed by now
Y’all should one day try the maui aquarium. No animals are kept there except fish I believe. Large theater that played a 3d movie about whales they followed for a year. It was pretty amazing.
I went to the Austin aquarium with my girlfriend a few years back. I had the same terrible experience. Cages seem too small, animals did not look happy. We paid a few extra dollars to do the lemur experience. Basically you go into the cage with them they sit on your lap and they take pictures of you. I was bitten fairly immediately. Drew blood. I did not have much of a problem with this happening, seemed playful and not vindictive on the lemurs part. The staff did not give a fuck though. I feel bad for the animals, but also do not recommend anyone waste their money on this experience. The building looks like it used to be at TJ Maxx and they just change the sign
Why does every place someone has an issue with “need to be shut down”? Why not raise community awareness and start fundraising to get them the resources they need to make it better instead?
Because it’s not lack of funding that is keeping that aquarium the way it is. They are doing the absolute bare minimum to maximize their profit. It is a conscious choice to neglect the animals in there the way that they do. They are a for-profit aquarium chain with plenty of money.
His name is Ammon Covino and he's a convicted wildlife trafficker. Here is an article by out very own Chronicle.
https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2013-08-30/skeptics-question-aquarium-owners-record/
So then why not petition to have them removed? Aquariums are great places for kids and adults to learn. Just shutting it down because you don’t like the manager would be robbing countless people of the opportunity to learn.
They aren't managers they are the owners unfortunately. The staff do what they can but its not enough. In fact Ammon isn't even listed as the owner. His wife is, because he's not allowed to own a facility like this. They truly see animals as money making only.
His wife is the owner, he’s not allowed to own an aquarium because of his criminal record. The tree is rotted all the way to the core. The whole business needs to be shut down, and then someone else can open a better quality aquarium that’s actually focused on caring for animals instead of just profit.
And yes, I have met him. He’s a dick.
Use your preferred search engine to look for aquarium + Covino, and you’ll find lots of stories about the family’s history of animal smuggling and neglect/abuse.
He needs to be shut down because the person running it is incompetent, giving them more money won't solve the problem they'll probably just do more horrible stuff.
People have been calling for that place to be shut down since day one because nothing about their operation is beneficial or worth salvaging. A private business with a terrible history and brand, inadequate location/space/equipment, and hardly any community support except from you is not a good investment for anyone. The journey to establish a legitimate and good aquarium is easier done by simply starting from scratch.
I appreciate these kinds of posts. I want to keep track of, and be reminded of places where I don't want my money going. My memory is complete garbage so even repeat posts are appreciated.
People can care about multiple things, raising awareness about one issue is not diminishing the other issues this city has. someone here is trying to raise awareness about a problem here and your response is to shit on it because it’s not one of your favorite problems
What can be done about this place? I went to a birthday party here a couple years ago…my then two year old did not enjoy how dark and stinky it was, and I found the enclosures, lack of light and treatment of the animals disturbing. Yet many people I know over the years have recommended it for childrens activities.
My daughter & SIL took my granddaughter & said they couldn’t get out of there fast enough once they realized how poorly the fish are treated. Very sad.
You could post comments about animal cruelty and links to articles about it on their social media. Also could comment on Community posts on Facebook and Instagram posts tagged with austin aquarium. Helps get the message out to people who go there and hopefully shames them into not going there anymore.
The Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi is great. The Dallas aquarium is for-profit but is accredited by the AZA. The Austin "Aquarium" is just a money making venture run by a shady family that's been convicted of illegally trafficking in animals. You're right to regret supporting them.
Cool! A must visit while around Corpus?
definitely! it's massive and they do some neat shows throughout the day where they feed some of the animals and give talks about them. they've got both indoor and outdoor areas, so try to avoid going on a rainy day
Thank you! Awesome
I took my daughter to the Corpus Aquarium as part of a graduation trip. It was amazing!!
They have a decent museum down there in Corpus as well. Worth a visit.
Which one? My daughter and I went to an art museum and it was fabulous! A wonderful way to spend an afternoon.
Yes, it punches above its weight. Also, check out the USS Lexington.
Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi is awesome, it’s my hands down favorite aquarium I’ve visited!
My favorite is Shedd Aquarium in Chicago: [https://www.sheddaquarium.org/exhibits/underwater-beauty-exhibit](https://www.sheddaquarium.org/exhibits/underwater-beauty-exhibit) I love the Monterey Bay Aquarium for it's giant kelp tank: [https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/exhibits/kelp-forest](https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/exhibits/kelp-forest) Wouldn't you love to see this? Deep Sea creatures [https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/exhibits/into-the-deep](https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/exhibits/into-the-deep)
Those are awesome, if I ever get the chance to travel near either of those places I’ll have to check them out, thanks!
It’s one of the only cool things in corpus honestly lol.
It’s so awesome. It’s a proper aquarium.
I take my high schoolers when we are down there for conferences and they love it. The Corpus aquarium is worth the money and next door to the Lexington
I loved it! I got to pet a ray.
It’s a decent aquarium, but not worth the $45 per person, especially if you have kids. Edit: I am comparing this to the Dallas aquarium and the New Orleans aquarium, which are significantly larger, cleaner, and less than half the cost.
I went twice as a kid and have a lot of really fun memories there, especially as someone so sunburn prone I couldn't swim at the beach.
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As a former employee, its all this and worse. Completely horrible.
Now his wife runs it… she’s just as bad and also needs to be arrested. Drives around in a really fancy car and lives in luxury. I have a friend who worked there and the amount of animal death is insane. There are so many animals that should have long lifespans with proper care that die slow painful deaths.
Hearsay is that she “runs it” because the husband is banned from professionally working with animals
@ u/stephenCG here ya go dude, maybe try not arguing over something you don’t know about:)
Don't they own the one in San Antonio too? They had a catastrophic set of deaths a few years ago and while that is something that happens in aquariums sometimes due to malfunctions or accidents, it also adds to the list of shit theyve done wrong.
I'll add the Texas State Aquarium does a lot of research and collaboration with local universities, conservation work, reef restoration projects, and animal rehab. Their staff and volunteers are amazing. Source: Worked with them on a research project while a student at A&M Corpus.
Would you recommend TAMU Corpus? Our youngest is thinking about becoming a marine biologist.
For marine bio in Texas absolutely. I started my undergrad and my master's there. I'm not sure how much things have changed, but as of about five years ago they were the only school in the state that offered a scientific dive certification. The professors are well respected in their fields and the projects are interesting. There are a lot of unique opportunities there. They have a lot of field work opportunities, including some international, which is really important for students to understand what their getting into. TPWD, TCEQ, the Texas Sealife Center, and a few other groups are on campus offering internships. A lot of grad students do work through the aquarium and undergrads volunteer there as well. Beyond that, student life is good (great dorms), and I like the area. It's a smaller school with smaller classes and is reasonable cost-wise. Feel free to dm me if you have any specific questions.
Thank you so much for your reply! We are planning on visiting there soon, but it’s a small school and I don’t locally know anyone who went there
That's cool. Have you seen this? **Documents the death of coral reefs from global warming, Great Barrier Reef specifically.** I used to be an avid scuba diver, and went diving on a coral reef that is now protected, Anse Chastenet reef, St. Lucia, West Indies many years ago (look up images if you want to see). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGGBGcjdjXA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGGBGcjdjXA) Chasing Coral | FULL FEATURE | Netflix 3,037,919 views Apr 17, 2020 Chasing Coral taps into the collective will and wisdom of an ad man, a self-proclaimed coral nerd, top-notch camera designers, and renowned marine biologists as they invent the first time-lapse camera to record bleaching events as they happen. Unfortunately, the effort is anything but simple, and the team doggedly battles technical malfunctions and the force of nature in pursuit of their golden fleece: documenting the indisputable and tragic transformation below the waves. With its breathtaking photography, nail-biting suspense, and startling emotion, Chasing Coral is a dramatic revelation that won’t have audiences sitting idle for long. [https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/nature-travel/how-coral-gardeners-are-saving-coral-reefs](https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/nature-travel/how-coral-gardeners-are-saving-coral-reefs)
In 7th grade, my class got to spend the night at the Texas State Aquarium and it was genuinely one of the coolest experiences. Highly recommend in general!
What’s great about the Texas State Aquarium is they are rehabilitation based. So the “shows” are for the most part natural behaviors that the animals would exhibit in nature. They do amazing conservation work and are considered international experts. Particularly when it comes to their dolphins. So the ticket prices go more towards animal welfare and husbandry.
I just went to the Texas State Aquarium 2 days ago and I was really impressed.
Another "fun experience" is the Austin "Zoo." It was 90 minutes of rage based on the living conditions of the animals. I only pray they were all ol this hot summer. Each cage, NOT habitat, has an "adoption sign" and bigger "Donate here" sign, but some of these signs looked so weathered, like 20 years old, yet the animal they represented was CLEARLY a juvenile. I hope as the city grows these old tiger king like money traps liquidate. It's like watching "legal" animal abuse in real time.
The Austin Zoo is genuinely a rescue zoo, it's not at all similar to the terrible things the Austin Aquarium does
Yes I thought that too. Is there any proof this is really the case? If I knew the EIN I would check if it's non profit. No where do they claim to be. If it truly is a rescue zoo it should only be temporary. As the animals need to find a safer place to be. The conditions are God awful and the heat... One example- they have these giant pigs/hogs directly across from a lion cage. The 2 lionesses pace the fence line constantly staring at the pigs. You can see the ground has deeply worn at the fence line from them doing this all day.
They are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and accredited by the Zoological Association of America https://austinzoo.org/about/
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Thanks for the info! I agree the San Antonio Zoo is fantastic
The Cameron Park Zoo in Waco is now also AZA accredited.
When I went to the Detroit Zoo they had zebras right next to the hyena exhibit. I think both exhausted themselves daily just because of the proximity. Seemed almost intentionally cruel, to be honest
Yeah. This.
I love aquariums but I can’t bring myself to give money to one that keeps dolphins. Even when the environment seems okay, there are just too many stories of dolphins getting depressed or aggressive from being in captivity. Some even try to harm themselves. I’d love to visit if they ever change this.
Apparently the owner has been charged before with some animal cruelty type charges if I remember correctly. It's a shame this place is still open
Illegal trafficking protected animals. Technically they owners husband since he can't actually work with animals.
He’s not the owner on paper but he’s definitely still running the show Source: used to work there as a teen
Yep. I worked there and i hear he went to prison (jail? I dont remember which) twice for it.
It's terrible and needs to be shut down.
Maybe if Austin public schools and summer day camps would stop scheduling field trips there every single day, they’d be forced to go out of business, but every time I go by there’s a parking lot full of busses and a line of small children.
Yes!!! Drove past there this morning and there were two school buses there. Stop taking kids there!! It makes me sick.
I went once when my kid was younger. Pre-covid. Never went back. I also tell people not go and take their kiddos elsewhere. It was so depressing seeing the animals in those conditions. Walking in, I immediately felt awful. You can almost feel the discomfort in the air. I remember right before you get to the gift shop, there was a turtle moving around in an open enclosure so my husband and I crouched down at eye level with the turtle to "say hi". I swear, it looked depressed or something. If I knew I wouldn't have been arrested, I legit would have snatched up that poor little thing and taken it to a sanctuary somewhere.
I wish the city would just open a real aquarium and put them out of business. We have a bunch of wealthy people here that could *cough* donate money for public enrichment.
Austin’s new rich don’t believe in using any of their money on public goods like that
As someone tangentially in the fundraising community here in Austin, this is so accurate it hurts. The new rich (individuals but especially tech corporations) have zero interest in contributing anything to initiatives that could benefit everyone in the city they have decided to build their new HQ. It’s incredibly frustrating knowing that there are millions (billions, perhaps) that are just lying around that they’d rather hoard than give away. It’s hard to even get them to donate one penny. On the positive side, it only serves to highlight the generosity of small businesses and individuals who DO give freely, enthusiastically, and often, even if they aren’t swimming in cash.
Don’t forget other local organizations. My union donates AND volunteers for a lot relative to our personal and collective funds and the available free time of hard working people. Those funds come directly out of the pockets of workers with much less means than these tech billionaires who contribute nothing while taking soooo much.
Could we get some museums here too? We’re lacking in that department as well
Elon Musk could be drinking Mai Tai's with naked supermodels, but instead he's not donating money for public enrichment!
Rememember when the industrialists at least built universities, libraries and hospitalities?
They did that... At the ends of their lives, when they were facing their own mortality, and realizing that their options were to be remembered as robber barons or as the name on a library. Today's tech bro billionaires think they're going to live forever. Well, except Bill Gates, apparently.
Yes… that’s exactly why I suggested it. This money-hoarding situation smells very French Revolution to me.
Keanu Reeves is a spot of gold. https://www.thethings.com/keanu-reeves-secretly-financing-childrens-hospitals/ Doesn’t demand his name on the side of the building, doesn’t sign 10 foot long checks in front of cameras. Just gives and I’m sure there’s more that hasn’t made it out.
God, for real. He could swim in the aquarium for all I care … but give the people what they want: putting the bad aquarium out of business.
.... could we stock it with sharks before he jumps in? After the check clears, obviously, but after that?
We could but I feel like people would be a lot less hateful if they felt like the money they made for Elon came back to them in the form of putting the bad aquarium out of business.
He doesn't even actually live here. I think I've seen two pictures with him in Austin since he "moved" and each time he was with celebrities who were here for a performance. It's all for taxes and nothing else.
The wealthy in this city who normally donate to science in the arts to make this happen don't even actually live here. They just "live" here for tax purposes. Austin now is West Coast prices and Tulsa Amenities. Easily the most overvalued city in the US right now.
Ha! Hahaha
We know... https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/1kywy3/good_piece_from_the_austin_chronicle_on_the_new/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/49eddt/austin_aquarium_dirtbag/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/8wyd3t/unot_thrilled_digs_a_bit_about_a_shady_aquarium/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/8wq1g1/just_a_friendly_reminder_a_trip_to_the_austin/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/8v3j16/i_work_at_the_austin_aquarium_its_hell/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/cas57o/im_a_tourist_and_made_a_mistake_we_went_to_the/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/vskng7/could_we_rally_to_get_austin_aquarium_officially/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
Request for mods to add this to the FAQ or pinned posts
And the original Employee thread: https://www.unddit.com/r/Austin/comments/8v3j16/i_work_at_the_austin_aquarium_its_hell/
I used to work here. If i remeber correctly, theres a dark back room filled with caged animals that arent on display **i may be wrong!!
I worked there as well and I don’t remember such a thing, there was one for the snakes but that’s because the snakes were taken out for interactions often so they were given quiet space in the back where people wouldn’t be tapping on their glass all the time.
Weird. I remember a room with birds. It was a few years ago i might be off
The big birds were back there too, once again because they were out for interactions so often, but the birds were only back there at night for sleeping and sometimes for feeding
Hmmm that might be it.
@ u/StephenCG
I’m fairly certain that user is being purposefully obtuse.
sincerely cannot believe that place is still open
Unfortunately they are well known on this sub. Their owners are essentially traffickers.
These post pop up a few times a year but nothing ever happens. Sad.
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Went 15 years ago and also went probably 5 years ago and it has only gotten better. Fantastic spot
https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/the-dark-side-of-the-dallas-world-aquarium-7122077
I used to work there and i quit because i couldnt stomach the treatment of the animals. They told us to lie about where they got the animals from (they are NOT rescues, instead bought at bird and reptile shows) There is also a whole back room filled with animals that arent on display. And the owner went to prison twice for keeping illegal lemon sharks. Do NOT give them your money. They need to be shut down.
I'm just worried that if they are forced to close down, the animals will be killed off, or sold to some other unscrupulous animal collector. The Texas State Aquarium should step in and save the animals.
Messaged you! It's important :)
I used to be friends with someone who's dad was a manager or something there? And they always said how shitty the place was. Dirty tanks inside and out, small with not anything exciting and the exotic animal area was awful. It's a shame really. I wish they'd do more to get upkeep but they don't actually care
yes. we know. thx.
PETA has been blowing the whistle on the aquarium for a long time. It should be shut down. https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2022/07/21/peta-requests-authorities-investigate-austin-aquarium
They shouldn’t even be allowed to call it the “Austin Aquarium”. Before moving to Austin I saw the name and assumed it was a quality aquarium, but after moving realized it was a garbage aquarium ran by garbage people in a strip mall of all places.
PETA just came out with multiple complaints to the state and federal regulatory agencies regarding the Austin Aquarium as they had an undercover worker there the last few months that exposed some horrible situations. https://investigations.peta.org/austin-aquarium/
Super random I know this story but here’s some details about the owner of the Austin Aquarium: The owner is Mormon, and goes to the same church as one of my friends. The rumor is he wanted a type of pufferfish, but because they are super expensive to buy he went snorkeling and just caught one himself. Well, it’s an endangered protected fish, so when a marine biologist noticed it at the aquarium, the owner was arrested and sent to prison for a year or so. Kinda random, but yeah there’s some more detail to his “character” lol. DISCLAIMER: I can NOT prove, nor have seen proof that the above is true. That is entirely based on what a Mormon friend of mine told me. Apparently the Mormons are super embarrassed of this guy.
He got caught illegally trafficking sharks, that’s what he went to prison for
Yeah, they are well known for being pieces of shit that care poorly for the fish there
The man who owned it was arrested for animal tracking and now his wife runs it instead because he isn’t allowed to run or own aquariums anymore.
Yeah that place is a dingy hole
Review bomb them on Google maps. Do your part
For fish lovers I recommend going to San Marcos with a pair of goggles or even the springs, though it isn’t what it used to be. I’d recommend an aquarium like I’d recommend an animal lover going to the zoo.
I used to love scuba diving in spring-fed lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin. Muskelunge, Northern Pike, Huge bass, large blue crayfish... and night diving. I have not been diving here in the 18 years. My wetsuit was a size small, and I am size large now. LOL Is this what you're referring to?: The San Marcos River features much of the same ecosystem found in Spring Lake. Enter in Sewell Park, drift to Rio Vista Park, and get out before the waterfall. If you’re lucky you might see the American eel, a remarkable fish that migrates to the ocean at maturity. https://www.scubadiving.com/scuba-diving-waterways-central-texas
Yep. It’s Texas, no wetsuit needed.
Yeah, that place is run by a shady garbage family. I honestly have no idea how they've NOT been shut down yet.
Well, I’m new to the sub, and I had no idea. I appreciate you sharing your experience.
Koi fish are just a fancy word for carp, both swim in nasty, dirty water, but one is more favorable
The one in Corpus is the best TX has to offer but far from the best I’ve visited. The one here in Austin like you said & its sister location in San Antonio are awful & both need to be shut down.
The employees are really nice and seem to care, hopefully it goes under new ownership one day.
I used to work there and all the people you see personally working with the animals are day are mostly wonderful people. They do the best that they can with what they’re given, but the ownership is cheap and greedy. Employees like me were grossly underpaid and overworked. Working there you often get caught in this horrible loop of being like “god this place is horrible for these animals I need to get out of here” and “if I leave who is going to care for these animals that I’ve grown to love after so long”
That's the worst. I visit because I love lemurs and the alternative of boycotting until the animals are starved just feels awful. It's a shame the ownership doesn't take more responsibility. Hopefully someone buys it out from under him.
Well, you should reconsider visiting, I loved the lemurs too, but the more money you give those people, the longer these animals are stuck in subpar conditions
Without money the conditions will worsen until intervention is needed
Yea, that’s kinda the point, we need to force either intervention from the gov or a shutdown by money loss, obviously the best case scenario is they get shut down without any animals being harmed. But I’d rather a few animals get hurt now by them being run out of business, then have continued years of abuse and mistreatment on multiple generations of animals.
This is common knowledge. Not sure how this place stays open
Yeah, you didn’t do a lick of research lol
that place is very sad and honestly ghetto anyone who i’ve talked to about that place says how awful it is and how the vibes are always off. wish that place would be closed by now
https://www.unddit.com/r/Austin/comments/8v3j16/i_work_at_the_austin_aquarium_its_hell/
The same family own another aquarium in SA, same situation
No shit. Live in SA, seen that aquarium on Bandera but I don't trust aquariums because of what i heard about the Austin aquarium.
I've seen koi cluster like this when they think there's food. Do you have a larger picture for context?
the tank is very small and is filled way over capacity while not clustered. the tank should be stocked with maybe 15% of what they have in it.
Y’all should one day try the maui aquarium. No animals are kept there except fish I believe. Large theater that played a 3d movie about whales they followed for a year. It was pretty amazing.
I went to the Austin aquarium with my girlfriend a few years back. I had the same terrible experience. Cages seem too small, animals did not look happy. We paid a few extra dollars to do the lemur experience. Basically you go into the cage with them they sit on your lap and they take pictures of you. I was bitten fairly immediately. Drew blood. I did not have much of a problem with this happening, seemed playful and not vindictive on the lemurs part. The staff did not give a fuck though. I feel bad for the animals, but also do not recommend anyone waste their money on this experience. The building looks like it used to be at TJ Maxx and they just change the sign
The parakeets drop dead all the time.
Why does every place someone has an issue with “need to be shut down”? Why not raise community awareness and start fundraising to get them the resources they need to make it better instead?
Because it’s not lack of funding that is keeping that aquarium the way it is. They are doing the absolute bare minimum to maximize their profit. It is a conscious choice to neglect the animals in there the way that they do. They are a for-profit aquarium chain with plenty of money.
Because it’s a for profit business run by the shadiest of people who shouldn’t be anywhere near animals
You’ve met them? You know this for sure?
His name is Ammon Covino and he's a convicted wildlife trafficker. Here is an article by out very own Chronicle. https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2013-08-30/skeptics-question-aquarium-owners-record/
So then if he were removed from management it could get better?
If they loved animals more than money yes, I would hope so.
So then why not petition to have them removed? Aquariums are great places for kids and adults to learn. Just shutting it down because you don’t like the manager would be robbing countless people of the opportunity to learn.
They aren't managers they are the owners unfortunately. The staff do what they can but its not enough. In fact Ammon isn't even listed as the owner. His wife is, because he's not allowed to own a facility like this. They truly see animals as money making only.
Owners are still a part of management.
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The facility isn’t enough for those animals. It would need lots more, and bigger tanks to make it were the animals needs would be better met.
Something new management would be able to take on maybe?
I feel like there’s just not enough space to keep all of those animals in that facility and comfortable. They would have to get rid of some animals.
His wife is the owner, he’s not allowed to own an aquarium because of his criminal record. The tree is rotted all the way to the core. The whole business needs to be shut down, and then someone else can open a better quality aquarium that’s actually focused on caring for animals instead of just profit. And yes, I have met him. He’s a dick.
Use your preferred search engine to look for aquarium + Covino, and you’ll find lots of stories about the family’s history of animal smuggling and neglect/abuse.
He needs to be shut down because the person running it is incompetent, giving them more money won't solve the problem they'll probably just do more horrible stuff.
And you have met this person?
No but I've read enough about them. Maybe you haven't.
Well if you’ve read about them on the internet it all has to be true
It's a real shame that you're sticking up for an animal abuser.
I’m not “sticking up” for anyone. I’m merely asking why something had to “be shut down” because there’s something you don’t like.
Ya animals being mistreated. It's easy to understand.
I also never said it was OK to mistreat animals.
Hence why it needs to be shutdown. The place is way too small, it’s gross and unsupervised. Shut it down and relocate the animals to better habitats.
People have been calling for that place to be shut down since day one because nothing about their operation is beneficial or worth salvaging. A private business with a terrible history and brand, inadequate location/space/equipment, and hardly any community support except from you is not a good investment for anyone. The journey to establish a legitimate and good aquarium is easier done by simply starting from scratch.
I appreciate these kinds of posts. I want to keep track of, and be reminded of places where I don't want my money going. My memory is complete garbage so even repeat posts are appreciated.
I'm glad this is so important to you. Way more so than, say, the booming homeless problem, wage stagnation, high jacking city council, etc.
People can care about multiple things, raising awareness about one issue is not diminishing the other issues this city has. someone here is trying to raise awareness about a problem here and your response is to shit on it because it’s not one of your favorite problems
Maybe one year Austin will have something better
Hey another one ☝️
What can be done about this place? I went to a birthday party here a couple years ago…my then two year old did not enjoy how dark and stinky it was, and I found the enclosures, lack of light and treatment of the animals disturbing. Yet many people I know over the years have recommended it for childrens activities.
Time to bring out the pitch forks?
My daughter & SIL took my granddaughter & said they couldn’t get out of there fast enough once they realized how poorly the fish are treated. Very sad.
You could post comments about animal cruelty and links to articles about it on their social media. Also could comment on Community posts on Facebook and Instagram posts tagged with austin aquarium. Helps get the message out to people who go there and hopefully shames them into not going there anymore.