Swimming with the fish

Mrs Sneed's class touching sea sturgeon's Rashad Davis, Ivan Ponce, Gena McGrady, Jada Jimenez, and Hailie Butterworth.

Murphy Elementary School Kindergarten students traveled to the Tennessee Aquarium for their year-end field trip. Beginning with the indoor rainforest the boys and girls observed butterflies fluttering and sipping nectar from feeding homes and some even alight on the children, which was a thrill for them.

Next, it was on to the Ocean's Journey. There we watched 10 foot sharks, fierce barracuda, and graceful stingrays slither across the coral formation in the man made ocean. At Shark Island, the students had hands-on experience with the brown banded bamboo shark and the epaulette shark. Other animals seen in the Ocean Journey include: more than eight different types of seahorses, sea dragons, Giant Spider Crab, Pacific Octopus, West Coast Sea Needle, and Moon Jellyfish.

Afterwards, it was on to Rivers Journey. There the children encountered river otters, which are the only mammal that lives at the Tennessee Aquarium, American Alligator, more than nine different turtles, West African Dwarf Crocodile, Yellow Anaconda, and several kinds of snakes that would be found in our area.

In addition, the students learned about the different jobs people can have at the Aquarium. These professionals include: Aquarists, Herpetologist, Horticulturists, Aviculturists, Entomologists, Research Biologists, and Veterinarians. This was a wonderful experience for all the children and also educational, said the teachers.