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Glide through the Amazon with freshwater stingrays. Dive into
the Technicolor real of corals and anemones. Come face-to-face
with a giant octopus. Try not to grin as otters perform like
they're auditioning for Cirque du Soleil. By Kerry Gildea Beck
You don’t need gills, or scuba gear, to take in these underwater
wonders. You don’t need a plane ticket or passport either. All
you need to do is bring your eyes and imagination to the
Smithsonian’s National Zoo, where aquatic exhibits allow
visitors to explore the habitats of water-reliant animals
without ever leaving dry land. A visitor watches fish at the
Amazonia exhibit. (Jessie Cohen/NZP) "There’s actually an
aquarium within the Zoo,” says senior curator Ed Bronikowski.
“Countless species that live in the aquatic environment are
spread in exhibits throughout the Zoo. Many people don’t get to
travel the world, and even fewer get to peer underwater at
exotic places. So we’re showing that other world th