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NASSAU, Bahamas — Nassau at last has its irst aquarium, a dream -
come-true for undersea life aficionados in the Bahamas.
The "why" of an aquarium in the Bahamas, where the warm, clear waters of
the 700 mile-long colony teem with an almost infinite variety and number
of fish year-round comes from Capt. Bronson Hartley.
Internationally known helmet diver and marine life expert, and planner,
designer, builder and proprietor of the new Hartley's miniature Aquarium
it East Street here, Capt. Hartley explains:
"It's simple - a proper aquarium fulfills an urgent, long-time need
here, both for residents and visitors."
While many researchers into the undersea realm consider the Bahamas one
of the largest, most accessible, all-weather natural aquariums in the
world .Capt. Hartley continued, the Miniature Aquarium's exhibits bring
together in one place, under ideal viewing circumstances, a large
variety of selected specimens that would take the average person years
to see.
The basic planning behind the "miniature aquarium" has been going on for
5 years, and was predicated upon the idea that a great many people,
including Bahamians familiar with undersea life here, would be
interested in observing a large collection of their finny neighbors
close-up, under convenient conditions.
A Moray eel lives with a Sea Pigeon, Sea Urchins and a Sea Anemone in
one tank and baby green turtles flip along in company with a Porcupine
fish in another, while still another of the 50-gallon displays features
clouds of tiny tropicals such as Conchfish, Sergeant Majors, Blue
Chromis, Four-eyed Butterfly fish and a Schoolmaster.
Compatibility is the keynote to the grouping of exhibits, Capt. Hartley
said, pointing out that the more than a hundred species and varieties of
marine life are segregated from their natural enemies.
"They live a better and safer life in here than they do out in the sea."
he said.
"First, there's the security from attack, then there's the regular
supply of food (ground lobster for most), a constant supply of fresh,
filtered sea water, and the special health lights."
All specimens are either innately small in size, or baby editions of
giant denizens of the deep. The toothy Moray eel, for instance, is
little more than a foot or so in length, but someday will grow to 5 or 6
feet.
Similarly, the Queen Turbots are about 5 inches long, but will grow to 3
feet or more. And the baby turtles, now weighing 16 to 20 ounces each
will be 100-pounders in a few years.
This accounts for a special, happy tone in the collection, since most
specimens will be "on stage" in the aquarium for only a few months,
being returned to their former homes in the ocean when they outgrow
Capt. Hartley’s size requirements.
"You might say they’re just temporary guests," Capt. Hartley smiled.
The aquarium itself is a monument to unique design and hard labor by
Capt. Hartley and his wife, Hariet. Occupying one the few basements in
the City of Nassau, the exhibition room is approximately 60 by 24 feet,
exclusive of a workroom which formerly was a huge water storage tank for
a Bay Street hardware store.
Sea water for the twenty 50-gallon glass tanks in the exhibition is
pumped from a well drilled 130 feet through solid limestone.
"Just as we broke through the strata to water that gave us a hydrometer
reading matching the salinity of sea water," Capt. Hartley said, "we
were bailing chips of what appears to be a form of elkhorn coral that
existed millions of years ago."
This indicates, of course, that this portion of Nassau’s New Providence
Island, was at least 130 feet lower once, and probably some distance
farther down below sea level.
Supported at eye level by heavy framework, the tanks are arranged in two
rows inside the walnut-panelled walls of an inner room filling most of
the exhibition hall.
The walls of the exhibition room are decorated with fluorescent murals
depicting forests of elkhorn coral which glow under special illumination
by "black" light.
There are comfortable lounge chairs for foot-weary visitors, constant
forced-air ventilation and soft music.
Source of the text: The Miami News (Apr 12, 1963)
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