By Rosemary Ford
The staycation: It's become the buzzword of the summer.
With the rotten economy, weakened dollar and astronomical gas prices, many vacation-like activities are happening a lot closer to home.
Institutions like the Museum of Science and New England Aquarium couldn't be happier, rolling out new features to draw in local crowds.
The Museum of Science is kicking its film fare up a notch this summer with a slate of IMAX films set in exotic locales. Its films include: "Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk" as well as "The Alps." The most recent film to hit the screen is "Wild Ocean" set in the area known as Africa's "wild coast."
Like many IMAX films shown at the museum's Mugar Omni Theater, "Wild Ocean" offers stunning visuals along with a scientific message, in this case about the health of the oceans.
Around the world, the impact of humanity's presence on the oceans has been felt with damage to habitats and fewer fish. Here on the wild coast, the clock has been frozen at a time where nature existed unfettered.
"Wild Ocean" examines the importance of one fish — the sardine — to the survival of humans, birds, fish and other aquatic creatures in this region of the ocean.
The film sets the scene, taking viewers on a journey around the coast and its environs, through canyons, over cliffs and down waterfalls. Hang on — while you're not moving, those who get motion sick will feel the impact.
In "Wild Ocean" cameras captured schools of fish from the inside, swimming side-by-side with sharks, whales and dolphins.
The cinematographers also flew with Gannets, seagull-like birds with fearsome diving ability who regularly dine on sardines. The film explores the links between all of these species, as well as the human population of the wild coast, which also dines on local fish. Remove the sardines, change their route, or lessen their numbers and the whole ecosystem would be thrown out of whack, harming humans and every other species tied to these tiny fish.
The conservation message is an appropriate one for a scientific institution, and its reach extends beyond Africa to those here in New England who are looking for ways to conserve our natural resources while also keeping the fishing industry alive.
"Wild Ocean" isn't the only aquatic adventure you can experience in Boston this summer.
Across town at the New England Aquarium, the newly opened Shark and Ray Touch Tank has made a big splash. Aquarium visitors can listen to facts and figures about the aquatic animals while getting up close and personal with the creatures.
The tank houses 40 animals, including cownose rays, yellow rays, guitarfish, a honeycomb ray, bamboo sharks, coral catsharks and Southern stingrays. The exhibit only runs through Sept. 1, so for those who are interested in petting these rays and sharks, time is of the essence.
The touch tank complements the aquarium's long-standing exhibits on sharks and rays, as well as its current IMAX feature film, "Sharks 3D." In this film, Jean-Michel Cousteau gets quite close to these "lions and tigers of the ocean."
'If you go'
What: "Wild Ocean" IMAX film
Where: The Museum of Science, Science Park, Boston
When: Open Sunday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Cost: Admission to Mugar Omni Theater is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors and $7 for children aged 3 to 11 during the day. After 6 p.m., admission is $6.50 for adults, $5.50 for seniors and $4.50 for children. Admission to exhibit halls and other shows is extra. For more information and showtimes, call 617-723-2500 or visit mos.org
What: Shark and Ray Touch Tank
Where: New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf, Boston
When: Open Sunday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Cost: Admission to the aquarium is $19.95 for adults, $17.95 for seniors and $11.95 for children. Film screenings and whale watches cost extra. Visit neaq.org or call 617-973-5200.
