In 1953, Curtis Johnson gained permission to build an aquarium on a property immediately east of Brown’s Boat Basin. However, the offer was rescinded and he eventually bought a second property in Chippingham. This second property opened on 17 March 1967 as The Seafloor Aquarium.
All tanks in the aquarium were built to resemble the ocean floor – including real corals, rocks and sand. Everything in it was Bahamian with the exception of sea lions. Rainbow parrot fish, grouper, trumpetfish, stingrays, houndfish, porcupine fish, testy nurse sharks made themselves at home in an 80,000 gallon reef tank and swarmed around a diver, politely grabbing dinner from his hand.
In a Bahamian lagoon, “fishermen” fought to capture a 65-pound Loggerhead turtle while a miniature Santa Maria rocked off Seafloor’s San Salvador island. Nearby dolphins tail-danced the Nassau rhumba and cavorted their way through all-star basketball, sea lions pounded out “The Star Spangled Banner” and “March On Bahamaland” on pipe organs.
A complimentary bus, often with a sea lion on board, provided transportation to visitors from downtown Nassau and tourists could view a jewellery manufacturing workshop where craftsmen created tortoise shell pieces.
Postcards
Calypso Distributors Ltd (10×111300 Series)
