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Seymour's Seaquarium
Advertised as the "Wettest Show on Earth," Seymour's
'See-More' Seaquarium was formerly a popular tourist attraction,
located in a tropical region next to the ocean. A collection
of ramshackle buildings made up the seaquarium, which featured
aquatic exhibits ranging from fish to trained seals.
Three large water tanks at the center of the seaquarium,
flanked by rows of bleachers, formed the "stage"
for Seymour's underwater circus. One of these tanks held three
rare tiger sharks, the second and largest served as the seaquarium's
main performance tank, and the third contained Seymour's main
attraction, the fabulous jumping whale named Moby Dimple.
An old batyscaph at the front of the seaquarium served as
Seymour's ticket office and private quarters.
Daily shows at the seaquarium were held in the morning and
afternoon, hosted by Seymour himself in front of a sellout
crowd. Each show culminated in an impressive grand finale,
a 50-foot leap by Moby Dimple through the fiery "Hoop
of Doom." Profitable as it was, Seymour's Seaquarium
had its share of problems, most of them involving the frequent
disappearance of Moby Dimple from his holding tank into the
nearby ocean.
Left: Layout of the water park known as Seymour's "See-More"
Seaquarium.
Below: "Wotta Whale!" Seymour introduces the great
Moby Dimple during another sold-out show.
Moby Dimple was found and returned to the seaquarium numerous
times, but soon accusations surfaced against Seymour for mistreating
his animals. A preliminary inspection of the water park by
A.C.H.O.O. (the Agency Concerned with the Happiness of Oceanic
Oddities) turned up nothing. More thorough investigations
conducted by Inspector Burrough revealed that Seymour was
in fact guilty of cruelty to animals. Furthermore, Seymour's
personal gyrocopter carried an illegal Smith-&-Wesson-Oil
double-barreled harpoon as part of its special "whale-retrieval"
equipment. Despite Seymour's claims that the weapon was merely
a museum piece, he was arrested and his park has been shut
down, its creatures set free into the ocean.
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Seymour, onstage during
an afternoon performance by his trained seals.
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Moby
Dimple the leaping whale, former star of Seymour's "See-More"
Seaquarium. |
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A.C.H.O.O.
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Burrough ("rhymes with thorough") of A.C.H.O.O. |
A.C.H.O.O. — the Agency Concerned with the Happiness
of Oceanic Oddities — is a humane organization
devoted to the protection of aquatic life. Through its
connections with law enforcement, the agency prosecutes
sea poachers and confiscates illegal weapons used to
hunt whales, dolphins, and other sea creatures. A.C.H.O.O.
agents certify zoos, water parks, and seaquariums and
make inspections on an annual basis, looking for signs
of animal mistreatment.
Among anti-cruelty groups, A.C.H.O.O is is considered
the best at what it does, thanks to the diligent work
of Inspector Burrough and his fellow agents.
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