Georgia Aquarium & the Dolphin Coast Theater
Atlanta, GA
1.6 million gallons of salt water in an 1800 capacity venue is the domain of the bottlenose dolphins at the Georgia Aquarium in their Dolphin Coast Theatre. Originally completed in 2011, when Georgia Aquarium was looking to upgrade their existing incandescent lighting in the space, the options ideal for a venue such as this had completely changed. SGM fixtures were selected for their power and ability to stand up to these harsh conditions.
Fixture selection was overseen by Russell Sorrow at Georgia Aquarium in conjunction with Lab Testing for Animal Safety. Russell states: “The intensity and coverage of the pool from the SGM P-10 and P-5 TW was so even and punchy that the dolphin trainers were able to have better visibility all the way to the bottom of the 30-foot habitat. With conventional fixtures, the bottom of the pool was a struggle to light evenly, there were always hot spots and areas left in shadow. That is not the case with the SGM fixtures. The added light level allows for safer training sessions, allows our cleaning and maintenance divers to perform their task more efficiently, and the dolphins are receiving the lighting that they need to thrive.
SGM’s route to market partner for the project was Barbizon Lighting Atlanta working in conjunction with SESCO Lighting Atlanta.
"The quality, durability, high output, and high IP rating of the fixtures were excellent, but the customer service is what put SGM at the top of my list for fixtures. Over the next couple of years, I found myself using SGM fixtures to light habitats and guest areas around the Aquarium." – Russell Sorrow, Assistant Manager of Lighting and Technical Systems.
There are quite a few lighting challenges in this aquatic environment. Considerations for how much light and what wavelengths are filtered out, the needs of the habitat, as well as the atmospheric conditions are all key aspects of aquarium applications.
The humidity and salt content are brutally high. The fountains and rain curtain ionize the salt water which then coats every surface in the venue. Water strips the color spectrum quickly and non-IP rated fixtures rapidly deteriorate. Further, the Aquarium does rigorous testing in their lab, measuring both wavelengths of light, as well as intensity to prevent adverse conditions for the animals.
Water removes a large part of visible light spectrum. Within just a few feet of water the longer wavelengths of red and amber are diminished. The spectrum continues to narrow at depth until all that is left is blue. In as little as 1 meter the effects are noticeable. in 3 meters, it is drastic. Therefore, headroom and power for colors is key in providing both quality and theatricality of light.
"Prior to the change the sharks were in perpetual twilight. Upon swapping to the Q10s we were able to give the habitat a true daily cycle. Our tiger shark now started making full use of the habitat instead of primarily staying at the top of the water column. The difference was drastic."
– Russell Sorrow
Assistant Manager of Lighting and Technical Systems.
Products used
24 x P-10
15 x Q-10
17 x Q-8
36 x P-5 TW Wash