Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada celebrated its 10th anniversary in style by breaking not one, but two, Guinness World Records titles.
Staff at the attraction in Toronto banded together to broadcast the longest underwater live-stream (video) and to create the largest canned food mosaic (logo).
The first record was a brand-new title, with a minimum time of 5 hours 25 minutes 25 seconds put in place.
It was broadcast from the popular tourist attraction on 16 October, exactly 10 years after its grand opening in 2013.
Ripley’s earned the record title with an epic underwater live-stream that lasted 5 hr 44 min 30 sec.
The whole thing was tightly planned and scripted, with scuba-diving hosts teaching viewers about all the animals that can be found at the aquarium, having Zoom calls with elementary school students, and talking about the basics of diving.
Pumpkin carving and interactive quizzes were also on offer for those who tuned in.
Divers led the stream for 45 minutes at a time before swapping out, and the live-stream was interspersed with pre-filmed footage that the divers would narrate from inside the tank, such as interviews with the aquarium’s veterinarian.
It took a whole crew to pull it off, with a team brought in to work the cameras, monitors and teleprompters that the divers read off while they were hosting.
Presenting for 45 minutes at a time was very difficult for the divers as the air inside their masks was dry and they were unable to stop to take a drink of water.
But despite that, the live-stream was a huge success.
"We are thrilled to celebrate a decade of aquatic wonder at Ripley's Aquarium of Canada," said Peter Doyle, General Manager of the attraction.
Our goal has always been to inspire and educate our guests about the importance of ocean conservation, and the world record attempt for the longest underwater live-stream is an exciting way to engage a global audience in our mission.
The live-stream was broadcast on YouTube, and had to have at least 50 viewers throughout to be successful.
And that wasn’t the only record-breaking feat at the aquarium as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations.
Staff also worked together with food corporation Ocean Brands to create the largest canned food mosaic (logo).
More than 9,000 food cans were used to piece together a giant recreation of the venue’s logo.
The completed artwork measured in at an impressive 59.30 m2 – which is about the size of 13 king size beds or about four parking spaces.
This was also a new title with the minimum set at 50 m2.
It was put together in the loading dock of the aquarium but got off to a bit of a slow start as staff had to pause their can arranging when a shark needed to be moved out of the aquarium.
Although they fell a little behind schedule, they moved quickly and completed the mosaic as Guinness World Records Adjudicator Michael Empric watched.
After Michael measured it and confirmed its record-breaking size, the mosaic was dismantled, and the cans were boxed up to be sent to the Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto.
5,400 lb of food was donated to provide the same number of meals for families in the Toronto area.
Rachel Cruwys, Manager of Community Relations, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, said: "We are elated to have set this Guinness World Records title – it was a true collaboration with our team here at Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada and the Toronto Daily Bread food bank!"
Jackie Mendoza, Marketing Director of Ocean Brands, added: "Ocean Brands is not only thrilled to be a part of this significant milestone of Ripley’s, but also glad that we can support our communities by feeding those in need."
Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada is one of the largest aquariums of its kind in North America and is home to thousands of marine animals, including sharks, rays, sea turtles and many, many species of fish.
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