"I've looked at attractions all over the world, and I know of nothing that compares to what we're doing here," says Bob Masterson, president of Ripley Entertainment. "I think that people who come through this area will make a point of seeing this aquarium. It's not just another attraction, and I think the anticipation that people have about it is justified."

The fact that Ripley's Aquarium offers up-close and personal views of spectacular undersea life is sure to make it a favorite stop for Smoky Mountain visitors and locals alike. Tour highlights include underwater views of Stingray Bay, and one of the keystones of the attraction is a journey through Shark Lagoon.

A 340-foot moving walkway carries you through a see-through acrylic tunnel submerged under a million gallons of water. There, you'll get a "divers-eye" view of such marine life as lion fish, moray eels and several varieties of sharks, including tiger, bonnethead and nurse sharks.

In the aquarium's Discovery Center, you can put your hands in the Touch Tank and feel such creatures as horseshoe crabs and even stingrays (with staff supervision, of course). In some of the larger tanks, scuba divers from the aquarium get in on the action, too, conducting shows every hour in which they interact with many of the underwater residents.

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies is designed to be user-friendly, allowing individuals, families and groups to see all of the sights at a leisurely pace. Tours of the aquarium are self-guided, leading you along a route that still allows plenty of room for flexibility. The pathway gives you the opportunity to go back and see something again if you wish, but it also helps focus visitors on all of the exhibits so that they miss nothing. Guests should allow up to two-and-a-half hours to do the tour justice.

And if looking at all those fish gives you an appetite, you can take some time out to eat at your choice of two aquarium venues. You can grab a quick bite of fast food at the Feeding Frenzy concession or you can dine in the aquarium's upscale restaurant, The Veranda, which overlooks Gatlinburg's other favorite aquatic attraction -- the Little Pigeon River.

Viewed as a whole, Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies offers fun and education rolled into one. But the bottom line is that visitors have a good time. "We want to exceed the public's expectations when it comes to entertainment," says Bob Masterson. "We want everyone to leave not saying 'that was OK' but 'wow, that was really something.'"