A view from one of the fish tanks at Marlin Park.
A marine aquarium installed at a baseball park in Florida was broken when it was hit by a foul ball during a match. It was something many people expected would happen — the mystery is probably why it took so long!
The tank is one of two 20ft long aquariums at the Marlins Park in Miami, where they serve as the backstop directly behind home plate. When the Marlins announced that the tanks were going to be installed, back in 2012, many people expressed concerned that a breakage was likely, potentially putting the fish and possibly also members of the public, at risk.
The tanks were built by Living Color Aquariums and the strength of the panels was tested at the time by Marlins’ first baseman Gaby Sanchez who hurled baseballs at them to see if he could get them to crack. They didn’t.
But on Friday, June 2, one of the tanks was hit by a ball, which punctured the shatterproof glass, leading to a leak. Luckily, the damage was limited and the tank was given a quick fix using pieces of duct tape until a proper repair could be made. Fortunately, none of the fish appeared to have been harmed.