It isn't uncommon to see horses and dragons appear in the same cinematic scene.
After all, the knight who has trotted in to save the day needs to arrive at the fire-breather's lair in some fashion, and that fashion typically involves his trusty steed.
But when there aren't suits of clanky armor nearby, nor mountain lairs, nor saddles, where are dragons and horses found together? It's no riddle: The answer is in the ocean.
And, of course, at an aquarium, too. The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach just unveiled its newest exhibit, Horses & Dragons, a special area that spotlights the seahorses and seadragons, weedy and otherwise, of the deep.
Will there be other pipefish on view? You bet. (And, you're right, seahorses and seadragons come under this designation.) You'll be able to get a close look at their iconic physical structures, structures that include those impressively defined snouts and lengthy, oh-so-bony bodies.
Will there be babies to squee over? Yes, and squee you shall, since a brand new seahorse is just about the tiniest thing on the planet. (Not officially, of course, but if you saw one with, say, your fingernail in the background, the seahorse would only fill a smidgen of the space.)
Will you learn about the male seahorse's brood pouch, and how he carries his young? It's one of those quirky facts of nature that everyone knows a little about, but could discover much more.
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Will you want one, before you depart? Those weird 'n whimsical weedy seadragons look like living flower bouquets, so probably definitely.
Can you visit Horses & Dragons with your aquarium admission? You can. But swim over the Long Beach before the end of March 2017, when those dragons and horses bid their goodbye.
And always remember that this pairing has a real place in the world beyond medieval tales of knights, caves, and saddles. Horses & dragons call H2O home, too, which is perhaps even more fantastical than any fantasy story.
