For Ryan Ross, aquarium curator at Silverton, animals have been a lifelong passion, specifically marine life. “When I was younger, I bought a little 15-gallon aquarium and set it up in my bedroom and it snowballed from there,” says the Pennsylvania native. “My whole bedroom was nothing but aquariums. I’d always go to the back of the pet shop, past the cute puppies and cats, just so I could see the aquariums and I’d sit there and stare at all the fish. Eventually I knew that’s what I wanted to go to school for.”

And Ross did—he studied marine biology at East Stroudsburg College in his home state, and after graduating worked at various aquariums on the East Coast before getting the itch to move out west. He landed a job at Silverton in 2005 for the property’s aquarium. Ross says, “I always hear, ‘You go to school for marine biology but end up working in a desert?’ Yes, it’s strange. Never in a million years would I have thought Las Vegas, but I love it here.”

He started at the bottom of the ladder at the 117,000-gallon aquarium and in 2012 he was made curator. Among the many duties that fall under his title include taking care of the main aquarium, life support for the animals, the quarantine in the back of the facility, equipment and maintenance, budgets and financials. “I don’t say I have to do all this stuff—I say I get to do all this stuff,” Ross says. “I enjoy the variety because this job always keeps you on your toes.”

When Ross isn’t swimming in all things aquarium, you can still find him connecting with nature. He’s an avid outdoorsman that loves adventure racing (like off-road triathlons) and competing in Tough Mudders.

Nature, animals—it’s all a passion for Ross. “You don’t work with animals for the money,” he says. “You work with animals for the love of it. Whether it’s an aquarium biologist or zookeeper, you don’t get into this industry for anything but the love of animals.”

Libation: Stingray Cocktail

One of the coolest bars in Las Vegas is the Mermaid Lounge. It overlooks the Silverton’s giant aquarium—which holds more than 2,000 fish, four species of stingrays and four species of sharks. “I think the diversity is what people should appreciate,” Ryan says. “You have so many different animals in an enclosed space.” Pull up one of the oversized chairs, relax, watch the aquarium inhabitants swim around and enjoy a libation like the Stingray Cocktail, made with Absolut Citron vodka, blue Curaçao, grenadine and Sprite.

Benefit: Thursday through Sunday, mermaids swim inside the aquarium and mingle with sea life and pose for photos.

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