There are many unique aquariums around the world that offer travelers an exciting experience with fantastic marine exhibits.
Worldwide aquariums are not only spectacular attractions, but they also provide a glimpse into the fascinating world beneath the oceans, fostering an appreciation and understanding of marine life. One example is the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, which features a massive kelp forest exhibit, allowing visitors to glimpse the diverse marine life that inhabits the Pacific Ocean.
Another unique one is the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, which boasts the world’s largest indoor dolphin exhibit as well as a massive ocean voyager exhibit that houses thousands of fish and other sea creatures. The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan is also a must-see, with its giant main tank holding 7,500 cubic meters of water and is home to whale sharks, manta rays, and thousands of other fish.
These international aquariums others offer visitors the chance to view and learn about marine life from all around the world in a fun and educational way.
Can’t make it to these aquariums? Create your own with a 10 gallon tank.
Some of the unique aquariums in the world include:
- The Deep, Hull, UK: This aquarium features a walk-through underwater tunnel, allowing visitors to get up close and personal with marine life.
- E.A. Aquarium, Singapore: One of the largest in the world, this water world boasts over 800 species of marine life and a 36-meter-long acrylic tunnel.
- The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, Japan: This aquarium is known for its massive Kuroshio Sea tank, which is home to whale sharks and manta rays.
- L’Oceanografic, Valencia, Spain: Featuring a bevy of marine life, including dolphins, sharks, and sea lions, it also has a huge ocean tank where visitors can observe the animals from a submarine.
- The National Aquatics Center, Beijing, China: This aquarium is located in the iconic “Water Cube” building, which was built for the 2008 Olympic Games. It offers a wide variety of sea life, including sharks, rays, and a giant ocean tank.
- The Aquarium Berlin, Germany: Located in the historic Berlin Zoo, it features a wide variety of aquatic animals, including sharks, rays, and tropical fish.
- The Seoul Aquarium, South Korea: The COEX Mall is huge in its own right on top of playing host to a wide variety of ocean animals, including sharks, rays and sea turtles .
- Ushuaia Aquarium, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina: One of the largest aquariums in South America is the Acuario de Ushuaia, located in Ushuaia. It boats marine life from the Southern Ocean including seals and sea lions.
Did you know?
The largest aquarium in the world is the Georgia Aquarium located in Atlanta, United States, which has over 100,000 sea creatures representing 500 species in more than 10 million gallons of water.
Some of the rare species they have currently are:
- Japanese Mud Skipper: This species is known for its unique ability to “walk” on land using its pectoral fins.
- Texas Cichlid: This species is native to the waters of Texas and is known for its vibrant colors and aggressive behavior.
- Flagfin Angelfish: This species is known for its long, flowing fins and is native to the waters of the Indo-Pacific region.
- Spotted Mandarin Fish: This species is known for its vibrant colors and is native to the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
A little history:
The first public aquarium was the London Zoo’s Fish House, which opened in May 1853.
The Fish House was initially created to house marine specimens collected during the British navy surveys and was opened to the public as a way to increase the Zoo’s popularity and revenue.
This marked the beginning of the public aquariums movement, and many other zoos and museums soon followed suit, building their aquariums to display exotic marine life to the public.
The second public aquarium to open in the United States was the Aquarial Gardens in Boston, Massachusetts, which opened in 1859, just a few years after the New York Aquarium opened in 1857, followed by the third public aquarium in the United States, which was the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois, which opened in 1930.
One of the most recent openings was the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital in the United Arab Emirates, which opened its marine mammal exhibit in 2018.
