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Why are aquariums important?
- Aquariums are the closest many of us will ever get to experiencing the world beneath the oceans, lakes, and rivers.
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What makes some aquariums impressive?
- Some of the world’s best aquariums are massive, making them impressive even when considering just the volume of water inside.
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Why are aquariums fascinating?
- They are fascinating because many feature well-thought-out and informative exhibits that educate visitors about marine life.
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What can visitors learn at aquariums?
- Aquariums provide an opportunity to learn about a world that many people might never have the chance to experience firsthand.
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Which aquariums are the biggest and most impressive?
- We’ve looked all over the globe and chosen some of the biggest and most impressive aquariums around.
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1. Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
There are more than 26,000 different animals from 740 species that live in the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. The various exhibits are made up of more than 70 tanks, with both salt and freshwater environments represented. The aquarium opened in 2002 and at that time was the largest in the world. Some highlights of a visit here include whale sharks and manta rays as well as a large collection of coral from 80 different species. The museum has a restaurant that serves a buffet-style lunch of mostly Okinawan dishes surrounded by views of the ocean. There is also a small cafe right by the Kuroshio Sea Tank inside.
424 Ishikawa, Motobu, Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture, 905-0206, Japan, Phone: +81-9-80-48-27-41
2. uShaka Marine World
uShaka Marine World is an ocean-themed park in Durban, South Africa. The park has a large aquarium that is actually the largest in all of Africa. There are nearly one million gallons of water in the aquarium’s 32 tanks. The design of the exhibit takes the form of a shipwreck under the ocean. There is a world-famous restaurant in the park, which has a massive aquarium filled with sharks in its dining room. In addition to the aquarium, the park has a number of water rides, animal shows featuring dolphins, seals, and penguins, activities on the beach, and much more.
1 King Shaka Avenue, Point, Durban, 4001, South Africa, Phone: +27-3-13-28-80-00
3. Shanghai Ocean Aquarium
The Shanghai Ocean Aquarium is a large aquarium in Shanghai. Its most notable feature is the 390-foot-long underwater tunnel where visitors can see a variety of marine habitats, including reefs, the open ocean, a shark tank, and a living coral reef. The tunnel is one of the longest of its kind in the world and visitors can see a stunning 450 different species as they pass through it. Throughout the day there are several times that visitors can observe keepers feeding animals, including seals, penguins, sharks, and more. The aquarium is very popular with both locals and visitors and can get very busy, especially on national holidays.
1388 Lujiazui Ring Road, LuJiazui, Pudong Xinqu, Shanghai Shi, China, 200000, Phone: +86-21-58-77-99-88
4. L’Oceanografic
L’Oceanografic is located in Valencia, Spain, and is the largest aquarium complex in all of Europe. The aquarium is located in an exhibition hall called the City of Arts and Sciences and contains nearly 2 million gallons of water. The aquarium is home to approximately 45,000 different animals representing 500 species. Some of the most popular animals in the exhibit are dolphins, rays, penguins, sharks, walruses, beluga whales, and sea lions. The water in the saltwater tanks is pumped in directly from the Mediterranean Sea. As impressive as the exhibit is, the building’s exterior is no less stunning as it was designed by Felix Candela and is impossible to miss.
Ciutat de les Arts i de les Ciencies, Carrer d’Eduardo Primo Yufera, 1B
5. Sea Life Istanbul
Sea Life Istanbul (formerly known as the Turkuazoo Sea Life Aquarium) is one of the newest aquariums on our list as it only opened in 2009. It is located in the Forum Istanbul Shopping Mall in Istanbul, Turkey, and has several impressive features, including an 260-foot underwater tunnel. There is a variety of different habitats on display, including a flooded forest wetland and a rainforest. A major highlight is the Shark Encounter exhibit, which is the largest collection of sharks in Europe with more than 61 different animals from 15 species. The exhibit has shared ticketing with Madame Tussauds and Legoland, and booking all three attractions together can be a great way to save some money.
Kocatepe Man., Pasa Cd 5/5, 34045 Bayrampasa/Istanbul, Turkey, Phone: +90-4-44-32-53
6. Georgia Aquarium
Dive in and discover all the remarkable wonders that the ocean holds at the Georgia Aquarium . Home to more animals than any other aquarium in the world, the Georgia Aquarium boasts displays containing up to 10 million gallons of water. The largest aquarium holds 6.3 million gallons of water on its own and is home to whale sharks and manta rays among other majestic swimmers. The second largest aquarium in the facility is home to sex beluga whales and 800,000 gallons of water. Meanwhile, the Georgia Aquarium features one of the largest shark exhibits in the North American continent with Great Hammerhead Sharks, Sand Tiger Sharks, and Silvertip Sharks among other apex predators navigating the waters. With more than 60 habitats and 500 species represented here, the Georgia Aquarium is one for your bucket list.
225 Baker Street Northwest, Atlanta, Georgia 30313, Phone: 404-581-4000
7. The Deep Aquarium
The Deep Aquarium is a massive public aquarium with more than 3,000 animals, including sawfish and sharks. The aquarium is sited where the River Hull meets the Humber estuary at Sammy’s Point. It is advertised as the only “submarium” in the world. There are thousands of different sea creatures living in the aquarium, including seven different varieties of shark. Exhibits at the aquarium include several hands-on, interactive displays, audiovisual presentations and, of course, living exhibits that together tell the story of life in the world’s oceans. As you visit, you will follow a chronological journey from the beginning of time up until today.
Tower Street, Hull HU1 4DP, UK, Phone: +44-14-82-38-10-00
8. Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo
The Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo is a large, suspended aquarium that is one of the largest tanks of its kind in the world. It is located on the bottom floor of the Dubai Mall in the UAE. The over 2.5-million-gallon tank is home to thousands of aquatic animals from nearly 150 different species, including hundreds of different sharks and rays. The largest group of sand tiger sharks in the world also lives here. Visitors can view the aquarium’s main tank from a variety of different viewpoints, including a 157-foot walk-through the tunnel, glass-bottom boat rides, cage snorkeling experiences, and even diving with sharks.
Ground & Level 2, The Dubai Mall - Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Phone: +971-44-48-52-00
9. The Aquarium of Western Australia
The Aquarium of Western Australia opened in 1988 as the largest aquarium in the country. It is located in Hillarys and still has the distinction of having the largest aquarium tank in the country as well as the country’s longest walk-through aquarium tunnel. The original two exhibits were the walk-through tunnel now called Shipwreck Coast and the interactive touch pool. Since it opened in 1988, it has expanded to include nearly 50 exhibits in what is today among the top 10 aquariums in the world by size. The aquarium’s specialty is marine animals that live in the water along Australia’s western coast, which is divided into five geographic regions, with exhibits containing animals typical of each region.
91 Southside Drive, Hillarys WA 6025, Australia, Phone: +61-8-94-47-75-00
10. Aquarium of Genoa
The Aquarium of Genoa is Italy’s largest aquarium and the second largest aquarium on the European continent. There are more than 70 tanks containing more than 1.5 million gallons. It covers 33,000 square feet and sits in the old harbor area of the city. The building was built on the occasion of the Genoa Expo ’92 in celebration of the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ discovery of the New World and, as such, the Renzo Piano-designed building was built to resemble a ship heading out to sea. The aquarium showcases the reefs of the Ligurian Sea, the North Atlantic, and the Caribbean.
Ponta Spinola, 16128 Genova, GE, Italy, Phone: +39-01-02-34-51
Plan Your Trip
Table of Contents:
- 1. Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
- 2. uShaka Marine World
- 3. Shanghai Ocean Aquarium
- 4. L’Oceanografic
- 5. Sea Life Istanbul
- 6. Georgia Aquarium
- 7. The Deep Aquarium
- 8. Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo
- 9. The Aquarium of Western Australia
- 10. Aquarium of Genoa