If you are looking for fun yet educational activities for your children while travelling, you can’t go wrong with an aquarium.
Aquariums are excellent places to explore the world’s ocean habitats. These centres often host educational sessions and exhibits, which can help you and your children learn more about marine creatures.
In addition, several aquariums around the world are leading conservation efforts. You can support these efforts to protect our natural environment by visiting these aquariums.
Here, we round up the seven finest aquariums in the world. These spectacular marine centres have something interesting for every age group:
Oceanário de Lisboa, Portugal
Located in Parque das Nações, the newest neighbourhood of Lisbon, Oceanário de Lisboa is the largest indoor aquarium in Europe. This award-winning marine centre houses over 8,000 marine animals from all over the world.
Oceanário de Lisboa has a 5 million-litre tank that recreates the Atlantic Ocean and offers several educational programmes and activities for children and adults.
Moreover, the aquarium has recently launched the Lisbon Ocean Experience, a four-day ecotourism programme aboard a 63-metre-tall sailing ship. During their voyage, guests discover the marine biodiversity of the nearby Arrábida National Park, Tagus River and Sado River, with the help of an expert marine biologist.
New York Aquarium, the US
Situated in Coney Island, Brooklyn, the New York Aquarium is home to over 500 species of marine wildlife.
The newest exhibit at this aquarium is Ocean Wonders: Sharks, which comprises immersive sessions that puts guests nine inches away from 18 species of sharks and a hundred other marine species. This exhibit enables visitors to learn about sharks, their importance and the threats they face.
Furthermore, guests can discover more about New York Aquarium’s Conservation Program, which is dedicated to conservation efforts, including shark and whale tagging, ecological monitoring, and protection of local habitats.
AQUATIS Aquarium-Vivarium, Lausanne, Switzerland
Spread over 3,500 square metres, AQUATIS comprises 46 vivariums, terrariums, and aquariums. These habitats feature more than 10,000 fish and 100 reptiles and amphibians.
AQUATIS is divided into five sections, each representing a different freshwater ecosystem. Highlights from this aquarium include the Komodo Dragon, the world’s largest lizard, and the Inland Taipan, a venomous snake.
Additionally, this marine centre utilises state-of-the-art technology to transport guests to the natural habitats of marine creatures.
AQUATIS also functions as an environmental education nucleus, enabling knowledge exchange and offering a platform for deeper engagement with marine life.
uShaka Sea World, Durban, South Africa
Located within uShaka Marine World, the uShaka Sea World is a famous aquarium in Durban, South Africa.
This family-friendly destination offers edutainment experiences suitable for guests of all ages. uShaka Sea World has over 300 species of marine life, including sharks, rays, turtles, fish, and even penguins.
The marine centre’s underwater viewing galleries are particularly well-loved. A series of tunnels and glass panels allow visitors to experience the sensation of being underwater, surrounded by vibrant marine creatures.
This aquarium’s educational sessions, interactive displays, and informative conservation talks are also worth checking out.
SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, Australia
Comprising nine interactive zones, this aquarium houses over 700 species of marine life from Australia and around the world.
Located in Darling Harbour, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium’s must-see exhibits include the Great Barrier Reef, the Shark Valley, and the Sydney Harbour zone.
This marine centre’s Jurassic Seas zone and the Penguin Boat Ride experience are also well-known. The Jurassic Seas zone takes guests to the depths of the oceans to learn about living fossils and evolution. The Penguin Boat Ride experience enables visitors to interact with adorable, feathered penguins.
SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium offers additional immersive experiences, including a touch pool, a feeding show, and a behind-the-scenes tour.
Nausicaá – Centre national de la Mer, France
Located in Boulogne sur Mer in Northern France, Nausicaa is the largest aquarium in Europe, with over 58,000 animals representing 1,600 species.
Since it opened in 1991, this distinctive marine centre has hosted more than 20 million visitors, including 5 million children.
Nausicaá features an 8-metre-long underwater tunnel that allows visitors to immerse themselves underwater.
This aquarium’s sea lion entertainment show, augmented reality experiences, guided tour of the sharks zone and the backstage tour are crowd-favourites.
Monterey Bay Aquarium, the US
Established in 1984, Monterey Bay Aquarium focuses on the unique marine habitats of Monterey Bay. The aquarium houses over 35,000 animals belonging to over 550 species.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of the most renowned tourist attractions in California. The primary draws at this wildly popular marine centre are the living kelp forest, giant Pacific octopus, splash zone with penguins and the jellyfish tank, home to over 2,000 jellyfish.
This aquarium is also a pioneer in marine science and conservation. Its biologists carry out research on ocean ecosystems and help discover inventive ways to protect marine life and their natural habitats.