The fascinating world underneath water can never cease to intrigue kids and adults alike. Be it from the lakes, rivers, or the vast oceans, marine life always arouses curiosity and wonder. While scuba-diving is one of the best ways to be the closest to these aquatic creatures, not every other person has an adventurous bone. Bless the makers of numerous larger-than-life aquariums in the world, we get the opportunity to see the interesting aqua species up-close. But alas, so many aquariums and so little time! You may, however, take a look at these 10 best aquariums in the world and add them to your list of must-visit places. Visiting these aquariums will certainly leave you in awe of the amusing underwater world.
- L’Oceanogràfic, Valencia, Spain
It wouldn’t be wrong to call L’Oceanogràfic or the Oceanographic a huge ocean itself. This oceanarium in Spain holds a capacity of 42,000,000 litres of water and is home to 45,000 marine animals. According to a great guide by Tropical Fish Care Guides, right from sharks to the tiniest of fish, you will find them all here, displayed in huge tanks. Create a Spain itinerary using the best vacation planner and do not forget to add this largest aquarium in Europe to it.
- Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta, USA
Can you imagine an aquarium that is larger than L’Oceanogràfic in Spain? Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia, holds a capacity of 10 million US gallons. The aquarium is home to more than 100,000 aquatic animals belonging to 700 different species. A few of these include whale sharks, beluga whales, California sea lions, bottlenose dolphins, and manta rays. Now if that is not pushing you to add it your must-visit places, then what would?
3. Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, Motobu, Japan
Wish to see the gigantic whale sharks swim above you? Head towards Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium which is a part of the Ocean Expo Park located in Motobu, Japan. The aquarium is 4-storeyed and has 77 tanks that hold more than 2 million US gallons of water. You will also get to see bottlenose dolphins and false killer whale perform in a show at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium.
4. Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, Dubai, UAE
Walking through the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo is like walking through a tunnel, except that the tunnel is made of a huge acrylic glass panel and about 33,000 aquatic animals swim beyond it. Dubai has much more than just skyhigh buildings and artificial islands. Using a vacation planner like TripHobo you can create a Dubai itinerary including all the must-visit places in the city. Do not forget to add this majestic aquarium to the itinerary which is located in the Dubai Mall.
5. Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, USA
Monterey Bay Aquarium is home to 35,000 marine animals and these belong to more than 550 different species. There are two huge tanks in the aquarium holding about 2.3 million US gallons of water. One of the tanks has the largest single paned windows on earth. This allows you to see the aqua animals uninterrupted.
6. Turkuazoo, Istanbul, Turkey
Turkuazoo is not only one of the largest aquarium in all of Europe, it is also a centre for marine research and conservation. A few of the prime features of this aquarium include an 80-meter long aquatic tunnel, a rainforest habitat, and a flooded forest wetland habitat. The aquarium is home to more than 10,000 marine animals. It is located inside the Forum Istanbul Shopping Mall.
7. uShaka Marine World, Durban, South Africa
uShaka Marine World is divided into 5 sections, namely uShaka Sea World, uShaka Wet ‘n Wild, uShaka Beach, uShaka Village Walk and, uShaka Kids World. uShaka Sea World is the fifth largest aquarium in the world and holds a capacity of 17,500 cubic meters of water. It is home to more than 10,000 aquatic animals. Make it a point to visit this marine world during your trip to South Africa.
8. National Aquarium, Baltimore, USA
Home to more than 17,000 animals, belonging to more than 750 species, the National Aquarium is a must-visit place in Baltimore. A few of the exhibits in the aquarium include Upland Tropical Rain Forest, a multiple-story Atlantic Coral Reef, an open ocean shark tank, and Australia: Wild Extremes. The National Aquarium has won many accolades which gives you more reasons to visit this fascinating artificial underwater world.
9. AquaDom, Berlin, Australia
Visiting The AquaDom in Berlin would be a very unique experience since you will be seeing the marine life while travelling through a transparent lift. The aquarium is an 82-feet tall cylinder which has a built transparent elevator. While travelling through this elevator, you will be able to see a variety of aquatic animals, right from seahorses to stingrays. The aquarium is home to about 1,500 animals, representing around 50 species.
10. Shanghai Ocean Aquarium, Shanghai, China
Holding a total of 1.3 million US gallons of water, the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium is one of the largest aquarium in China. The most unique feature of the aquarium is its 168-meter long tunnel which is the longest of its kind in the world. Shanghai Ocean Aquarium is home to more than 450 different species of marine life and draws around one millions visitors annually.
These are the 10 best aquariums in the world that leave each of its visitors stunned at the end of the tour. If you are soon planning a vacation then visit one of the countries that have these aquariums and be awed by the magical underwater world.
