Table of Contents
Introduction
The world is a big place, and it’s filled with incredible places to see. But there’s something special about aquariums. They make you feel like you’re in another world while still being able to touch and interact with the creatures that inhabit it. Here are some of our favorite aquariums around the globe!
Monterey Bay Aquarium, California
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a public aquarium located in Monterey, California, United States. It was founded in 1984 and opened to the public on Friday, October 18th, 1986. The facility is owned by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation (MBAF), which focuses on conservation of ocean wildlife and habitats through education.
The aquarium has a total collection of more than 7,000 specimens representing 250 species from both coasts of North America; Hawaii; Baja California; the Gulf of California/Sea of Cortez; Southern Africa; Japan; Australia and New Zealand as well as other regions around the globe including South America, India, China and Southeast Asia.
Bangkok Sea Life Centre and Ocean World, Thailand
The Bangkok Sea Life Centre and Ocean World aquarium is the largest in Southeast Asia, home to more than 7,000 sea creatures. The aquarium features an underwater tunnel that allows you to walk through the aquarium and experience it firsthand. There’s also a dolphin show where trainers teach dolphins tricks and kids can pet them after the show.
For those who want an even more interactive experience with marine life, a dive trip to Thailand’s Similan Islands or Similan National Park will let you swim among manta rays and sharks without getting wet!
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, Japan
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is a popular aquarium located in Okinawa, Japan.
The building itself is a work of art and contains one of the largest tanks in the world (210 feet long!). The aquarium has four floors and features an assortment of marine life including sharks, rays, dolphins and tropical fish. Guests can even swim with dolphins or dive with seals!
Georgia Aquarium, USA
The Georgia Aquarium is a public aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was opened November 23, 2005 by former Governor of Georgia Roy Barnes and was constructed at a cost of $250 million (equivalent to $339 million in 2018). The aquarium contains more than 100 exhibits including an exhibit on whale sharks.
The first phase of the aquarium opened its doors on November 23, 2005 with an initial collection of 6,000 animals from around the world. The second phase opened on June 20, 2007 featuring a new shark exhibit called Ocean Voyager: Sharks! followed shortly thereafter by The Gulf of Mexico exhibit which features dolphin shows as well as other animals native to the Gulf region such as sea turtles and stingrays.
Dubai Mall Aquarium, United Arab Emirates
Set in one of the world’s largest malls, this aquarium is 16,000 square meters and features over 35,000 animals. It has a number of attractions including a 45-meter long underwater tunnel that lets you see sharks and rays swimming below your feet. The aquarium also has the world’s largest acrylic panel and houses some truly unique species such as jellyfish.
The Dubai Mall Aquarium includes several exhibits including an interactive exhibit where children can touch starfish and sea urchins or feed sharks and rays through small windows into their tanks.
Istanbul Cevahir Aquarium, Turkey
The Istanbul Cevahir Aquarium is located in a shopping mall in Istanbul, Turkey. It’s one of the largest aquariums in Europe and has more than 65,000 animals from more than 1,300 different species. The aquarium also has an impressive shark tank that includes sand tiger sharks, zebra sharks and hammerhead sharks.
Vancouver Aquarium, Canada
The Vancouver Aquarium is a large marine science centre and aquarium in Stanley Park, Vancouver. It is one of the largest aquariums in Canada, with 7 million litres (1.8 million gallons) of water and over 3600 animals representing more than 500 species.
It was founded in 1956 by Dr. Charles Hoser and David Davies—two British Columbia teachers who were keen to open an aquarium for the benefit of local schoolchildren as well as visitors from around the world. The facility features a rainforest exhibit with fish, reptiles, birds and mammals native to British Columbia; an interactive jellyfish display; full-sized shipwreck displays including the Spanish galleon San José; plus daily programs about animal care or exploration at sea!
Osaka Kaiyukan Aquarium, Japan
There are aquariums with giant sharks, and there are aquariums with giant jellyfish. But this one takes the cake for being the largest of them all. The Osaka Kaiyukan Aquarium is actually the largest aquarium in the world, boasting over 1 million gallons of water and over 100,000 fish in its tanks. The Grand Aquarium is about 5km long and features sea creatures from around Japan—in addition to some international residents like sharks, rays and octopuses (though no whales).
Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, China
Chimelong Ocean Kingdom is the largest aquarium in the world, covering an area of approximately 3.2 million square feet. It has a variety of aquatic life, including sharks and penguins. The aquarium also has an underwater tunnel that allows visitors to watch sharks swimming overhead without getting wet!
In addition to its impressive collection of sea creatures, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom also has a large aquarium tank that you can see not only from above but also from below via glass panels in your chair or on foot as you walk through it like an indoor water park/aquarium combo! There’s even a sea lion performance where they dive into their pool at random intervals throughout the day!
L’Oceanogràfic, Spain
This is one of the most beautiful and newest aquariums in Europe. It’s located in Valencia, Spain, and opened in 2005. This amazing aquarium has over 1 million fish and reptiles. The Oceanogràfic also has over 7,000 species of animals and plants with over 500 different species of fish including 40 different species of sharks!
The aquarium was designed by world-renowned architect Jacques Rougerie so it would look like a shipwreck underwater!
There are some amazing aquariums out there. Find out which ones are the best!
There are some amazing aquariums out there. Find out which ones are the best!
- [The Marine Life Park](https://www.marinelifepark.com/en/) in Singapore
- [National Aquarium in Baltimore](https://www.aqua.org/)
- [The Monterey Bay Aquarium](http://montereybayaquarium.org/) in California
Conclusion
So, which one of these amazing aquariums do you think is the best? We hope you’ve enjoyed this list of the most incredible aquariums in the world.