Scientists believe that life originated in the oceans, and only then "spilled over" to land. And in order to see the creatures who did not want to get out on this very land, it is absolutely not necessary to return to the ocean again. It is enough just to visit the oceanarium.
Having calculated the total capacity of popular aquariums, we have chosen the largest aquarium in the world and will tell you where it is located. And also smaller aquariums, but you may like them even more. After all, each of them is unique in its own way.
10. Sochi Dicovery World Aquarium
The total capacity is 5 million liters of water.
This is the largest oceanarium in Russia. It is located in the Kurortny town of the Adler district of the city of Sochi.
Sochi Dicovery World Aquarium consists of two floors: the first is for marine life, and the second is freshwater.
In this case, visitors can not only look at the inhabitants of the kingdom of Neptune, but also interact with some of them. For example, feed the koi carp that swim in open water. Or ride a turtle. And the bravest can even stroke a moray eel and swim in an aquarium with sharks (of course, well-fed).
9. Istanbul Akvaryum, Turkey
The total capacity is 6.8 million liters of water.
This aquarium holds a leading position among similar establishments around the world due to its volume, variety of fish species and active routes. The latter include 17 themes and 1 rainforest running from the Black Sea to the Pacific Ocean.
All living things (and there are a total of 17,000) live in conditions that repeat their natural habitat. Here you can see moray eels, stone fish, stingrays, piranhas, penguins and, of course, sharks.
In addition to living creatures, this aquarium is full of interesting decorations that you can see and touch. Children especially love the abandoned submarine, which can transmit the signal in Morse code.
8. National Aquarium, USA
The total capacity is 8.3 million liters of water.
The National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland is one of the largest and most famous aquariums in the United States. It was opened in 1981 and since then has hosted 1.5 million people annually.
It is home to 20,000 fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles and marine mammals of various species. There is a shark alley, an aquarium with dolphins where you can watch them learn and play, and many other interesting places.
An interesting part of this aquarium is the level that mimics the Amazon rainforest. It includes two aerial bird-watching platforms and a cave with various glass-fronted display cases of reptiles, amphibians and terrestrial arthropods.
7. Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, Japan
The total capacity is 9.8 million liters of water.
The Okinawa Museum of Marine Life is one of Japan's top attractions. This is the first oceanarium in the world in which it was possible to grow and breed manta rays (the largest representative of stingrays).
In addition, here (and again - for the first time in the world) they learned to grow live corals in an aquarium that has no roof and allows natural sunlight to pass through. In total, the aquarium, which the Japanese call Churaumi (chura - beautiful, umi - the sea) accommodates more than 26,000 different sea creatures.
6. Dubai Aquarium, UAE
The total volume of water is 10.5 million liters.
They love entertainment in the UAE that has the prefix "greatest", "largest", "amazing", etc. So the Dubai Oceanarium is one of the ten largest and most famous oceanariums in the world. It also features one of the world's longest and tallest acrylic viewing panels.
The Dubai Aquarium is home to 33,000 aquatic animals (from crocodiles to colorful tropical fish) and houses the world's largest collection of sand tiger sharks.
This aquarium regularly hosts presentations where you can learn more about the inhabitants of rivers, seas and oceans. Popular sessions include shark and crocodile feeding, as well as short presentations at otter, piranha and penguin exhibitions.
5. Cube Oceanarium, China
The total volume of water is 11 million liters.
One of the youngest oceanariums in the world celebrated its "birth" in 2015. But, despite such a young age, it is famous for its large number of "guests" (33,000 creatures, including the world's largest jellyfish). And also the world's largest aquarium window, 39.65 meters wide and 8.3 meters high.
The pride of the Chinese Aquarium is two whale sharks. But if you are not interested in these gentle giants, you will always find a sight to your liking. Indeed, the Cube Oceanarium features exhibits from warm and cold waters, from the Pacific Ocean to the Amazon and the North Arctic.
4.uShaka Marine World, Durban, South Africa
The total volume of water is 17.5 million liters.
This is one of the largest water parks in the world and the most popular marine theme park in South Africa, which offers a world of water attractions, dolphin, seal and penguin shows, shark swimming and much more.
One of the most impressive exhibits is the giant jaw of the Karcharodon, the largest shark in the world.
uShaka Marine World is built in the original style and looks like an old ship. However, it has several modern restaurants, gift shops and cafes.
Another interesting "feature" of this aquarium is the "abandoned" steamer, and not a fake one, but a real one. The creators of the park were able to so skillfully fit it into the territory, as if the steamer had always been in this place.
3. Georgia Aquarium, USA
The total volume of water is 38 million liters.
From 2005 (opening date) to 2012, this aquarium was considered the largest in the world. Then he ceded this title to the Singapore Aquarium, but still remains the largest oceanarium in the United States. And is home to more animals than any other aquarium on Earth.
Over a hundred thousand species of living creatures can be seen here, including exotic ones such as piranhas, Japanese spider crabs, spectacled penguins and electric fish.
And the Georgia Aquarium is the only one outside Asia where you can see whale sharks. These majestic giants live in a huge reservoir with a volume of 24,000 m³. They were flown from Taiwan to the United States by air, sea (ship) and land (truck), the first of its kind in the world.
2. Marine Life Park, Singapore
The total volume of water is 45 million liters.
Located on Sentosa Island, this giant oceanarium provides habitat for 100,000 marine animals, including rare rock rays, hammerhead sharks, Japanese spider crabs and other sea giants.
Dolphin Island, an integral part of the Marine Life Park, is home to graceful bottlenose dolphins. There visitors will have an unforgettable interactive experience and the opportunity to meet dolphins up close in a safe environment for marine mammals and humans. There will be a variety of dolphin interaction programs to choose from, including:
- interaction in shallow water, where guests will be waist-deep in water;
- interaction at the bottom of the lagoon;
- swimming with dolphins in the depths of the lagoon.
And for those who are tired of watching the underwater inhabitants, there are various attractions: water slides, hydro-magnetic rockets and a giant “river of adventure” 620 meters long.
Today, Marine Life Park is the second largest oceanarium in the world.
1. Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, China
The total volume of water is 48.7 million liters.
The largest oceanarium in the world is located in China, in the city of Zhuhai. A grandiose oceanarium with almost 49 million liters of water.
Moreover, this theme park holds the record not only in size, but also in the largest underwater observation dome. And it is listed in the Guinness Book of Records for the world's largest aquarium tank.
Chimelong Ocean Kingdom is also known for great shows for families, with exciting rides, circus animal shows and fireworks in the evenings.
The largest oceanarium in the world contains several whale sharks, as well as a wide variety of other species such as manta rays, dolphins, seals and sharks.
If you intend to visit this aquarium, do it not on a weekend or on a holiday, otherwise you risk standing in a huge queue.