Top aquarium destinations and marine parks
Top aquarium destinations and marine parks
Impressive marine parks and underwater exhibits
Aquarium travel has developed a dedicated following built around the world's leading marine research institutions, coral reef exhibits and deep ocean displays that bring underwater environments of extraordinary complexity within reach of landlocked visitors. The best aquariums operate as genuine conservation and research facilities, with breeding programmes and marine science contributing to institutional credibility well beyond entertainment value.
The gap between the world's leading aquariums and basic collections has widened considerably, with walk-through ocean tunnels, open water tanks and habitat recreations of increasing ambition differentiating serious institutions from those that have not invested in their facilities. Specialist institutions focused on specific marine environments often deliver more depth than general aquariums.
Welfare standards and cetacean display policies vary considerably by institution and researching accreditation before visiting is worthwhile. The most popular institutions require advance booking during school holidays. Behind the scenes experiences and dive programmes in the largest tanks deliver considerably more access than standard public admission.
Lists by region
City in Japan
Osaka
Castle, neon canals and street food
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is built around one giant tank shaped like a ring. Visitors spiral downward past different ocean depths as they walk around it. Guests can watch a whale shark swim through the tank's Pacific Ocean zone. The building's design lets one central tank represent the entire Pacific Rim.
City
New York City
Five boroughs of skyline, food and museums
New York Aquarium opened in 1896, making it the oldest continually operating aquarium in the US. It sits right on the Coney Island boardwalk beside the Atlantic. Visitors can watch sea lions perform in an outdoor stadium facing the ocean. A shark exhibit inside includes sand tiger sharks recovered from local waters.
Island in Japan
Okinawa Island
Reef beaches and Ryukyu Kingdom heritage
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium holds whale sharks inside one of the largest tanks in the world. The Kuroshio Tank panel alone contains more than seven thousand tons of water. Visitors can watch manta rays glide alongside the whale sharks through thick acrylic glass. The aquarium sits inside a marine park overlooking the East China Sea.
City in Japan
Tokyo
Japan's capital of temples, towers and food
Sumida Aquarium sits at the base of Tokyo Skytree in eastern Tokyo. Its main penguin pool has no glass barrier between the birds and visitors. Visitors can watch penguins waddle right along the pool's open edge. A jellyfish tank called Chick-Chok also glows above the aquarium's central lounge.
Country
Singapore
Tropical city-state of hawker food and gardens
Singapore's S.E.A. Aquarium holds one of the largest viewing panels in the world. Its Open Ocean tank contains over 45 million liters of water. Visitors can watch manta rays and hammerhead sharks glide past the huge acrylic panel. The aquarium sits on Sentosa Island alongside a resort and theme park.
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