Top 10 Most Impressive Aquariums Around the World

Dubai Mall Aquarium is located within the world’s largest shopping center, the Dubai Mall, and is also one of the largest and most spectacular aquariums worldwide. Holding more than 10 million liters of water and home to over 140 species of marine life, including 300 sharks and rays, the Dubai Mall Aquarium offers visitors an awe-inspiring view of the ocean right inside a bustling shopping mall. The main tank measures 51m in length, 20m in width, and 11m in height, earning it a spot in the Guinness World Records as the largest aquarium in the world.

The aquarium is also home to the world’s largest collection of sand tiger sharks. Its transparent tunnel allows visitors to get up close to rare marine creatures. The aquarium’s lighting system, which changes throughout the day, adds a magical and mesmerizing quality to the space. With over 30,000 marine animals from various species worldwide, the Dubai Mall Aquarium also holds the record for the largest number of sand tiger sharks. Visitors can even experience snorkeling in a cage, allowing them to safely observe sharks, stingrays, and other marine life up close.

The aquarium features a 48m underwater tunnel that provides a 270-degree view, offering guests a near-complete panoramic view of the underwater world. The thick 75cm acrylic walls allow visitors to admire the full spectrum of ocean colors. Additionally, the aquarium staff are available to share fascinating facts and details about the exhibits. The Dubai Mall Aquarium also includes a second-floor zoo, home to a variety of tropical animals.

Monterey Bay Aquarium is a nonprofit public aquarium established in 1984 in California, USA. It is home to 35,000 marine creatures representing over 600 species found in the waters of California. Notable residents include jellyfish, sea otters, whales, wolf eels, South American stingrays, yellowfin and bluefin tuna, and great white sharks. Visitors can marvel at a giant Pacific octopus extending its tentacles, watch schools of sardines swirl around, come face to face with hammerhead sharks just inches away, and witness daily health checks on the aquarium’s adorable residents, the Southern sea otters.

The marine world here is a vibrant and diverse array that brings to life a real-world version of the beloved animated film *Finding Dory*, adored by children. At the Monterey Bay Aquarium, visitors can view clownfish relatives in the tropical tanks, watch African penguins forage for food, and enjoy hands-on educational exhibits. However, the true standout is the *Splash Zone* coral kingdom, which sets this aquarium apart. Tours provide a chance to learn more about sharks, and special family dinners and interactive experiences like becoming a junior diver in the Great Tide Pool offer additional fun.

Monterey Bay Aquarium also made history as the first in the world to display giant kelp from California and is one of the few places to showcase sunfish. With its unique and diverse marine life collection, the aquarium is a top tourist attraction in California, drawing an average of 1.8 million visitors each year. It also serves as a research hub for great white sharks and Pacific bluefin tuna.

If you're eager to explore the fascinating world beneath the ocean and discover the richness of the Indian Ocean, then uShaka Marine World at Durban Beach is a must-visit. Located near Durban's harbor in South Africa, it is the largest aquarium on the African continent. While visiting uShaka Marine World, don't miss the renowned restaurant “The Cargo Hold,” which houses a massive shark tank. At the heart of uShaka lies its most famous attraction, Sea World. Here, you can get up close with hundreds of marine species including turtles, sharks, fish, penguins, seals, dolphins, snakes, frogs, and many other fascinating creatures.

uShaka Marine World offers an endless array of entertainment, from daytime activities at Sea World, Wet ‘n Wild, and the uShaka Beach, to nighttime festivities at Village Walk. uShaka is a marine-themed amusement park in Durban, South Africa's largest port city. With stunning views of the Indian Ocean, it offers entertainment for all ages. The open-air design allows you to enjoy the warm subtropical climate, soak up the sun, and watch parades pass by on the beach.

uShaka Sea World, part of uShaka Marine World, is designed as a sunken shipwreck. This impressive aquarium has 32 tanks filled with 17,500 m³ of water. It's famous for its diverse collection of sharks, including sharpnose sharks, hammerheads, rare catsharks, as well as stingrays, moray eels, groupers, and more. uShaka also features a dolphin show that can accommodate up to 1,200 people. Visitors can even interact with marine life up close, including diving among sharks.

Shanghai Ocean Aquarium, opened in 2002 and covering an area of 22,500 square meters in Shanghai, China, is one of the largest ocean aquariums in the world. It boasts the longest underwater tunnel in the world, stretching 155 meters. The aquarium consists of two pyramid-shaped buildings—one main structure and one auxiliary, covering a total of 20,500 square meters. Apart from the expansive exhibition area, the aquarium also features a gift shop and a restaurant that can seat 300 guests. The aquarium is divided into various zones representing marine life from around the globe, including South America, Australia, China, Southeast Asia, Antarctica, and Africa.

Additionally, it is the only aquarium in the world to showcase endangered freshwater fish from China. Shanghai Ocean Aquarium houses over 300 species and 15,000 marine creatures, including rare species like poison dart frogs, moonfish, leafy sea dragons, and emperor penguins. The third floor features seven exhibit areas, including a VIP hall, a scientific education room, and a waterfall. The China, South America, Australia, and Special Exhibitions are also located on this level. The second floor hosts the Africa, Southeast Asia, Cold Water, and Polar zones, along with the Sea and Shore exhibits. The basement contains the Deep Ocean Zone.

Currently, Shanghai Ocean Aquarium is the only aquarium in the world with a dedicated China Zone, which displays aquatic species from the Yangtze River and endangered freshwater species from China. Many of these species are under national protection, such as the Chinese sturgeon, Chinese carp, Yangtze alligator, and giant salamander. The aquarium’s transparent tunnel, the longest in the world at 155 meters, offers visitors an immersive experience. It is estimated that around one million people visit the aquarium each year.

L'Oceanografic Aquarium in Valencia, Spain, holds an impressive capacity of 42 million liters of water. This remarkable aquarium not only showcases a wide variety of marine life such as sharks, dolphins, and rays, but also exhibits a diverse range of animals including mammals, birds, reptiles, and invertebrates. The entire aquarium is divided into 10 zones, each representing different marine ecosystems, from temperate and tropical zones to polar regions. Additionally, L'Oceanografic features a mangrove swamp area with over 80 different species of plants.

As the home to 45,000 marine creatures from around 500 species, L'Oceanografic Aquarium highlights prominent species like sharks, beluga whales, walruses, sea lions, penguins, and rays, representing some of the planet's most significant ecosystems. The architecture of the aquarium is equally unique, resembling a giant seashell floating on the water's surface. It was designed as an educational, research, and entertainment hub, divided into 10 fascinating zones. The marine zones reflect various habitats, including the Mediterranean, polar seas of the Arctic and Antarctic, tropical islands, temperate seas, and the Red Sea.

Furthermore, L'Oceanografic features an impressive dolphin pool, a main auditorium with an exhibit dedicated to the Red Sea, and additional wetland and mangrove areas. Visitors can explore various gardens with over 80 different plant species. The aquarium also offers a variety of services, including shops and restaurants, the most notable of which is an underwater dining experience where guests can enjoy a meal surrounded by the vast aquarium. The aquarium is made up of multiple buildings, each corresponding to one of Earth's seas and oceans, showcasing exhibitions of the most iconic environments and ecosystems. The entrance is marked by a dramatic circular design, with 26-meter long glass walls, created by the architect Felix Candela.

Shaped like a massive ship, Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, holds over 23 million liters of water and displays thousands of marine species. With more than 500 species from around the globe, it features over 60 tanks. Highlighted species include sharks, beluga whales, dolphins, and rays. Notably, it is one of the few aquariums to house the rare whale shark. As the largest aquarium in the world by both the number of fish and water volume, Georgia Aquarium's construction cost totaled 290 million USD.

Known as one of the largest aquariums globally, Georgia Aquarium is home to over 100,000 animals representing 500 species across seven different galleries. It boasts some of the world's most incredible marine life, including beluga whales, whale sharks, rays, penguins, sea otters, dolphins, and many others. From freshwater species in the 'Southern Company River Scout' exhibit to a massive whale shark tank in the 'Ocean Voyager' gallery, it's safe to say that the aquarium is thriving with marine life.

Georgia Aquarium also provides a unique environment for special events, weddings, and corporate gatherings. In the Oceans Ballroom, a versatile space with two large aquatic observation windows, visitors are greeted by exotic fish and animals from across the globe. This expansive, flexible venue spans 1,524 square meters and can comfortably host 1,000 to 1,200 guests.

S.E.A. is the world's second-largest aquarium by overall tank volume, located within the Singapore Resort World Sentosa complex, which opened in 2012 in southern Singapore. It holds the largest collection of marine species, featuring over 100,000 animals from 1,000 species across 45 different ecosystems, each one captivating in its own way.

At S.E.A. Aquarium, marine life is organized into ten distinct zones, showcasing over 50 diverse ecosystems. You can explore marine ecosystems from the Bay of Bengal, the Malacca Strait & Andaman Sea, and the Great Lakes of East Africa, to underwater communities in coral reefs and creatures living in cooler waters. Shark Seastar is home to over 200 species of predatory creatures, including endangered species such as the hammerhead shark and aggressive reef sharks. At the heart of S.E.A. is the Open Ocean habitat, a vast tank that gives you the sensation of being inside an ocean cave.

Among the unique species found here are manta rays (the aquarium houses the only giant ocean manta ray in the world), 200 species of sharks, including hammerhead sharks, guitar rays, Japanese spider crabs, and more. From fish (both cartilaginous and bony) to fascinating creatures like jellyfish, corals, and invertebrates like crustaceans and echinoderms, the expansive collection at S.E.A. offers a comprehensive view of the ocean's biodiversity.

Aquarium of Western Australia is a privately owned aquarium located in Hillarys, Western Australia. Built in 1988, it ranks as the tenth-largest aquarium in the world. The aquarium primarily showcases marine species native to the 12,000 km coastline of Western Australia, with an estimated 400 species and 4,000 fish. It is home to a wide variety of marine life from the iconic and incredible marine species of Western Australia. From icy coastal waters to tropical paradises, you can explore five distinct regions, including the Southern Coast, Shipwreck Coast, Perth Coast, Northern Coast, and the Marmion Marine Park.

The aquarium is designed as a tunnel that runs beneath the sea, taking visitors on a journey along the Western Australian coastline, which then branches into five separate areas that recreate the marine environments and marine life of the region's five major coastal zones. Located at Hillary's Boat Harbour, Aquarium of Western Australia boasts one of the world's largest live coral reef exhibits, where visitors can marvel at the vibrant marine life thriving within colorful coral formations. From sharks to venomous stingrays to giant sea turtles, this exhibit provides a mesmerizing underwater experience.

As a key coastal attraction in Perth, the aquarium offers a series of unique adventures. Every Friday through Sunday from October to April, Aquarium of Western Australia hosts dive tours where visitors can explore coral reefs. Certified professional divers can even join shark dives with aquarium experts.

Istanbul is home to Europe's largest aquarium! The Istanbul Sea Life Aquarium (formerly known as Turkuazoo Istanbul) opened in 2009 and was the first giant aquarium in Turkey. Located in Istanbul, it was designed specifically to entertain visitors with its tropical rainforest, mangrove swamps, and tropical sea zones, along with a jellyfish exhibit. The 90-meter-long Marinescape SeaTube is one of the longest underwater tunnels in the world, offering guests a panoramic view of marine life.

The design concept for the Istanbul Aquarium, which cost 17 million Euros to build, is often referred to as the “fishbone design.” The aquarium spans a total area of 55,000 m² and boasts an impressive 7,000 m³ of tank capacity, making it the largest aquarium in Europe. With 25,000 marine animals, the aquarium features creatures like 2.5-meter-long tiger sharks, as well as smaller members of the ocean predator family. Brave visitors can dive and swim alongside these creatures, experiencing marine life up close, not just through glass.

Forum Istanbul, one of the largest shopping centers in Europe, is the first shopping mall in the world to feature such a massive aquarium. The water in the tanks comes from the Sea of Marmara, a body of water that connects the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea. The first marine life to populate the aquarium were brought to Istanbul by truck and airplane. Istanbul is located just 5 km from Ataturk International Airport, close to the highway and railway systems in the Florya district, on the southwest coast of the city, which is home to over 11 million people.

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, opened in 2002, is located in the Ocean Expo Park in Okinawa, Japan. In the Okinawan dialect, "Chura" means beautiful and "umi" means sea. The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is home to 77 tanks, with a total volume of 10,000 m³ of water, and is home to around 740 species and over 26,000 marine creatures. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations, attracting more than 3 million visitors annually. The most notable creatures here include the whale shark and manta ray. The aquarium also hosts dolphin and manatee shows.

The Sea of Coral and Sea of Tropical Fish exhibits at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium allow natural sunlight and seawater to enter, recreating the tropical marine environment without interference. The main tank, the Kuroshio Sea, is particularly impressive, measuring 10 meters in depth, 35 meters in length, and 27 meters in width, and is one of the largest tanks in the world. Here, visitors can observe whale sharks up to 8.6 meters long, along with coral reef stingrays, swimming freely.

At the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, you can enjoy a clear view of marine life, not only from the front but also from above, from the sides, and from various angles, giving you an immersive experience of the ocean's vibrant life. Whether you're looking at the shallow waters or the deeper parts of the Kuroshio Sea and beyond, the different forms of marine life will offer an unforgettable experience. This famous attraction welcomed its 20 millionth visitor in 2010.