The astonishing spectacle at Dubai aquarium and underwater zoo

The astonishing spectacle at Dubai aquarium and underwater zoo

Dubai is a land of wonders. Tourists throng here to experience that once-in-a-lifetime vacation bliss. The view from Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in Dubai, and a ride through the dusty deserts of Dubai will be on everyone's wish list. But have you heard of Dubai’s underwater scenes, a walk through the seabed, savouring the aquatic life? Let’s explore Dubai’s underwater aquarium zoo. Rising to the third floor of The Dubai Mall, the aquarium is home to 140 species of sea life and offers many incredible ways to experience the underwater world. Stroll through a 48-meter tunnel, with the aquarium enveloping you from overhead and around. It’s a complete fish-eye view, with sand tiger sharks and stingrays swimming overhead.

Dubai aquarium is divided into three categories

Aquarium tank: You can witness a lot of aquatic animals in the world’s biggest suspension aquarium tanks in Dubai’s aquarium tanks. Various aquatic creatures including sharks live in this tank which is one of the most popular tourist spots in the country. The World’s biggest collection of Sand tiger sharks are here. Those who aren’t keen on entering the aquarium can watch the scenes from outside.

Aquarium tunnel

This tunnel which is the gateway to the underwater zoo is a wonder. Viewers can watch the aquatic world through a gigantic glass wall. They can relish the experience of sea creatures swimming in and around their head. In fact, this 48-meter walk through the tunnel is one of the prime attractions of this aquarium. You can also take a glass-bottom boat tour, have a mermaid makeover, get wet in a snorkelling cage and even don an oxygen tank to go swimming with the sharks. The zoo portion of the facility has a surprising range of animals, including 'King Croc', weighing an incredible 750 kgs and measuring over 5 meters long.

Underwater zoo

This underwater zoo is located level 2 above the Aquarium tank. They are around 40 display tanks filled with various sea creatures in different sizes and shapes. Through the gigantic glass wall, you can witness sea life in full swing, with over 30,000 kinds of sea animals. Your child can’t have a more exciting underwater tour than this. Through the acrylic panel, you can watch this spectacle from all three sides of the Dubai Mall.

Gentoo penguins

In 2010, they were the first to introduce Gentoo penguins. The penguins came from a facility in the USA, in the wild, they can be found in their natural habitat around the Antarctic Peninsula and Subantarctic islands. They have a purpose-built temperature-controlled facility to replicate the Subantarctic environmental conditions, with air temperature, kept between 2 and 4 degrees Celsius and water temperature between 5 and 7 degrees. They also have a special lighting system that replicates their annual light cycle. Penguins' wintertime is during their summer! The exhibit is multi-level and has lots of exciting areas for the penguins to climb on and explore, including a slide into the pool. It is home to a total of 16 beautiful Gentoo penguins – 8 male, 8 female.

Feeding presentations

Every day afternoon, a team of Divers dive into their 10-million-litre tank and feed their resident Sharks. You can also witness King Croc, one of the world’s largest reptiles, and his female companion of 20 years, take the fiercest bite by any animal, at an estimated 3,700 pounds per square inch, during their daily feeding sessions.

Glass bottom boat rides

You can ride on the surface of the world’s largest suspended tank containing 10 million liters of water and get a bird’s eye view of over 33,000 aquatic animals, featuring over 70 species, including sharks and rays! All you have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy your guided tour. For Glass-Bottom Boat Rides, make your way to Underwater Zoo on Level 2. Rides depart every 10 to 20 minutes. With a capacity of 10 people per boat, departure times are subject to availability.

Otter encounters

It is also home to a family of Asian small-clawed otters. This species of otters is the smallest of all 13 otter species and is native to Asia. Visitors can go behind the scenes for an exclusive tour of the otters’ home in the Underwater Zoo and can interact with these cute and charismatic animals. There is also a special educational presentation on otters. The Asian small-clawed Otter, a highly threatened species, is the smallest breed of Otter in the world, weighing less than 5 kilograms. Carnivorous in nature, they live in streams, rivers, marshes, and rice patties and feed on crustaceans, snails, fish, and insects. Otters have a huge appetite and can eat up to 20% of their body weight daily. They are intelligent animals and great at using tools such as pick up rocks and using it to break open shellfish.

King Croc

Weighing in at a whopping 750 kgs and measuring over 5m in length, this massive 40-year-old creature is originally native to Australia and is a wonder of the animal kingdom. Originally spotted measuring only 2.4m in length and dubbed a ‘problem’ crocodile by the locals, the soon-to-be King Croc was quickly moved from the Botanic Gardens that he had taken over, to a more protected environment located in Queensland, Australia. Regular meals and a protected environment provided King Croc with the perfect conditions to become one of nature’s most feared and powerful reptiles to ever live. Already one of the largest in the world, King Croc is expected to grow much bigger over the next 50 years. The giant reptile is 40 years old and weighs in at an impressive 750kg. He’s joined by his female companion ‘Queen Croc’ who is over 80 years old!

There’s so much to explore at Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo. If one day isn’t enough, you’ll love their Annual Pass with unlimited entry for 365 days, with added benefits.

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Onmanorama. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.