Have you ever been in an aquarium before? If not, then this is your sign to visit an aquarium. There are more than 15 famous and highly reputed aquariums in Australia, like the Sea Life Aquarium in Sydney, AQWA, the Aquarium of Western Australia, Sea World in Queensland, and many others. Each and every one of them provides their visitors with an opportunity to explore the magical underwater world where they can see marine creatures like turtles, sharks, and other different kinds of fish.
It is such an amazing place where you can completely submerge yourself in observing the fascinating world of the ocean. Visiting any aquarium in Australia can be an experience of a lifetime, especially if you have little kids. Taking them to an aquarium can be extremely beneficial, as the children will not only have the joy of watching the amazing sea creatures, but this will also give them knowledge about marine life. Other than that, various researchers have found out that aquariums can even help a person in reducing stress and anxiety.
So, if you are planning to visit an aquarium, then this comprehensive guide will provide you with all kinds of important information that will help you select the perfect aquarium, plan your trip, and other things. So, get ready to explore the aquatic world and create some unforgettable memories.
Tips And Insights For Visitors
Before you start your journey to explore the underwater marine life, there are a few things that you should know about. Below, you will find some great tips that will help you decide and plan for your visit to an aquarium.
1. Choosing The Right Aquarium
The very first thing that you need to do is choose which aquarium you want to visit. Picking the right aquarium is extremely important for both you and your family. There are some factors that you should consider before you select an aquarium.
- First, you need to check if there is an aquarium that is close to your residence. This will make your trip easy to reach. You would also be required to see if they have parking options available or which public transportation can take you to that location.
- The next important thing is to inspect if the nearby aquarium will be the best suited for you, as there are different aquariums and some showcase a large number of marine life species. Some aquariums only exhibit exotic species, and others only focus on the ecosystems of regional marine.
- Before planning, always make sure to check the reviews of the place. If any of your friends, relatives, or neighbours have visited that aquarium, then it is best to seek suggestions from them about whether the place is worth visiting or not.
2. Plan Your Visit
After you have decided which aquarium will be the perfect one for you and your friends or family to visit, the next thing you need to do is make a proper plan for your visit.
- The first step in making the plan is to inquire about the timing and opening days of the aquarium that you have chosen. Other than that, you also need to know about the ticket fees, offers, and if they give discounts to children.
- Many aquariums often host some kinds of special events, such as exhibitions, feeding shows, and other exciting things. You can either check their websites or call them to find out if they are about to have any events so that you can plan accordingly.
- Some of the aquariums even offer guided tours, which are done by knowledgeable staff members. This can help you increase your knowledge, as these tours help you better understand marine life.
3. What to Bring
It is important to understand that even though aquariums are wonderful places, to make your trip even more fantastic, there are a few things that you should carry while visiting an aquarium. Below, you will see some of the most necessary items that you must not forget to take with you to make sure that your visit will be comfortable.
- One of the most important things that you should do is to wear comfortable shoes, as you will need to walk a lot in the aquarium.
- Some other things that you should take with you are snacks and a water bottle, as you will start to get thirsty or hungry after walking so much.
- If you are visiting an outdoor aquarium, then it is important that you apply sunscreen and wear sunglasses to protect yourself from the sunlight.
- One thing that you should remember to do is to click lots of amazing photographs to capture amazing moments.
4. Exploring The Aquarium
While exploring the aquarium, there are a few things that you should keep in mind so that you can take full advantage of your visit.
- The very first thing to remember is that you should take your time enjoying the beauty of the amazing sea creatures in the aquarium.
- There are plenty of aquariums that allow you to get involved in the feeding sessions and get the chance to touch the fish. Getting engaged in these kinds of activities can enhance your experience.
- Always remember that you, along with your friends or family, should follow the rules and regulations set by the aquarium, especially when it is about touching and feeding the animals.
- Make sure that you read the information given on the boards that are present at the exhibition. These labels will provide you and your kids with interesting knowledge about these water creatures and their habitats.
Why Should You Visit An Aquarium?
There are multiple great reasons why you should visit an aquarium, and below you will see some of those amazing reasons.
1. Suitable For All Ages
For spending some great quality time with your family, aquariums are one of the best options, as they are best suited for people of all ages, from little kids to adults. It has so many different things to see, from beautiful water plants to amazing sea creatures from all over the world. This allows you to see how aquatic animals live in their natural habitat.
2. Opportunity To Gain Knowledge
Visiting an aquarium not only provides you with entertainment but also gives you the opportunity to learn more about marine life. Each exhibition of animal species has an information label or board placed on it, which you can read to increase your knowledge. Other than that, there are guided tours that share information about everything that is present in that aquarium.
3. A Wide Range Of Animals
Even though the main attractions of an aquarium are different varieties of fish, there are plenty of other categories of animal species that can be seen, such as reptiles like snakes, birds like penguins, and amphibians like frogs. Getting to watch so many different kinds of animals in one place can surely be a great and memorable experience that will make you appreciate nature even more.
4. Get Involved In Activities
Many of the aquariums offer plenty of fun activities for their visitors to get involved in. Doing this can increase the fun and enhance the overall experience. Some of the great activities are getting close to the animals, feeding them, and many others. There are lots of friendly animals, like hermit crabs, stingrays, starfish, shrimp, and plenty more. These activities are not just fun, but they also help you better understand these marine animals.
5. Play Area For Kids
Every aquarium has a separate area, especially for the little ones to play. In the play area, kids will get lots of toys and other things to play with. Other than that, this will also allow the kids to have an incredible time in the aquarium, as they get to learn about marine life and other kinds of animals by watching them.
6. Family’s Day Out
Going out to spend some quality time with family is great, but choosing an aquarium for that is the perfect thing for a family’s day out. You all can watch so many kinds of fish, from friendly stingrays to dangerous sharks and other animals like penguins, seals, snakes, and many more. There is something for everyone to enjoy, and this will also let you create memories that will last a lifetime.
7. Health Benefits
You might be surprised, but it is true that going to an aquarium can actually provide you with multiple health benefits. Some of those benefits are that it helps improve your mood and reduces stress levels. Other than that, this can also help in lowering the heart rate and managing blood pressure. There are multiple studies and research projects to prove this information to be true.
Things To Remember While Visiting An Aquarium
When visiting an aquarium, it is very important for you to understand and remember that there are certain things that you or any member of your family should not do. There are certain rules that need to be followed by everyone. Some aquariums have activities where you can touch, play, swim, and feed the animals. There are other aquariums that have a strict policy that visitors should not touch or feed any animals.
If a person ignores the rules and tries to touch or feed the animals, then that person is risking themselves, as this can turn into an undesirable situation where the person can get hurt badly. This will eventually turn into a bigger problem for everyone, whether it’s the person, the staff members, the animal, or the aquarium. Every aquarium has certain rules that they strictly follow to protect both the animals and the visitors.
Know About The Upcoming Events In An Aquarium
If you are planning to visit an aquarium with your friends or family, then here’s a tip. Before you get ready to go to an aquarium, you should always check if that particular aquarium is about to host any kind of event. Lots of aquariums tend to host plenty of different kinds of events from time to time. These events occur to encourage visitors to explore more about the different species of aquatic animals and their natural habitats. The exhibitions are truly awesome and something you, along with your friends or family, should definitely check out. Seeing these majestic sea creatures can be quite thrilling and enlightening. So make sure to check it out; otherwise, you will regret missing out on an amazing event.
Tips For Having A Great Day At The Aquarium
- Always make the right decisions about your mode of transportation. If there is parking space available, then you can take your car. Otherwise, taking public transport (like the bus or train) will be the best option for you.
- There can be different ways to reach your destination. So make sure to do your research and select the right routes to travel without facing any trouble.
- Before visiting the aquarium, be sure to check out their opening and closing times.
- A large crowd can ruin the fun and prevent you and your family from enjoying the visit to the fullest. So it is best to arrive as early as possible, as there will be fewer people, and you will be able to enjoy the aquarium in peace.
Final Thoughts
A visit to an aquarium is much more than just a delightful day out. It provides you with a perfect opportunity to learn about amazing aquatic animals. When visiting an aquarium with your friends or family, you can expect to be completely surrounded by a variety of fishes and other kinds of animals. There are multiple exhibitions, activities, a play area, a learning centre, and pools where you can play and swim with friendly fish like dolphins. All of these will make sure that your aquarium visit is an unforgettable and informative experience. So dive into the underwater world and explore the hidden mysteries while creating some beautiful memories.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most famous aquarium in Australia is the Sea Life Aquarium which is located in Sydney. It is also considered one of the best aquariums in the world, and the biggest reason for this is that Australia is home to the Great Barrier Reef which is the home of the many different kinds of fish. This becomes a great source for the aquariums to catch fish of different species and display them in their aquariums.
The largest aquarium in Australia is the AQWA (The Aquarium of Western Australia), which is located in Southside Dr, Hillarys WA. It has about three million litres of seawater circulating in this aquarium. It also has an underwater tunnel approximately 100 metres long where you, along with your friends or family, can have a memorable experience of exploring beneath the sea.
Discus fish is considered the king of aquariums. This fish mostly lives on the edge of floodplains, lakes in the Amazon, and flooded forests. These places do not have a fast flow of water; they have ‘Lentic’ water, which means still waters or very slow-moving. This makes them an ideal place for the discus fish to live.
There is a big fish statue in the town of Adaminaby, which is called “The Big Trout.” This amazing statue is about 10 metres tall and was built from fibreglass in the year 1973 by an Adaminaby artist named Andy Lomnici. It has become a beautiful icon for this town. The reason the giant statue of a toutfish was made is because this small town is a very popular fishing spot, and lots of trout fish can be found here.
Yes, Australia has many aquariums where you will be able to see many different kinds of sharks, like whale sharks, great white sharks, sand tiger sharks, blacktip reef sharks, and many other species of sharks. The amazing experience that you can have of watching one of the most dangerous and feared animals on the planet up close can surely be a memorable thing.
