family-occasions
Eight Great Aquariums
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Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter and Underwater WorldAuckland, New ZealandAddress: 23 Tamaki Drive Orakei Auckland 021 New Zealand Neighborhood: |
Contact Information:
Phone: +64 9 528 0603
Web Site: www.kellytarltons.co.nz E-mail: info@kellytarltons.co.nz |
| Geography:
South Pacific
New Zealand
Auckland
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| Description:
One of New Zealand’s best-loved tourist attractions, this is an aquarium like no other. With a major focus on the world’s great white wilderness, Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter offers a unique and fascinating glimpse of the frozen continent from a snowcat "ride" to view a replica of Captain Robert Scott’s legendary Antarctic hut to an up-close-and-personal look at majestic king and gentoo penguins frolicking, swimming, preening, feeding and caring for their chicks just a few feet away. The Underwater World section of the aquarium is equally geo-centric, with an array of Down Under creatures from sharks and stingrays to turtles and Great Barrier Reef fish, many of which can be viewed on a special get-in-the-water Snorkel Safari.
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L’Oceanografic de ValenciaValencia, SpainAddress: Autopista del Saler 5 Valencia 46013 Spain Neighborhood: |
Contact Information:
Phone: +34 96 902 100 031
Web Site: www.cac.es |
| Geography:
Europe
Spain
Other
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| Description:
The largest aquarium in Europe and a striking architectural statement in its own right, the vast Oceanografic de Valencia has been a showpiece of Spain’s City of Arts and Sciences since it opened in 2002. Home to 45,000 living beings, set in more than 11 million gallons of water (the equivalent of 15 Olympic-size swimming pools), this amazing aquarium has 10 separate "spaces" which represent the most important marine eco-systems on the planet: Mediterranean, Wetlands, Temperate and Tropical, Oceans, Arctic and Antarctic, Islands, the Red Sea, Dolphinarium, and a fabulous underwater restaurant in the heart of the complex. A fusion of water-world, research, educational and scientific center, it’s a must-see on any visit to Valencia.
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Aquarium La RochelleLa Rochelle, FranceAddress: Quai Louis Prunier BP4 La Rochelle 17002 France Neighborhood: |
Contact Information:
Phone: +33 (0)5 46 34 00 00
Web Site: www.aquarium-larochelle.com E-mail: accueil@larochelle-tourisme.com |
| Geography:
Europe
France
Other
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| Description:
Rene Coutant and his family became so expert at making fish tanks and aquariums for other people, organizations and cities around the world, it was only a matter of time before he built one for himself. The result? The largest and most popular aquarium in France—located near the Port des Minimes in the Coutants’ home town of La Rochelle—which opened in 2001. Built with cutting-edge design and technology, this excellent aquarium has 10,000 marine creatures submerged in almost 800,000 gallons of water. The various themed exhibits are set over two floors, linked by guided walkways taking visitors on a journey through the world’s major seas and oceans.
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Sydney AquariumSydney, AustraliaAddress: Aquarium Pier Darling Harbour Sydney, NSW 2000 Australia Neighborhood: |
Contact Information:
Phone: +61 2 8251 7800
Web Site: www.sydneyaquarium.com.au |
| Geography:
South Pacific
Australia
Sydney
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| Description:
Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2008, the wonderful Sydney Aquarium takes the aquatic theme quite literally—half of it floating on, and half of it submerged under, the waters of Darling Harbour, one of the busiest tourist areas in the heart of the city. Opened in 1988, the aquarium has a very Australian feel with its major exhibits devoted to sharks, seals and the Great Barrier Reef, as well as the continent’s vast river systems, and highly complex and fragile marine eco-systems. One of the unique features is its underwater and glass-roofed moving passageways which provide an eerie and heart-racing glimpse (especially in the sharks’ tank) of some of the world’s most feared creatures. With more than 6,000 fish and many hands-on exhibits, it’s a showcase of Australia’s exotic and colorful marine world.
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Georgia AquariumAtlanta, GeorgiaAddress: 225 Baker Street Atlanta, GA 30313 United States Neighborhood: |
Contact Information:
Phone: +1 404 581 4000
Web Site: www.georgiaaquarium.org |
| Geography:
United States
Georgia
Atlanta
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| Description:
The Moby Dick of aquariums, it’s the world’s largest with 80,000 marine creatures, comprising 500 species, and set in eight million gallons of fresh and salt water. Opened in 2005 as a $250 million gift to the people of Atlanta and Georgia from Bernie Marcus, a co-founder of the Home Depot, Georgia Aquarium is famous for its four whale sharks and four beluga whales, as well as the world’s largest collection of giant grouper. The dazzling marine life is showcased in a series of galleries (Ocean Voyager, Cold Water Quest, River Scout and Georgia Explorer, among others), featuring an array of viewing and interactive displays. The aquarium also operates a 4R program—rehabilitation, relocation, rescue and research—designed to make a positive impact on the health and well-being of aquatic life worldwide.
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Monterey Bay AquariumMonterey, CaliforniaAddress: 886 Cannery Row Monterey, CA 93940 United States Neighborhood: |
Contact Information:
Phone: +1 831 648 4800
Web Site: www.mbayaq.org |
| Geography:
United States
California
Big Sur/Monterey
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| Description:
Perched on historic Cannery Row and fed by the marine-rich waters of Monterey Bay—one of the largest protected marine areas in the mainland United States—Monterey Bay Aquarium will notch up its 25th anniversary in 2009, and continues to attract almost two million visitors a year. Based around three major galleries—Nearshore, Outer Bay and the newer Ocean’s Edge—which in turn contain nearly 200 smaller galleries and exhibitions dedicated to the varied habitats of Monterey Bay, the aquarium features 35,000 animals, comprising 550 species of fish, mammals, reptiles, birds and plants found in the region. Two new exhibits are Jellies: Living Art and Wild About Otters, both of which will have huge appeal to children of any age. |
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Two Oceans AquariumCape Town, South AfricaAddress: Waterfront P.O. Box 50603 Cape Town 8002 South Africa Neighborhood: |
Contact Information:
Phone: +27 21 418 3823
Web Site: www.aquarium.co.za E-mail: aquarium@aquarium.co.za |
| Geography:
Africa
South Africa
Cape Town
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| Description:
With so many sensational sightseeing opportunities in and around Cape Town, you’ll never be short of things to do, but if you have kids in tow, Two Oceans Aquarium is well worth a visit. With more than 3,000 marine creatures, including sharks, penguins and turtles, the aquarium also has a new and delightful Nemo exhibit where children can get a close-up look at the colorful fish and have their photograph taken with them. There’s a fascinating kelp forest display, regular feeding of the fish, a colony of penguins in the Sappi River Meander gallery, a touch pool, and a heart-racing predator exhibit where you can scuba dive with sharks, rays and turtles (scuba diving certification required).
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New England AquariumBoston, MassachusettsAddress: Central Wharf Boston, MA 02110 United States Neighborhood: |
Contact Information:
Phone: +1 617 973 5200
Web Site: www.neaq.org E-mail: comments@neaq.org |
| Geography:
United States
Massachusetts
Boston
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| Description:
Given its location in the center of Boston, one of the world’s great university cities, it’s no surprise to find the New England Aquarium places a heavy emphasis on learning, research and education. With 30,000 animals and more than 50 exhibits focusing on global marine habitats, the aquarium has been a leader in marine exploration and conservation since it opened in 1969. The showcase exhibit is the 200,000-gallon Giant Ocean Tank, brimming with 850 marine creatures alone, plus an Amazing Jellies display and penguin colony. New initiatives include a marine mammal center and a Blue Lifestyle program promoting the health of the world’s oceans. |
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Contextual Links / Related Files:
Tags: aquarium, fish, children, family friendly, marine life, museum, scuba
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File Properties: Content Grade: Standard Review Type: Positive Seasonal: False S-File Type: Standard Vertical: File Geography: |
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Post Metadata:
Page Title: Eight Great Aquariums: New Zealand¸ Spain¸ France¸ Australia¸ Georgia¸ California¸ South Africa | Suzanne’s Files Keywords: Suzanne’s Files¸ Suzannes Files¸ Spire.com¸ Suzannes Files¸ New England Aquarium¸ Two Oceans Aquarium¸ Monterey Bay Aquarium¸ Georgia Aquarium¸ Sydney Aquarium¸ Aquarium La Rochelle¸ L’Oceanografic de Valencia¸ Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World¸ Auckland¸ New Zealand¸ South Pacific¸ Other¸ Spain¸ Europe¸ France¸ Sydney¸ Australia¸ Atlanta¸ Georgia¸ United States¸ Big Sur/Monterey¸ California¸ Cape Town¸ South Africa¸ Africa¸ Boston¸ Massachusetts¸ Scuba¸ Museum¸ marine life¸ Family Friendly¸ Children¸ Fish Description: From snorkel safaris to diving with sharks¸ the world’s great aquariums not only help preserve rare and unique marine life and eco-systems¸ but also provide a thrilling¸ hands-on educational experience for kids and families |
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