When it comes to aquariums and zoos I'm torn between wanting animals to be able to wander free and the knowledge that without these establishments I can never hope to see most of these creatures up close.
Fortunately the zoos I've visited in adulthood have had spacious enclosures and a clean track record to my knowledge.
The Dubai Aquarium is mostly a 10 million litre tank. I say 'mostly' because there are also other tanks with an octopus, nautilus, rays, jellyfish and some fascinating transparent fish whose species I cannot recall.
The tank is amazing. There are sharks and rays flitting about in gloomy silence and what feels like a million other fish I didn't recognise.
The tank can be seen from Dubai Mall inside which the aquarium is located. So there are lots of people around looking at the tank and taking photographs. You enter by walking through a glass tunnel, which affords you a very close look at the fish. On a different floor you can also stand above the tank, which was very cool!
Fortunately the zoos I've visited in adulthood have had spacious enclosures and a clean track record to my knowledge.
The Dubai Aquarium is mostly a 10 million litre tank. I say 'mostly' because there are also other tanks with an octopus, nautilus, rays, jellyfish and some fascinating transparent fish whose species I cannot recall.
The tank is amazing. There are sharks and rays flitting about in gloomy silence and what feels like a million other fish I didn't recognise.
The tank can be seen from Dubai Mall inside which the aquarium is located. So there are lots of people around looking at the tank and taking photographs. You enter by walking through a glass tunnel, which affords you a very close look at the fish. On a different floor you can also stand above the tank, which was very cool!
The underwater zoo doesn't house anyone wildly exotic apart from a rather large crocodile and his missus. Not that the night creatures of the UAE weren't interesting. I did find the desert hedgehog a bit worrying though because he kept doing a loop round and round his little garden/enclosure while his mate/roommate did far less scurrying than that.
