Underwater fairy tale – Oceanarium Dubai
Giant Aquarium – an important point in the entertainment program of tourists in the shopping center Dubai Mall. But besides the aquarium, there is also a zoo here, and the aquarium itself can be viewed not only from the side, but also from the underwater tunnel. If you wish, you can swim with sharks and even feed them. In this article we will tell you in detail about Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo in the United Arab Emirates.
As of February 2021 Aquarium Dubai Mall is open to visitors (opened after Lokdauna on May 27). There are strict Macid security rules that read in the article on the link above. Unfortunately, at the moment, not all tickets are available, we will tell you in detail below in this article.
Is it really the biggest?
Many sites on the Internet are written that Dubai Mall Aquarium is the world’s largest. If you see the ranking of the oceanariums, then you will not find it in the first place nowhere else. Who is right?
Of course, the role of the biggest oceanarium Dubai Mall Aquarium can not claim, and never claimed. There are only 10 million liters of water that according to modern standards – the digit is modest.
In such estimates there is one curious nuance associated with the difference between the concepts of Russian and English languages.
When we say the word "oceanarium", we mean some many aquariums with fish and other marine animals. When we say "aquarium", then I mean a certain one single water container. In Russian, there is a clear separation of these concepts.
There is no such separation in English, and the words "Oceanarium" and "Aquarium" are synonyms. As a result, it is very difficult to accurately understand what the English authors imply. Most text transfers to Russian are made without taking into account this nuance, and we have complete confusion.
Dubai Mall Aquarium is not and never was the biggest oceanarium in the world. But he could well become the biggest aquarium. He was planned and planned, but fate ordered otherwise. Americans ahead and managed to open aquarium in the city of Atlanta Georgia even before Dubai Mall discovery. In 2012 and the American record was beaten by a new aquarium in Marine Life in Singapore.
If briefly, Dubai Mall Aquarium is not a record holder in size, although one official world record on his account is. Which one? Read on.
Figures and facts
The record belongs to the main glass through which visitors to the Dubai Mall shopping center are looking to the aquarium. This is the world’s largest monolithic stove of acrylic glass. It is 33 meters long, 8.5 meters in height and 7.5 centimeters in thickness. Acrylic glass is well known to most readers, in Russia this material is called the word "plexiglas".
This is the same plexiglass that we use in the country’s cottage to cover the greenhouses with tomatoes and cucumbers. Only this plex’s plate is much larger than the size and weighs 245 tons.
This acrylic stove is withstanding a giant mass of water. Aquarium has dimensions 51 by 20 by 11 meters and accommodates 10 million liters of water. It’s twice as bigger than in the oceanarium in Moscow at the VDNH.
Through the aquarium passes the tunnel for visitors with a length of 48 meters. It is also not a record, we recall that in the oceanarium in Shanghai you can walk through the tunnel of 155 meters in length.
Aquarium is so high that is located immediately on two floors of the Dubai Mall shopping center. On the third floor there is a Underwater Zoo (underwater zoo). In the aquarium and the zoo there are 140 species of animals, about 33,000 individuals.
The administration claims that about 300 sharks and skates are at the same time in the aquarium. This figure is difficult to comment, we did not count. Here is the largest population of sharks Ordinary sandy shark. Of course, this is not the greatest shark in the world, but the size is impressive – 2.5 meters long and 160 kilograms of weight.
The most long-suffering oceanarium
Even before opening with Dubai Mall Aquarium, trouble began to occur.
In 2008, as soon as its inhabitants settled in the aquarium, Sand shark started killing and eat Reef sharks (in the photo on the right). Such behavior of predators is atypically, and oceanology scientists argue so far.
February 26, 2010 this happened PE. Acrylic glass cracked and water began to flow from the aquarium. Then visitors to the shopping center were urgently evacuated, and all the world media wrote about the incident.
The victims were then not, only a few people were knocked out legs. The flow was small, and no fish was injured.
We hope that the next in Dubai Mall Aquarium incidents will no longer happen.
How to get
Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo is located in the center of the Dubai Mall shopping center. Get here is the easiest way to subway. You need to go to the Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall (Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall) on the 1st (red) branch. Subway diagram in Russian and travel tariffs See our article "Dubai Metro".
The metro station is far from the Dubai Mall shopping center, and will have to go a little. For these purposes, a special bridge was built – Metro Link Bridge. It is not even necessary to go on it, as there are special travolors for visitors. All this is very similar to transitions between airport terminals.
Length of this bridge – 828 meters. He himself is a landmark, since this is the longest similar structure in the world. After 10 minutes walk or ride on the conveyor, you will get to the Dubai Mall shopping center. Further just follow the signs, and you will find Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo.
The second option – by taxi. Since Dubai is a big city, it is difficult to predict the cost of a trip. May be from 12 to 100 dirhams, depends on how far your hotel is from Dubai Molla. Exact tariffs See our article "Taxi in Dubai and other Emirates".
Opening hours
From 10-00 to 22-00 on weekdays (from Sunday on Wednesday).
From 10-00 to midnight on weekends (Thursday, Friday, Saturday).
You can enter inside until 21-30 on weekdays (23-30 on weekends).
Tickets are valid only for one entrance inside. That is, it is impossible to go out and log in the same day.
What’s the cover charge
Aquarium itself can be viewed completely free. The outer wall of acrylic glass, which we talked above are available to everyone. Approach, look, no one will take money with you. Free viewing is the "seed", everything else is already paid.
Basic ticket includes a passage along the tunnel + zoo inspection. Price – 110 UAE Dirhams (including VAT). Actual course, see our article "Money in the UAE".
At the moment (February 2021) Basic ticket (Explorer Experience) is not available on the official website. The cheapest ticket, which is additionally communication with penguins, costs 169 dirhams. We did a request to find out the reason, but the administration rank from the answer.
If you want to buy a basic ticket, then we know two options. First – on Klook. The second is to buy a combo ticket to the oceanarium and on Burj Khalifa. Cassians near the oceanarium work, but tickets are more expensive.
Please note that there are cheaper tickets, but they are with the asscription "Uae Resident Offer". It is only for residents living in UAE – citizens, persons with a working visa or residence permit. We considered this topic in the article "Population of the UAE".
To the basic ticket you can buy: King Croc Encounter (see the giant King Croc) for 50 dirhams, and (or) OTTER ENCOUNTER (chat with outdoor) for 50 dirhams, and (or) Ray Encounter (chat with skates) for 50 dirchms, and (or) Penguin Encounter (chat with penguins).
Package Explorer Experience for 150 Dirhams: Tunnel + Zoo + Tour "Over the Scene" + Underwater Observatory + Ride on a Boat with Transparent Dream.
Package VIP Experiences for 299 Dirhams: The entire EXPLORER package (described above) + Virtual Reality Attraction + can be participated in fish feeding.
Tickets are better to buy on the official website at the addubaiaquarium.Com . Home Cashier On the Lower Floor is now open, the second Cashier is so far closed. The following information block temporarily lost relevance, do not read it.
Total Two Casses. The first is located at the entrance to the tunnel. The second is on the third floor at the entrance to the zoo. These two cash registers sell different tickets. Many tourists faced the problem that at the bottom office there are no simplest tickets, but only expensive sets. In this case, go to the upper cashier on the third floor. By the way, there are no queues at all.
Children under 3 years old are free. But it should be remembered that children are not allowed to a boat with a transparent bottom. Also on this boat it is impossible to ride pregnant women.
How to save
There is an offer Night Owl Pass. You can get into the tunnel and zoo from 22-00 to midnight with a 25% discount. But while it is not available, since the night is performed at night. We hope that soon this discount will appear again.
Frequently selling comprehensive tickets Aquarium Dubai + Burj Khalifa, you can save up to 70 dirhams. Look for such tickets on the site Burj Khalifa Tickets.Atthetop.AE. We warn that combo tickets with a discount are not always.
There is Klook and other "coupons". For example, Klook tickets in February 2021 lie on 76 dirhams. Read about all the ways in our article "How to save on entertainment in Dubai".
How much time plan to visit
Walk around the tunnel – 20 minutes. Swim by boat – 20-30 minutes. Zoo – no more than one hour. Your time is not limited, you can walk here at least all day, but it’s not worth planning for more than two hours.
What to watch – aquarium
As we have already written above, it can be viewed free of charge from the merchant center itself. All additional services are based on viewing the same aquarium, but only from another angle.
In the underwater tunnel you will look at the aquarium from the bottom up. On the boat with a transparent bottom on the contrary – from top to bottom. You will not see anything new.
Twice a day there is feeding fish. For the first time in 10-30 feeding the skates, and at 14-00 I fed sharks. We recommend approaching aquarium for this time.
Feeding the rods and sharks can be seen from the shopping center no worse than the tunnel. Buy a ticket for this completely not necessarily. If you want to skip the campaign in the tunnel and save, it will not work. Any ticket to Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo necessarily includes a hike in the tunnel.
What to watch – zoo
It is called Underwater Zoo ("Underwater Zoo"), although not all animals are underwater here, and some do nothing at all have nothing to do.
Zoo is divided into three thematic areas: Open Ocean, Tropical Forest and Rocky Coast. Division is very conditional, and it is even difficult to notice. In total, there are 40 aquariums and heliers.
The most colorful resident of the zoo is a gigantic crocodile (in the photo on the left). It is called "King Croc". Crocodiles are not found in the Arab Emirates, and he was brought here from Australia.
Australian narrow crocodiles In the natural environment, rarely reach lengths more than 3 meters. This individual is 5 meters long and weighs 750 kilograms. Its name "King Crocodiles" he justifies 100%.
A separate mini-show shows the night animals of the UAE – fruit bats, owls, Ethiopian hens, false cob and Yemen chameleons. Many of these species are no longer found in other world zoos. We highly recommend this exhibition.
Another mini-exhibition is called "Kraken’s Lair" ("Kraken Lair"). Naturally, Krakena himself (giant deep-sea squid) you will not see here. This animal is not in any oceanarium or zoo. He was still no one else to catch.
At this exhibition you can see Karakatits, squid, octopuses, nautilos and other invertebrates of marine animals.
In a separate avoller, the penguins are contained, without them no respected zoo do not. In the next aviary, you can look at outer – very cute and funny animals, children will be delighted.
There is a separate aquarium with Piranhami, and many tourists see these famous fish for the first time here. Another aquarium is filled with jellyfish. In beautiful backlight, they look amazing. In the next aquarium you can see the giant Muren.
Fish in the photo on the left – another "raisin" of this zoo. It’s "spray", and these fish have deserved their name not just. They hunt insects, knocking them on a jet of water.
Cash the scene of the hunt of the splashes – it is a big luck. Wait, look, maybe lucky.
Another rare view of Dubai Underwater Zoo is an African Protter (see. Photo). Outwardly, this fish does not seem amazing. But the protoptes at the same time there are gills and lungs. These fish are called two-way.
Protopters are able to glow into the sand and survive drought for several years. They also have a very developed brain, and they can be trained. This is one of the most amazing fish on our planet.
In a separate aquarium, you can look at gigantic crabs, and in the neighborhood there are many types of sea skates.
Dubai Underwater Zoo exactly worth his money.
Additional entertainment
Cage snorkelling – swim in the cage (up to 4 people) in mask and with a tube. Price – 275 Dirhams.
Shark Dives – dive with scuba to sharks. If there is a certificate, then the price is 625 dirhams. If you are new, then 825 dirhams, including a small preliminary training.
Shark Walker – You go down to the sharks in the cage in a special helmet in which air is served.
Discover Scuba Dive – Two-day diving course with PADI certificate assignment.
Specialty Dives – For those who already have a PADI certificate. Includes three dives. First – simple swimming, second – photo session with sharks, third – feeding sharks. Price – 1875 Dirhams.
GOPRO camera is provided for a fee for hire.
Baby programs
Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo You can order two types of programs for children. The first for children from 5 to 7 years is called "Junior Aquarist" and costs 150 dirhams. The second for children from 8 years is called "Senior Aquarist" and costs 250 dirhams.
Both programs include a visit to the tunnel and the zoo, boating with a transparent bottom and communication with the specialists of the center. The Senior program also includes a diving into an aquarium with a tube and a mask.
If you want to "grault" for a child, then this is the best way, although the cheap. In addition, guides in Russian there is no. If your child knows English at least at the basic level, you can use this offer.
The only "exclusive" in these children’s programs is a crocodile feeding. Is it worth it for this entertainment to pay such money – to solve you.
After visiting
Immediately at the exit from the zoo are two interesting restaurants. The first is called "Rainforest Cafe". Here you are waiting for the layouts of giraffes, crocodiles and gorillas, the sounds of the jungle and hamburgers Schurdogoga.
The second is a fish restaurant with magnificent fish dishes. We hope that these dishes are not from the inhabitants of the oceanarium.
More interesting
– Do not miss! Directly opposite the large glass of the aquarium is the world’s largest store of sweets Candylicious;
– In Dubai there is a second large oceanarium The Lost Chambers. Consider maybe he will like more. Read our detailed review "The Lost Chambers";
– If you are going to relax with the child, we recommend our review "in the UAE with children – important moments".
That’s all we can tell about Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo. Read our other interesting and useful articles about the Arab Emirates (Links below).
