The Dubai Mall in the Downtown area of the city houses some of the most impressive wonders which compete with each other for breaking world records of sorts. While surfing through impressive retail outlets in the lower ground floor of the Dubai Mall, I came across the Dubai Aquarium. The sheer size and volume of its glass tank leaves you spellbound at first sight, especially when you are used to seeing small home aquariums. The first thing I did was to go near the glass wall, touched my nose to it like a small child and started peeping at the uncountable sea creatures gliding gracefully past by me. A few big and small fishes just came closer to me, kissed the glass and simply swam away; probably they were shy… anyway, I enjoyed my first interaction with sea life. I was about to explore it further.
Dubai Aquarium has a giant water-reservoir made of glass that holds 10 million liters of water and houses over 140 marine species. There are over 33,000 living water species including 400 varieties of sharks and rays. This aquarium claims to have the largest collection of Sand Tiger sharks in the world. Dubai Aquarium measures 51meters in length, 20 meters in depth and 11 meters in height. I enjoyed walking through the glass tunnel which is 48 meters-long, relishing every bit of the 270 degrees view that offers an incredible underwater-like experience without having to get into diving gear.
Visitors have numerous options to choose from an array of fun-filled adventurous experiences. For general visitors there is the world’s largest acrylic viewing panel spanning across three floors of the Dubai Mall which provides an unobstructed view of gracefully floating sea creatures, and a first-hand experience of ocean life. By spending a little more, visitors can also opt for a glass boat ride, experiencing marine life right under their feet. Visitors can also enjoy a shark feeding session by deep-sea divers twice during the day, and could be educated by local aquarium staff about marine life.
Cage snorkeling is another spine-chilling experience for those who want to avoid deep-sea diving. For this fun-filled activity you just need to wear snorkeling gear, enter a safe cage and experience marine life just a few inches away. Try this once and am sure you will love it…!