Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sydney Aquarium
2
VISITORS' CHECKLIST
Aquarium Pier, Darling Harbour.
Map
4 D2.
Tel
8251 7800.
@
Sydney Explorer.
g
Darling Har-
bour.
Town Hall.
Darling
Park.
#
9am-10pm daily (last
adm 9pm).
&
6
7
-
=
www
.sydneyaquarium.com.au
Sydney Aquarium contains the largest, most
comprehensive collection of Australian
aquatic wildlife, with over 12,000 ani-
mals from 650 species. Both freshwater
and marine exhibits simulate the animals'
natural environments. For many visitors,
the highlight is a walk “on the ocean floor” through the
floating oceanarium with 165 m (480 ft) of acrylic under-
water tunnels. These allow close observation of sharks,
stingrays and schools of fish. None of the displays is
harmful to the creatures, and many of the tanks display
practical information about environmental hazards.
Tropical
sea star
to be held in captivity. These
docile, herbivorous mammals
can reach up to 3 m (9.8 ft) in
length and live for more than
70 years. Named “Pig” and
“Wuru” (an Aboriginal word
meaning “young child”), the
dugongs were originally
rescued as orphaned calves.
ATTRACTIONS
Sydney Aquarium
offers a great
variety of exhibits
and animal
encounters.
Touch Pools
There are two touch pools in
the aquarium, giving the visitor
the rare chance to touch, with
care, marine life found along
the coastline. They include
sea urchins, tubeworms, crabs
and sea stars.
Platypuses
Endemic to the
rivers, streams,
bilabongs and lakes
of the east coast and
Tasmania, the
platypus is an iconic
symbol of Australia. When
discovered by Europeans, the
animal's strange collection of
physical attributes, including
a duck-like bill and otter's tail,
were once thought to be
some kind of elaborate hoax.
Open Ocean Oceanarium
Through an underwater
tunnel, visitors can encounter
huge stingrays, shoals of fish
as well as the largest sharks
on display in the aquarium -
the grey nurse shark.
Exploring the Tropical Touch Pool
EXPLORING SYDNEY
AQUARIUM
Built on a pier in Darling
Harbour, Sydney Aquarium
comprises over 4,000 sq m
(43,000 sq ft) of exhibition
space and is one of the largest
aquarium's in the world.
Exhibits are organised by
theme and take the visitor on
a journey through the different
marine habitats of the
Australian continent. On
entering, visitors are led
through the Northern Rivers
and Southern Rivers sections,
featuring animals such as
platypuses and crocodiles,
before reaching the Southern
Oceans and Northern Oceans
areas where the oceanariums
and touch pools can be found.
It is worth checking the
website to coincide a visit with
one of the feeding times. There
are also “tank talks” (1:30pm
daily) when a trained diver can
be asked questions while they
are feeding sharks in the Great
Barrier Reef Oceanarium. Also,
for an added cost, visitors can
ride out on a glass-bottom
“Shark Explorer” boat to
watch and feed the sharks
first hand (11am daily).
Great Barrier Reef
Oceanarium
The world's largest coral reef
extends along 2,300 km
(1,430 miles) of Australia's
coast. Vibrant tangs, angelfish
and spiny lionfish are on
display as well as tropical
sharks and rays. At the end of
the oceanarium, the floor-to-
ceiling Reef Theatre glass
panel offers an unparralleled
spectacle of the colourful,
exotic creatures.
Saltwater Crocodiles
The largest and most
dangerous species of
crocodile, “salties” live in the
swamps and estuaries of
Australia's north.
Mermaid Lagoon
An exciting addition to the
aquarium in 2008 were two of
only six dugongs (sea cows)
Sharks and hundreds of other fish on view from the Reef Theatre
