This is a detailed guide on the largest aquariums in the world.
An Aquarium can be likened to a zoo, although it differs from a zoo because it is home to only aquatic animals and sometimes for some plants as well.
There are various local aquariums that can be easily accessed around you but they differ in sizes and volume.
Most usually, aquariums provide educational spectacle where people can learn facts and behaviors of various animals, especially aquatic animals.
If you’d like to know some of the largest aquariums in the world, this article is just for you.
In this article, I will show you a list of the top 10 largest aquariums in the world.
What An Aquarium?
I have likened an aquarium to a zoo, and that exactly is what it stands for.
Basically, an aquarium is a place provided for keeping fishes and other aquatic animals, and people who keep aquariums are called aquarists.
Also, Aquarium plants are sometimes grown in an aquarium to liven up the aquarium and also provide food for the fishes.
This means Aquariums are used to keep both aquatic animals and plants.
Aquariums can be made with a small tank. This is common with local aquariums, while bigger aquariums or popular aquariums are sometimes made with large buildings with one or more large tanks.
Note that metals are not suitable for these tanks.
The tanks are usually transparent and are commonly made with glass or acrylic.
What Are The Importance Of Aquariums?
Aquariums go hand in hand with fish keeping, and with that establishment, you will already see that there is huge importance in keeping aquariums.
To establish the importance more, the art of keeping aquariums has become a popular hobby in the world today for aquarists.
In addition, large aquariums serve as tourist attractions for people across the world.
It is a place you can visit while on vacation with your family and loved ones.
There are people who visit aquariums to see fishes and other animals as the aquarists have kept them.
On a final note, large aquariums help to keep some species of fishes and animals that could have gone to extinction.
10 Largest Aquariums In The World
There are numerous aquariums in the world. But which is the largest aquarium in the world?
Read on to learn about the world’s biggest aquarium coupled with other large aquariums in the world.
Below is the list of the biggest aquariums in the world.
This list is based on the total volume of water of each aquarium.
1. Chimelong Ocean Kingdom
The biggest aquarium in the whole world is the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom.
It has a total Water volume of about 12.9 million gallons, and it has its largest single tank with a capacity of about 5.99 million gallons.
Chimelong Ocean Kingdom is located in China, at the Chimelong International Ocean Tourist Resort to be specific.
It is of course one of the most popular aquariums in the world, and it is characterized by several feats.
This aquarium contains:
- Whale sharks
- Manta ray
- Seas turtles
- Shark species, including many tropical corals.
Chimelong Ocean Kingdom attracts tourists from various countries of the world, and it is being visited due to its peculiarity.
It also has one of the biggest amusement parks in the world that is suitable for almost any kind of vacation.
2. South East Asia Aquarium
The southeast Asia Aquarium is the second biggest aquarium in the whole world considering the total Water volume of aquariums.
It has a total water volume of about 12 million gallons. Also, its largest single tank holds about 4.8 million gallons of water.
Southeast Asia Aquarium is also known as S.E.A. Aquarium. It attracts millions of tourists from all over the world.
South East Asia Aquarium is located in Singapore, but it is popular across the whole world.
This Aquarium is known to host what is believed as the largest ray in the world – the giant oceanic manta ray. The ray is believed to grow up to 23 feet and it can weigh up to 6,000 pounds.
Apart from this biggest ray, it also contains the largest collection of manta rays in the world.
In addition, the South East Asia Aquarium has over 800 sea species and more than 100,000 other animals.
3. The Oceanographic Oceanarium
One of the largest aquariums in the world is the Oceanographic Oceanarium.
It is another popular aquarium that attracts over a million tourists in a year.
The total volume of water that places the Oceanographic Oceanarium 3rd on this list is about 11 million gallons.
To add to that, the largest tank of the aquarium has a capacity of about 1.8 million gallons of water.
This aquarium is also called L’Oceanogràfic, and it is located in Valencia, Spain.
Oceanographic Oceanarium has a unique 35-meter underwater tunnel through which visitors journey from the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans to the Indian and Caribbean Oceans.
Journeying through the tunnel is an experience that can’t be likened to any other for tourists.
4. The Georgia Aquarium
Georgia Aquarium is one of the largest aquariums in the world because of its total water volume of about 10 million gallons.
Its largest tank is capable of holding up to 6.3 million gallons of water.
Georgia Aquarium is a very popular aquarium in the world and it attracts over two million visitors in a year.
The Georgia Aquarium would have come first considering aquariums with the largest single aquarium.
Its largest tank is the overall largest tank of all aquariums in the world.
The Aquarium hosts over 100,000 sea animals in total, and it is the only aquarium that is not located in Asia to contain whale sharks.
Although, the aquarium lost two whale sharks that died in the year 2007.
Some of the creatures contained in the aquarium are:
- Whale sharks
- Beluga whales
- California sea lions
- Bottlenose dolphins
- Manta rays
5. Moscow Oceanarium
Moscow Oceanarium comes next on this list as one of the largest aquariums in the world with a total water volume of about 6.6 million gallons.
Its single largest tank also having a capacity of about 1 million gallons of water.
The aquarium is also a popular institution in the world, and it is flocked by a great number of people annually.
Moscow Oceanarium is located in Moscow, Russia, and is also popularly called the Moskvarium. The number of different animals in this aquarium is about 12,000.
Among the water creatures contained in the Moscow Oceanarium are:
- Dolphins
- Whales
- Belugas
- Walruses
- South American sea lions
- Octopuses
- Starfish
- Stingrays
- Seahorses
6. The Seas With Nemo and Friends
The next biggest aquarium in the world is the Seas With Nemo and Friends.
The aquarium is located in the United States – Orlando to be precise.
It has a total water volume of about 5.7 million gallons and has its largest tank containing about 5.7 million gallons of water.
It is a very popular aquarium in the United States and in the world. The number of tourists it attracts yearly is estimated to be about 12 million.
Nemo aquarium holds different kinds of marine animals, and it is one of the most-loved aquariums by tourists in the United State.
7. Shedd Aquarium
Again, we have another aquarium in the United States, although in Chicago this time.
The Shedd Aquarium comes as the seventh biggest aquarium in the world.
It has a total water volume of about 5 million gallons, and its largest tank has a capacity of about 2 million gallons of water.
The Shedd Aquarium is also very popular in the United States, and it receives up to 2 million visitors in a year.
The Shedd Aquarium contains about 100,000 sea creatures. Some of which includes:
- Jellyfish
- Beluga whales
- Alaskan sea otters
- Pacific white-sided dolphins
- Green sea turtles
- Yellow-spotted rays.
8. uShaka Marine World
The eighth biggest aquarium in the world is the uShaka Marine World which doubles as the biggest in Africa.
This aquarium has a total water volume of about 4.6 million gallons, and its single largest tank has a capacity of about 1 million gallons of water.
It attracts a relatively high number of tourists yearly, and it is one of the most popular aquariums in Africa.
The aquarium is located in Durban, South Africa, and some of the water animals it contains are:
- Sharks
- Eagle rays
- Dolphins
- Local gamefish
- Kingfish
- Giant groupers
9. The Atlantic Sea Park
The ninth biggest aquarium in the world is the Atlantic Sea Park.
The Atlantic Sea Park is located in Norway, and it is ranked ninth for its total water volume of about 4 million gallons.
Its largest tank holds about 1.1 million gallons of water, and it is visited by a huge number of people yearly.
The number of tourists it recieve yearly is about 2.5 million.
The Atlantic Sea Park is known for showcasing marine life and ecosystems that comprise the Atlantic Ocean, particularly those waters surrounding Norway. Its largest saltwater tank, named the Great Atlantic Tank, features a variety of cod, halibut, conger, salmon, and deep water marine life.
The popularity o this aquarium is boosted by many factors one of which is that it has one of the largest seal exhibits in the world.
Atlantic Sea Park has many sew creatures, and it is another suitable spot to visit during vacation.
You can do well to check it out next time you visit Norway.
10. The Dubai Aquarium And Underwater Zoo
Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo is no doubt one of the biggest Aquariums in the world.
It is a very popular aquarium that has a total water volume of about 2.77 million gallons.
Its largest tank has a capacity of about 2.6 million gallons also.
You may not easily believe that this aquarium is located inside the Dubai Mall.
This mall is the largest shopping mall in the world, a unique one that contains one of the biggest aquariums.
It is one of the most suitable aquariums for tourists because you can also shop after seeing the aquarium.
It is a little wonder that it attracts over a million visitors in the world despite coming as the tenth biggest in the world.
The aquarium has over 400 sharks and rays, and it also boasts of the largest collection of Sand Tiger sharks in the world.
That is all on the largest aquariums in the world.