SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium features over 12,000 marine animals belonging to about 650 different species. The exhibits are spread across 14 themed sections featuring sharks, stingrays, turtles, swordfish, dugongs, penguins and several other animals. There are several special experiences that you can indulge at the Aquarium such as a ride on the glass bottomed boat, behind-the-scenes tours, snorkelling in the Shark Reef and many others.
A crystal clear glass tunnel, Sea Life Sydney Aquarium is one of the most visited places in Australia. The site was established in the year 1988, housing an alluring world of aquatic creatures in their real marine life. This entire family of sea creatures consists of more than 13,000 fish of 700 species from around the world.
Replicating the shape of a humongous wave, it took two years to bring this design from paper to reality. You can travel through the wavy tunnels to witness the wide variety of exotic tropical fish to bulky sharks, peppy penguins, and furious stingrays along with many other fish.
Besides this, you can also get engaged in various events organized by the aquarium or hire the venue for hosting one on your own. These events range from New Moon Underwater Parties to Private get together with all your near and dear ones in the company of colorful reefs and playful marine creatures. You must also know that the large establishment is divided into 14 parts, which have their unique theme for facilitating the visits of all the tourists. These zones include Jurassic Seas, Discovery Rockpool, Shark Walk, and the world’s largest Great Barrier Reef on display.
Each zone has its essence, and you can encounter various types of animals in their natural habitat. You must dedicate a day to the aquarium as it owes more than 50% of its traffic to the international visitors proving its worth. It is a fun, educational and exciting place to be at and take your little toddlers on to a journey with the lively aquatic life.
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• Be part of animal feeding sessions and enjoy an interactive encounter with the marine animals.
• Indulge in a private or group dining experience next to the penguin enclosure.
• Go snorkelling in the Shark Reef and enjoy a close encounter with these magnificent marine animals.
• The Sydney Aquarium has the largest display in the world of the Great Barrier Reef and its lifeforms.
• Explore the 100 metres long glass tunnel and enjoy watching the marine animals swim about.
• Enjoy a touch and feel experience at the Discovery Rockpool where you can see and touch sea stars, urchins, Shark eggs and many others..
• The Sydney Aquarium has one of the largest collections of Aquarium sharks in the world including the Grey Nurse Shark.
These are multiple ways to travel from the Sydney Airport to SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium.
1. You can take the local train from Sydney Airport to Town Hall Station followed by a 10-minute walk to the SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium.
2. Bus services from Sydney Airport are also available. From the airport to Botany Road Hollingshed st. Change here for a bus to Wynyard Station, followed by a 10-minute walk to the aquarium. This can be time-consuming but it is one of the most cost-effective ways to reach the Aquarium.
3. The town car or Uber service, although costly, can be one of the most convenient ways to travel to the Aquarium, taking less than 30 minutes.
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Although SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium is open all year round, the best time to visit the aquarium is the summer months from December to February:
1. December to February: This is generally the summertime in Australia and is one of the most preferred time to visit the SEA LIFE Aquarium, the place is not packed with tourists around this time and one can comfortably explore the place and even get special bookings for various events they want to participate in.
2. June to August: These are the winter months of Australia. It is not very a much preferable time to visit the aquarium in the winter but if you are on a vacation, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium is worth a visit at any time of the year.
3. September to November and March to May: These months bring in Spring and Autumn months subsequently. These are one of the busiest times in the aquarium and people from around the world visit the place. Although crowded, the place also conducts an array of fun activities between these months.
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- Location: 1-5 Wheat Rd, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
- Timings: 9:30 AM to 7:00 PM (Sunday - Saturday)
There are certain points one must certainly consider before visiting the SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium:
1. Visit early in the morning. As the day passes the aquarium starts to fill in and the best time to visit the place and truly enjoy it is in the morning.
2. Have enough time in your hands. Exploring the aquarium can take a good amount of time.
3. The place is huge and you must carry a map with you at all times. You should also prioritize which zones you want to explore most followed by others as scouting all these zones in a day is extremely difficult.
4. Always try to book tickets in advance as the place is crowded throughout the year and finding tickets over the counter can be like grasping at straws.
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Channel through the largest exhibit of reefs in the world, The Great Barrier Reef, and witness how they transpire from day to night in a span of 24 hours. The Day and Night Reef is one of the latest zones introduced in the SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium's ecosystem. Using world-class technology to deliver a never before seen experience to the visitors.
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Educational and fun, the Penguin Expedition allows visitors to interact, communicate and be a part of the King and Gentoo Penguin colony in the Aquarium. Quirky, joyous, interactive and extremely warm, these Penguins are named Steven (Gentoo), George (Gentoo), Genie (Gentoo), Nog (King) and Sven & Magic (Gentoo).
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It's time you get over your fear of the underwater and indulge in an exhibition to cherish the dreadful sharks. Observe a varied species of Sharks including the Grey Nurse Shark, Wobbegong Sharks, Smooth Stingrays among others. Take a dip into the underwater or just glide through the tunnels and spot your favorite sharks, opportunities at Shark Valley are tremendous.
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An uncommon species of the aquatic habitat, the Dugongs are found in a very restrictive quantity throughout the world. Resembles an elephant from the front and a fish from the back these humongous creatures were earlier mistaken as mermaids. There are also a number of stories to learn and activities to do with the Dugongs at the Dugongs Island making the zone a must-visit especially for kids.
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One of the most unique experiences, one would probably not find anywhere else in the world is exploring a wrecked ship. Discover a number of species of small and large aquatic creatures including a colony of little penguins and Port Jackson Sharks residing amidst the beachside Shipwreck. The majority of these animals are said to be from the Southern Oceans of the Sea.
Voyage through one of the most celebrated harbors in the world. Learn all you can about the aquatic tribes that home in the depths of the harbor. Witness a vast collection of more than 600 species of fish drifting through the dark waters of the place. Some of the most commonly spotted fish in this zone include Weedy Seadragon, Eastern Water Dragon and Sydney Cardinalfish.
The Jurassic Park is old news, meet the Jurassic Seas. The zone is dedicated towards taking the visited the deepest depths of the sea to uncover where, life as we know it, began. In a fun, exciting yet educational session learn all about the evolution of the aquatic kind and gaze upon a handful of exotic sea creatures including hagfish, lungfish, Octopus and MudSkipper.
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Animals that can be found at Sydney Aquarium:
Sharks - SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium features 14 different types of sharks which includes the Grey Nurse Shark, the Black tip Reef Shark and White Tip Reef Shark.
Little Penguin - The Penguin colony has a small crew of very active penguins who will slide, swim and play around while you watch them.
Jellyfish - The Sydney Aquarium has a wide variety of jellyfish and in this zone you can see Moon Jellies, Jelly Blubber and the unique Upside Down Jellyfish.
Dugongs - Dugongs are large herbivores marine mammals that are mostly found in warm tropical waters. Australia has the largest number of Dugongs in the world. At Sydney Aquarium you get to meet Pig the majestic Dugong who loves to Gorge on cos lettuce all day long.
King and Gentoo Penguins - Sydney Aquarium has a fascinating colony of king and gentoo penguins with Lara being the youngest. These are sub Antarctic penguins belonging to two different species.
Freshwater Sawfish - At the Sydney Aquarium you will get to see these amazing aquatic animals that inhabit shallow waters and river mouths. These are related to stingrays, sharks and have a long saw-like extension.
Cephalopods - In the Cephalopods section you will find different varieties of octopus, mourning cuttlefish and the Sydney octopus. All these animals are blue blooded and they are masters of camouflage.
Venomous Species - Discover a variety of venomous marine animals at the Sydney Aquarium. This section includes lionfish, crown of thorn starfish, red rock cod and several others.
Turtles - The Aquarium has a wonderful group of turtles that has made the Aquarium their home. The newest member of the group is Plugga the beautiful green sea turtle. Besides sea turtles you can also see Ernie the freshwater turtle.
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