Located in Darling Harbour just north of the Pyrmont Bridge, the Sydney Aquarium opened in October 1988 as a place to exhibit and preserve the flora and fauna of Australian marine ecosystems. The unique architecture resembles a wave rising from the harbor and complements the underwater theme contained within its walls.
The elaborate habitat exhibits are categorised by geographical location with areas representing the Northern River and Southern River territories as well as the various ocean environments that surround the country. In addition to the main exhibit hall displays there are a number of floating oceanariums with views of their contents from below and above the water's surface.
The most popular animal featured in the Southern Rivers area is the enigmatic platypus, which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The Murray Darling River System is the largest such ecosystem in the country and many of the fish species are unique to this geographical area. Living with the platypus are other regional creatures including freshwater crustaceans, water dragons and side-necked turtles.
The rivers found in northern Australia are unique in that they contain fresh water during the wet season but salt water when it is dry and waters spill in from the coast. Many of the fish and animal species that live here are able to adapt to this fluctuation. One such example is the Barramundi, a large food and sport fish that can be found at the aquarium's Northern Rivers section.
The Southern Oceans exhibit features a massive system of underwater tunnels and invites visitors to examine marine life as up close and personal as possible without actually getting wet. Also found here are the Seal Sanctuary, the Open Ocean Oceanarium, little penguins and a Sydney harbor display.
Sea lions, fur seals, subantarctic fur seals and New Zealand fur seals frolic in the floating Seal Sanctuary and in addition to the underwater viewing tunnels there is an open deck that offers viewing platforms above water.
Especially impressive is the Open Ocean Oceanarium with its wonderful collection of sharks, large fish species and giant stingrays. More sharks are kept in captivity here than anywhere else and the habitat itself is the largest of its kind. The endangered Grey Nurse Sharks are the largest species with some measuring as long as 3.5 metres.
The Great Barrier Reef is perhaps the most famous Australian landmark and the aquarium has managed to reproduce this magnificent habitat in an area that contains two million litres of seawater. Brightly coloured fish live among the anemones and coral formations, both hard and soft. Sea stars and sea cucumbers stage a continuous slow motion race along the ocean bottom. The reef bears a greater diversity of species than any other ecosystem known to man and it can all be seen here. Massive ceiling high windows dominate the Reef Theatre and offer a panoramic view of this underwater paradise.
The Mermaid Lagoon is home to a pair of orphaned Dugongs that are favorites for many aquarium visitors. Also known as sea cows, these gentle creatures feast on sea grasses and local legend claims that these beasts were sometimes mistaken for mermaids by European sailors when they traveled through the oceans off the continental coast.
Check out the Sydney Aquarium for a fascinating look at the world under the sea.
The elaborate habitat exhibits are categorised by geographical location with areas representing the Northern River and Southern River territories as well as the various ocean environments that surround the country. In addition to the main exhibit hall displays there are a number of floating oceanariums with views of their contents from below and above the water's surface.
The most popular animal featured in the Southern Rivers area is the enigmatic platypus, which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The Murray Darling River System is the largest such ecosystem in the country and many of the fish species are unique to this geographical area. Living with the platypus are other regional creatures including freshwater crustaceans, water dragons and side-necked turtles.
The rivers found in northern Australia are unique in that they contain fresh water during the wet season but salt water when it is dry and waters spill in from the coast. Many of the fish and animal species that live here are able to adapt to this fluctuation. One such example is the Barramundi, a large food and sport fish that can be found at the aquarium's Northern Rivers section.
The Southern Oceans exhibit features a massive system of underwater tunnels and invites visitors to examine marine life as up close and personal as possible without actually getting wet. Also found here are the Seal Sanctuary, the Open Ocean Oceanarium, little penguins and a Sydney harbor display.
Sea lions, fur seals, subantarctic fur seals and New Zealand fur seals frolic in the floating Seal Sanctuary and in addition to the underwater viewing tunnels there is an open deck that offers viewing platforms above water.
Especially impressive is the Open Ocean Oceanarium with its wonderful collection of sharks, large fish species and giant stingrays. More sharks are kept in captivity here than anywhere else and the habitat itself is the largest of its kind. The endangered Grey Nurse Sharks are the largest species with some measuring as long as 3.5 metres.
The Great Barrier Reef is perhaps the most famous Australian landmark and the aquarium has managed to reproduce this magnificent habitat in an area that contains two million litres of seawater. Brightly coloured fish live among the anemones and coral formations, both hard and soft. Sea stars and sea cucumbers stage a continuous slow motion race along the ocean bottom. The reef bears a greater diversity of species than any other ecosystem known to man and it can all be seen here. Massive ceiling high windows dominate the Reef Theatre and offer a panoramic view of this underwater paradise.
The Mermaid Lagoon is home to a pair of orphaned Dugongs that are favorites for many aquarium visitors. Also known as sea cows, these gentle creatures feast on sea grasses and local legend claims that these beasts were sometimes mistaken for mermaids by European sailors when they traveled through the oceans off the continental coast.
Check out the Sydney Aquarium for a fascinating look at the world under the sea.
About the Author:
Howard Rudd serves as a experienced blogger that is actually a Sydney Accommodation consultant and is very recognised for creating Sydney tourism and information projects
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