What is the Largest Aquarium?

The world’s largest aquarium is the Georgia Aquarium. The complex has more than 31,000 m3 (8.5 million US gallons) of water. It is found at Pemberton Place in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. It has 500 different species comprised of 120,000 animals. There are six galleries in the aquarium, and they are as follows.

Georgia Explorer

This exhibit is designed for kids. There are sharks and rays in touch tanks here. There are also sea turtles and Gray’s Reef wildlife.

Tropical Diver

This exhibit has many Indo-Pacific tropical fish. The biggest habitat consists of a 164,000 gallon reef. It has almost 100 fish species.

Ocean Voyager

Most of the water in the aquarium is here. There are more than 100,000 fish present. The emphasis is on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. It boasts the world’s second biggest viewing window. There is an underground tunnel measuring 100 ft long. There are also whale sharks here.

Cold Water Quest

This part of the world’s largest aquarium focuses on creatures at the poles. The majority of the aquarium’s mammal collection is here. Some of the major attractions are the African black-footed penguins, Japanese spider crabs and beluga whales.

River Scout

This area focuses on regional environments. There is a river overhead where you can see fish swimming. There are also electric fish, piranha and other fish on display.

Dolphin Tales

This is the home of the dolphin stadium. There are currently ten bottle-nose dolphins in the stadium. Three performances are held daily.

History

The aquarium was mostly financed by Bernie Marcus, who helped found Home Depot. The complex was created on a 20 acre (81,000 m2) site. Marcus got the idea for the aquarium when he had his birthday at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Marcus donated $250 million for the building of the complex. Other companies contributed, including SunTrust, Georgia-Pacific, Time Warner, AT&T, AirTran Airways, UPS, Home Depot and Turner Broadcasting.

Collections

The most famous attractions at the aquarium are the four whale sharks. The complex has other attractions including the “Deepo’s Undersea 3D Wondershow” and the Open Ocean Touchwall. It is a virtual aquarium with 3D renderings.

In 2009, the “Titanic Aquatic” exhibit opened. This exhibit showed what it was like to go through the RMS Titanic. Other exhibitions are held in different parts of the complex. This has helped boost its popularity.

As the world’s largest aquarium, the place receives thousands of visitors yearly. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Georgia.