Located on the banks of the Yarra River, Melbourne Aquarium is one of the city’s premier tourist attractions. The striking building was designed to resemble a moored ship, extending seven metres below the water.
The Melbourne Aquarium includes four exciting “worlds” to explore, spread over four levels. Level one – “River to Reef” – houses a billabong, rock pools and mangroves, and is home to the famous giant Murray cod.
On the ground floor, visitors take an expedition to Antarctica, where they can sit among King and Gentoo penguins. The only one of its kind in Australia, the penguin exhibit features real ice and snow to simulate Antarctic conditions.
Also on this floor, the “Weird and Wonderful” exhibit showcases giant crabs and sea dragons, a coral atoll, sea jellies, Octopus Cove and the Giant Pacific Octopus. There are more octopus displays down on level B1, as well as a fun and interactive play area for kids.
A number of the most popular attractions have their home on the bottom floor, below water level. At the heart of Level B1 lies the world-first, 2.2 million litre Oceanarium, Visitors find themselves right in the action, surrounded by an underwater world filled with sharks, stingrays and thousands of other marine animals.
Daily dive feeds in the Oceanarium – where expert divers swim down into the tank to feed the hungry marine predators – are not to be missed. As part of the new Shark Walker and Shark Dive experiences, intrepid guests can dive in themselves to experience the excitement of swimming face-to-face with the sharks. For a more subdued outing, visitors can sit back and relax in the Ocean Theatre and watch presentations about the amazing marine life swimming all around them.
There is no better hotel from which to enjoy the Melbourne Aquarium and all the rest that the city has to offer than Clarion Suites Gateway. Less than a five-minute stroll from the Aquarium and right in the heart of the CBD, Clarion Suites Gateway is the ideal choice for your Melbourne visit.
