Which aquarium should I visit in UAE? The Dubai Mall Aquarium or Sharjah Aquarium?
Both these attractions are located in the heart of UAE, offering visitors a chance to see some amazing aquatic life. But which one is better?
Sharjah Aquarium has more exhibits and activities, but the Dubai Mall Aquarium offers a broader range of species. Both provide an excellent experience for kids too. So, let's find out if you should go with the Sharjah Aquarium over the Dubai Mall Aquarium.
Sharjah Aquarium vs. Dubai Mall Aquarium: What Makes Them Different?
The first thing that comes to your mind when thinking about an aquarium is whether it has sharks or not. Both these places have sharks, so they are pretty much equal in this category. However, other things differentiate them from each other. While there are many things to do in Dubai, visiting its massive aquarium is one of the top reasons.
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Here are some factors that differentiate between the two aquariums:
Species and Marine Life
The Dubai Mall Aquarium houses a wide variety of marine animals such as penguins, seals, dolphins, otters, sea lions, stingrays, jellyfish, and many others. It also comes with the most extensive collection of Sand Tiger Sharks. You can also try Abu Dhabi City tour from Dubai to explore the historical relevance of UAE.
On the other hand, Visit Sharjah Aquarium to explore various fish tanks where visitors can see local fish species, shark species, rays, crabs, turtles, octopuses, eels, seahorses, starfish, lobsters, shrimp, and many other aquatic creatures.
Sharjah Aquarium is also home to several interactive exhibitions like 'Underwater World,' 'Ocean Odyssey, and 'Frozen Kingdom.' It makes it even more interesting for children.
However, the Dubai Mall Aquarium does not have any such exhibition. It is just a regular aquarium.
Location
To visit Dubai Mall Aquarium, you need to reach Downtown Dubai. Do you know that this place is also surrounded by iconic attractions like The Dubai Fountain and Burj Khalifa? You can drop by a large number of restaurants located by so that you can drop in to enjoy Dubai delicacies when you are all set to explore Dubai Attractions. However, you must be aware of things not to do in Dubai such as avoid drinking in the public places to avoid any penalties.
Overall, Dubai Aquarium is highly accessible as it is just 15 minutes walk away from Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall Metro Station. There are various things to do when you drop in to explore Dubai Aquarium.
But reaching Sharjah is not easy as there is not much public transport accessibility. You have to opt for a rental car to get this aquarium which may cost you around 80AED. You may also opt for a sightseeing taxi or bus. Coming to surrounding attractions, there are no such highlight attractions near Sharjah Aquarium, the way Dubai Aquarium projects.
Size
Sharjah Aquarium is spanned across 6500 m².hodlig 2 Aquarium over its two floors. These aquariums are filled with 1.8 million liters of water. On the Other hand, Dubai Aquarium's main tank holds 10 million liters of water, almost five times the Sharjah Aquarium. Also, Dubai Aquarium is accredited with the world's largest suspended aquarium.
These facts make Dubai Aquarium much popular among the tourists.
Things to Do
Things to Do in Sharjah Aquarium
There are no such activities in Sharjah Aquarium. Still, it is an excellent option to explore the UAE aquatic life. You can also visit Sharjah Maritime Museum nearby when you collectyourticket for aquarium, using the same ticket.
Things to do in Dubai Mall Aquarium
There are several activities one can enjoy at Dubai Mall Aquarium:
· Educational Shark Trainer encounter
· Feeding presentations and animal encounters
· Blood-pumping King Croc Encounter
· Underwater Zoo and Aquarium Tank
· Shark Dive Snorkelling Cage
· Playing around with Penguin
Hence, we can conclude that Dubai Aquarium takes the lead in terms of attraction.
Value For Money
Coming to cost, the Dubai Aquarium visit costs you as much as three times more than Sharjah Aquarium. But it offers a wide range of activities too. Sharjah Aquarium is best for a great family day that does not involve much hush-hush as you have just two spots to cover here - Museum and Aquarium.
But if you are looking for some extra fun, Head to Dubai aquarium.
Species and Marine Life
The Dubai mall aquarium offers the main aquarium tank, the aquarium tunnel, and the underwater zoo. The leading tank houses more than 140 marine species and 300 sharks and rays. The aquarium tunnel allows visitors to see the aquatic life from a different view!
The underwater zoo has otters, African Dwarf, Crocodile, Giant Spider crabs, piranhas, seahorses, water rats, garden eels, cichlids, archerfish, lionfish, paddlefish, nautilus, and many other species. The aquarium also has 40 aquatic displays.
Sharjah Aquarium also offers more than 150 marine species, including sea rays, reef sharks, clownfish, moray eels, and seahorses. You can also explore their turtle rehabilitation program. Here injured and sick turtles are treated and released back to sea.
Conclusion
If you want to experience something new and exciting, head to Dubai Aquarium. It is located in the heart of Dubai city and is easily accessible. If you plan to travel to Sharjah, you should include Sharjah Aquarium in your itinerary. This place will be a perfect addition to your trip.
