Top 10 Largest Aquariums in the World

Probably 29 or 30 gallon is the most common size for a home aquarium tank. But many thousands of gallon aquariums have been constructed by some Aquarius. Compare to any home aquariums, public aquariums can be dramatically larger. But the kind of aquariums that can hold whale sharks and manta rays are very few. To hold these kinds of aquatic giant creature, a very large tank is required.

There are not many aquariums that are big enough to make it to our list of largest aquariums in the world. We have considered the size of their biggest tank (in gallons) in order to compare these large aquariums. Most aquariums contain several tanks and the combined volume of water can be much bigger but only the largest aquarium tank is counted here. A list of the largest aquariums in the world is provided here.

10 Largest Aquariums in the World:

10. Aquarium of Western Australia (0.8 million gallons)

Top 10 Largest Aquariums in the World, Aquarium of Western Australia
Aquarium of Western Australia | image credit – Wikimedia/SeanMack

The Aquarium of Western Australia or AQWA in short, is located in a coastal suburb of Perth. AQWA contains the largest aquarium tank of Australia. The 40 meters (130 ft) long and 20 meters (66 ft) wide main tank of the aquarium holds 3,000,000 liters (793,000 gallons) of seawater. There is a 98 meter (322 ft) long underwater tunnel here. Snorkelers and divers can get even closer to the fish, sharks, and rays for a fee by joining the dive master of the aquarium in exploring the main tank.

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9. Aquarium of Genoa

Top 10 Largest Aquariums in the World, Aquarium of Genoa
Aquarium of Genoa | image credit – Wikimedia/Superchilum

Located in Italy, the Aquarium of Genoa is built for Expo 92. It is one of the largest aquariums in Europe. Replications of marine and terrestrial habitats from throughout the world are made in the 70 tanks of the aquarium. These tanks provide a home for more than 6000 animals. The natural environments of the Mediterranean, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean are reproduced in some tanks. The tanks housing the sharks, the dolphins and the seals are the most spectacular ones.

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8. Shanghai Ocean Aquarium

Top 10 Largest Aquariums in the World, Shanghai Ocean Aquarium
Shanghai Ocean Aquarium | image credit – Flickr/tab2_dawa

One of the largest aquariums in Asia, The Shanghai Ocean Aquarium is composed of 9 exhibition zones of all over the world. The zones include the China Zone, the Antarctic Zone and the Australia Zone. Including rare and precious species from the Yangtze River, several endangered Chinese aquatic species are housed in the China Zone. The underwater tunnel is the biggest attraction of the aquarium. The tunnel is 155 meter (509 ft) long and the longest underwater tunnel in the world.

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7. uShaka Marine World

Top 10 Largest Aquariums in the World, uShaka Marine World
uShaka Marine World | image credit – Wikimedia/Amada44

Situated at Durban, the uShaka Marine World is a theme park in South Africa. There are 32 tanks here and the aquarium also contains the largest aquarium in Africa. The aquarium boasts a range of sea creatures from small sea horses all the way through to sharks and dolphins.

The Aquarium contains a number of restaurants and cafes and it is built to look like an old wreck. “The Cargo Hold” restaurant is the most notable of these restaurants. “The Cargo Hold” restaurant contains a full wall sized aquarium containing a number of sharks that are visible from most of the dining area.

6. Monterey Bay Aquarium (1.2 million gallons)

Top 10 Largest Aquariums in the World, Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey Bay Aquarium | image credit – Wikimedia/Meij.kobayashi

Constructed on the site of a former sardine cannery, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is located on Cannery Row in Monterey, California. There are two gigantic tanks among the numerous exhibits of the aquarium. These two tanks are among the largest aquariums in the world. The Ocean’s Edge Wing’s centerpiece is a 10 meter (33 foot) high 1.3 million liter (0.33 million gallon) tank, which is for viewing California coastal marine life.

The Outer Bay Wing contains the other tank. The 4.5 million liter (1.2 million gallon) tank features one of the largest single-paned windows in the world. Including stingrays, jellyfish, sea otters, the tank exhibit numerous other native marine species that can be viewed above and below the waterline.

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5. Turkuazoo (1.32 million gallons)

Top 10 Largest Aquariums in the World, Turkuazoo
Turkuazoo | image credit – Flickr/Dzhingarova

Turkuazoo is the first giant aquarium in the Turkey. The aquarium is opened in 2009. The aquarium features a rainforest, flooded forest and tropical seas zones. Located inside the Forum Istanbul Shopping Mall, the aquarium contains an 80 meter long underwater tunnel. Including tiger sharks, giant stingrays and piranhas, the Turkuazoo holds about 10,000 sea creatures. They can be viewed in 29 different exhibits where the largest holds 5 million liters (1.32 million gallons) of water. It is one of the largest aquariums in the world.

4. L’Oceanografic (1, 85 million gallons)

Top 10 Largest Aquariums in the World, L'Oceanografic
L’Oceanografic | image credit – Wikimedia/Diliff

Different marine habitats are represented in the L’Oceanogràfic. This marine complex is integrated inside a complex known as the City of Arts and Sciences located inside the city of Valencia in Spain. One of the largest aquariums in Europe is featured in the Oceanogràfic. The tank is a home to more than 45,000 marine creatures.

Nine under water towers structured on two levels are populated here that represent several marine ecosystems. A 35 meter underwater tunnel connects two underwater towers and 7 million liters (1, 85 million gallon) of water with sharks, rays fill up its tank.

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3. Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium (1, 98 million gallons)

Top 10 Largest Aquariums in the World, Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium | image credit – Flickr/Hideyuki KAMON

Located within the Ocean Expo Park in Japan, the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium was opened in 2002. The Kuroshio Sea is the main tank of the aquarium. The tank holds 7,5 million liters (1,981,000 gallons) of water and features an acrylic glass panel measuring 8.2 by 22.5 meters (27 by 74 feet) with a thickness of 60 centimeters (24 inches).

It is the largest such panel in the world when the aquarium was opened. Kuroshio Sea is one of the biggest aquariums in the world housing whale sharks and manta rays along with many other fish species. A total of four manta rays have been born in the aquarium as of July 2010.

2. Dubai Mall Aquarium (2, 64 million gallons)

Top 10 Largest Aquariums in the World, Dubai Mall Aquarium
Dubai Mall Aquarium | image credit – Wikimedia/T3n60

The Dubai Mall is part of the 20-billion-dollar Burj Dubai complex in Dubai. It is one of the largest shopping malls in the world. With the capacity to hold 10 million liters (2, 64 million gallons) of water; the gigantic aquarium tank is the centerpiece of the mall. Including over 400 sharks and rays combined, the aquarium houses more than 33,000 living animals.

For the “Largest Acrylic Panel” in the world, the aquarium officially earned the Guinness World Record. Beating Japan’s Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium to the punch, the panel measures 8.3 by 32.88 meter (27 by 108 feet) and is 75 centimeters (30 inches) thick.

1. Georgia Aquarium (6, 3 million gallons)

Top 10 Largest Aquariums in the World, Georgia Aquarium
Georgia Aquarium | image credit – Wikimedia/Zac Wolf

Located in Atlanta, the Georgia Aquarium is the largest aquarium in the world. The aquarium houses more than 100,000 sea creatures. A $250 million donation from Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus funded the aquarium mostly. The aquarium is opened to the visitors in November 2005. The only institution outside of Asia to house whale sharks is the Georgia Aquarium.

A gigantic 24 million liter (6.3 million gallon) tank in the Ocean Voyager exhibit contains the sharks. There has been controversy surrounding the decision of the Georgia Aquarium to house whale sharks, which were heightened by the deaths of two of the whale sharks originally obtained.

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1 thought on “Top 10 Largest Aquariums in the World”

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