Sydney Aquarium

Sydney Aquarium ranks among the best aquariums on the planet, so it's not hard to understand why so many visitors to Australia's largest city have it within their sights. Found on the eastern side of Darling Harbour, this world-class aquarium offers a fine array of marine exhibits, with highlights including the glass tunnels that allow visitors to get up close to swimming sharks without having to swim themselves. Also among the highlights at the Sydney Aquarium is the exhibit that recreated the environment of the Great Barrier Reef, and you certainly won't want to miss the popular penguins. You'll need about two hours minimum to take in everything that the dynamic Sydney Aquarium has to offer.

For those who are interested in Sydney Aquarium facts, it is worth noting that this wonderful attraction is among the premier things to doin all of Sydney. Approximately half of the aquarium's visitors come from overseas, and they've been flooding in ever since the complex opened in 1988. Many visitors come to see creatures that they have never seen before, such a platypuses and dugongs, the latter of which are relatively rare marine mammals that resemble sea cows in many ways. In general, the exhibits that can be found at the Sydney Aquarium revolve around Australian themes, and the exhibit areas mostly pertain to different Australian regions and habitats. The platypus habitat can be found in the Southern Rivers area, for example, while the saltwater crocodile exhibit is part of the Northern Rivers area.

There are lots of interesting creatures to see on a Sydney Aquarium visit, and these creatures include some very popular penguins. The Sydney Aquarium penguins are Little Penguins, which are aptly named due to their small size. It is worth mentioning that Little Penguins are the smallest penguins in the world. They are also referred to as Fairy Penguins or Blue Penguins, and are the northernmost penguin species. You can even find these curious creatures at the picturesque Sydney Harbour. The Southern Oceans the aquarium area is where you can view the Sydney Aquarium penguins. This exhibit area also displays strange sea dragons and fish that resemble heavily armored pineapples.

More than 6,000 individual fish are on display at the Sydney Aquarium, and all told, there are more than 600 marine animal species found among the various exhibits. Unique is a word that could be used to describe many of the animal species, and should you wish to learn more about them, you might consider booking one of the guided tours. These tours must be arranged in advance, and special VIP tours are available as well if you want to get the full experience. It is also possible to take a glass-bottomed boat tour in the shark tank area. These tours are offered at 11 a.m. on a daily basis. Also worth considering when planning your visit to this awesome aquarium are the penguin feeding sessions and the talks that focus on the dugongs and the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef talks and the penguin feeds start at 3 p.m., while the dugong talks commence at 3:30 p.m., and they are all offered on a daily basis as well.

The Sydney Aquarium is open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and the last ticket sales are at 7 p.m. Should you purchase your Sydney Aquarium tickets after 7 p.m. at the onsite ticket office, your ticket will be good up until noon the following day. A café and some gift shops can be found at the Sydney Aquarium, so you might add some shopping and diningto the picture. Other shops and restaurants can be found at Darling Harbour, so you might keep them in mind as well, and the area is also known for its clubs and bars should you feel like enjoying somenightlife after the aquarium closes.