Experiences at Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo

Meet the King Croc at the Dubai Aquarium and have a face-to-face encounter with the Croc-Royalty. Weighing 750 kgs, and stretching over 5m in length, the King Croc is a 40 year old creature native to Australia. This wonderful creature in the animal world is one of the most powerful and feared reptiles to ever inhabit nature. Accompanying the King Croc is the ‘Queen Croc’ who is more than 80 years old. Already one of the most enormous creatures in the world, the King Croc is expected to grow much larger over the next 50 years.

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Interact with the cute and charming family of asian small-clawed otters at the Underwater zoo who are the smallest in comparison to the 13 other otter species. A highly threatened species, the Asian small-clawed otters weigh less than 5 kgs and have a huge appetite as they can eat upto 20% of their body weight daily! Visitors can interact with them by taking an exclusive tour of the otter’s home in the zoo as well as watch a special educational presentation to get to know more about the lifestyle of these little creatures.

Interact with the Eagle Rays and Cow Nose Rays in another enlivening animal encounter at the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo. The specially constructed ray-feeding platform allows the visitors to safely touch and feed 50 Rays in an exhilarating face-to-face encounter with these graceful marine animals. Rays are a wonderful and gentle species, who will gladly accept the food you feed them with your own hands. The experience of watching and meeting these inquisitive animals will leave you amazed and fluttering with joy.

The Dubai Aquarium and Underwater zoo is the first facility in the region to house the Gentoo Penguins where you can view a total of 16 Gentoo Penguins. The special housing system, lighting arrangements and built temperature controlled facility replicates their natural habitat, providing a safe and habitable environment for these beautiful creatures. The multi-level exhibit has loads of exciting areas for the playful penguins to climb and slide around. Make sure to stop by the Penguin Cove habitat for an immersive encounter with these flightless creatures and learn more about their charming behaviour.

An all-in-one educational and training experience, the Shark Trainer Encounter is a special program wherein the visitors are educated about the different Shark species. The content is based on the environment, feeding and breeding habitats of the Sharks. Along with that, you also get the chance to interact with them by assisting the aquarium staff in training Bamboo Sharks and Leopard Sharks. The visitors are submerged to about waist height when they enter the tanks of the Sharks in waterproof waders to interact with them. A unique and tingling experience, this encounter is a great way to get to know the species.

Visitors can also catch a glimpse of the animals when they are fed by the trainers or participate in guided feeding activities themselves. A variety of animals such as the King Croc, Ray, Otters and Sharks are fed daily at different timings by expert divers. While the dinner time at Dubai Aquarium is quite busy, regular feeding sessions are conducted daily. Although, make sure to note down the timings of these sessions as each of them is conducted during different intervals of the day. Daily animal presentations are also displayed by experienced educators to enhance the visitor’s knowledge about marine life.

If you like thrilling and goose bumping adventures with the Sharks, then the Shark Diving experience is the perfect fit for you. Enjoy the company of the Leopard Sharks, Sand Tiger Sharks, Tawny Nurse Sharks, Giant Groupers and Stingrays in the depths of the water. It is a safe and guided experience as you will be under the supervision of qualified Dive Masters and Dive Instructors. Fret not, if you do not have a certification of scuba diving, you can get one by completing a short Discover Scuba program with AI Boom Diving. Do keep in mind to make an advance booking for this aquatic adventure.

If you cannot Scuba dive but want to feel a similar experience, then Snorkelling in a Cage is the perfect activity for you. Submerge inside a 10 million litre water tank without any diving equipment and watch over 70 different marine species from a close distance. Even if you lack the experience to do a full-fledged diving, you can enjoy a similar thrilling experience inside a cage by putting on snorkelling gear. Anyone who is 8 years or older can indulge in this experience as no experience is necessary.

Walk inside the water among the company of 400 sharks and rays inside one of the largest suspended aquariums in the world. Have a close encounter with these magnificent beings without the need of a scuba diving certification. Breathe underwater with the help of an oxygenated helmet which is provided by the aquarium. Instructors will guide you throughout your experience in the cage. You can even ask them to film a video for you using their GoPro and buy the memory card later.

A mix of diving, education and photography, the Speciality Dives at the Dubai Aquarium offers a three-fold diving experience to PADI certified visitors. Explore the underwater world by diving freely among the mighty sharks and rays as well as interact with the marvellous species during the Shark Feeding Dive. Also, learn more about topics such as shark conservation identification and underwater photography tips. The best part of the journey is that you can take photos during the 30-minute theory session through an underwater camera to take back memories that you will cherish forever.

Do you want to try Scuba diving but do not have the full certification to do so? Then don’t worry and attend the PADI’s Discover Scuba Diver program after which you can freely dive underwater along with a certified instructor. Your diving instructor will give you a quick lesson about the safety guidelines and the basics of diving in a caged setup before you make your way into the depths of the 10 million litres water Aquarium.