Sea Life Sydney Aquarium

Sydney Sea Life Aquarium in Darling Harbour is one of the city’s top attractions, and for good reason – it is simply one of the world’s best aquariums and, as well as the wonderful marine life, there are lots of attractions within the aquarium. It is a rewarding outing for the whole family and you should allow plenty of time to explore at leisure and enjoy some of the tours, presentations and activities. You can swim and snorkel, take the Glass Bottom Boat tour and go behind the scenes.

The Behind the Scenes Tour lets visitors check out the inner workings of the aquarium.  The tours lasts about 45 minutes and highlights include being one of the first to feed the fish standing above Shark Valley… a visit to the research laboratory to test the pH and oxygen levels (it is most important that the marine life stays alive and healthy!)… and a trip to prepare the feasts for the dugongs, Pig and Wuru, the only pair of on-display dugongs in the world.

On Dugong Island there is an interactive game so you can experience what it is like to see, hear, smell and speak like Pig (named after his eating habits) and Wuru (who weighs in at over 400 kilos!). Did you know that dugongs are closely related to elephants? Other areas within the aquarium include Rocky Shores, Bay of Rays, Shark Valley, Mangrove Swamps and South Coast Shipwreck.

Another popular activity is the Reef Shark Snorkel. On this one visitors can be face-to-fin with some of the ocean’s most amazing creatures, including reef sharks, sawfish and an array of tropical fish that call the Great Barrier Reef home.  Snorkellers are submerged in a safe and see-through enclosure as fascinating marine critters like the Maori Wrasse and White-Tip Reef Sharks swim just metres away. With no diving experience required this ultimate reef adventure can be enjoyed individually or with the entire family – and what a great way to learn to snorkel! The whole experience lasts about an hour and a half and you get around 20 minutes of quality snorkel time. The aquarium provides the wet suit and snorkel gear but you need to take swimmers and a towel.

There are entertaining and informative talks about the rays, the little penguins, the orphaned and rescued dugongs and, of course, the sharks. You can take the Glass Bottom Boat Tour (10 to 15 minutes) and feed the fish and the sharks as well as get an incredible view of hundreds of tropical fish, the reef’s famous predators and other animals found on the reef.

The Sea Life Sydney Aquarium is an all-weather attraction, located on the city side of Darling Harbour. It is open 365 days a year from 9:30am to 7:00pm with last entries strictly at 6:00pm. The aquarium has extensive wheelchair access facilities throughout the attraction and wheelchairs are available for (free) hire from guest services on arrival. For admission, tour prices and other details, visit the official Sydney SEA LIFE Aquarium website.