Dubai Mall is home to one of the most celebrated tourist attractions in the city – Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo. This is one of the largest aquariums in the world with a 10 million-liter tank located on the ground floor of the mall. It comprises of more than 140 aquatic animal species and over 300 Sharks and Rays.
Not only the variety of species but also the amazing activities in this Aquarium are a point of attraction. There are options like Shark encounters, glass-bottom boat rides and so much more. This post will take you to the Explorer Experience at the Dubai Aquarium and give you a virtual tour of this amazing attraction.
Ticketing
There are 2 ways to book the tickets; online, through the official website of the attraction or through other websites like Klook, and at the ticketing desk at the Dubai Mall, right next to the Aquarium.
Pro Tip: Book the tickets online and get good discounts!
The Dubai Aquarium is divided into 3 parts:
- Aquarium Tank
- Aquarium Tunnel
- Underwater Zoo
Type of attractions available inside:
- Aquarium Tunnel
- Underwater Zoo
- Shark Trainer Experience
- Shark (Caged) Encounter
- Crocs Tour & Bird Feeding
- Ray Feeding
- Otter Meet & Greet Experience
- Behind the Scenes tour
- Underwater Observatory
- Submersible Simulator
- Glass Bottom Boat Ride
These attractions are divided into 8 different types of packages consisting of different combinations and at different prices ranging from 175 AED TO 630 AED, Shark Encounters being the most expensive experience.
Pro Tip: Plan your visit on weekdays, it will be cheaper.
Did You Know: “In Dubai, the weekdays are from Sunday to Wednesday! “
We recommend the “Explorer Experience” as it is decently priced and consists of all the attractions apart from the following encounters:
- Shark Trainer Experience
- Shark (Caged) Encounter
- Crocs Tour & Bird Feeding
- Ray Feeding
- Otter Meet & Greet Experience
If you would like to enjoy one of the above-mentioned experiences then you can choose one of the following 6 packages:
- VIP Explorer Experience
- Explorer Experience
- Dubai Aquarium & Aqua Nursery
- Shark Trainer / King Croc Encounter
- Ray Encounter / Otter Encounter
- Shark Encounter (caged)
VIP Explorer Experience
- Skip the Queue line
- Aquarium Tunnel
- Underwater Zoo
- Behind the Scenes tour
- Underwater Observatory
- Submersible Simulator
- Glass Bottom Boat Ride
- Guidebook & Map
Explorer Experience
- Aquarium Tunnel
- Underwater Zoo
- Behind the Scenes Tour
- Underwater Observatory
- Submersible Simulator
- Aquarium Glass Bottom Boat
Dubai Aquarium & Aqua Nursery
- Aquarium Tunnel
- Underwater Zoo
- Behind the Scenes Tour
- Underwater Observatory
Shark Trainer / King Croc Encounter
- Shark Trainer Experience or Crocs Tour & Bird Feeding
- Aquarium Tunnel
- Underwater Zoo
- Behind the Scenes Tour
- Underwater Observatory
Ray Encounter / Otter Encounter
- Ray Feeding or Otter Meet & Greet Experience
- Aquarium Tunnel
- Underwater Zoo
- Behind the Scenes Tour
- Underwater Observatory
Shark Encounter (caged)
- Only one session daily at 2:00 pm during sharks feeding and free admission to:
- Aquarium Tunnel
- Underwater Zoo
- Shark Week Exhibit
- visitors are taken on a tour of the back-of-house facilities.
Explorer Experience
This experience includes the following amazing things:
Aquarium Tunnel
This beautiful tunnel is a part of all the packages so whichever package you choose, you will be experiencing the magic spread here. The Explorer Experience starts from this beautiful tunnel, though it is a short tunnel but it is fun.
This is the only section of the Aquarium which is accessible on the ground floor, after you exit the tunnel, take the escalator to the 2nd floor and continue your tour.
Start exploring through this machine which explains so much about Sharks then move to the next section which will give you the experience of a submarine! Enjoy watching small aquatic species here.
Submersible Simulator
This is another inclusion in this package, this stimulator is like a 4D show where you watch a fun episode guided by a cute turtle. You will be locked in a small cabin where you will stand and enjoy this 4 minutes show. Check out this complete show here:
Behind the Scenes Tour
The guide from the Aquarium will then explain how this place breeds Sharks and jellyfishes! The entire process is time-consuming and tough but this Aquarium knows how to take care of the environment and their loved animals.
After explaining the entire breeding process, you will be taken deeper in the tank and you could enjoy watching sharks and other fishes closely.
Just down these stairs is the open tank, from where the staff can feed the animals.
Aquarium Glass Bottom Boat
The tour now continues to this section where you can enjoy 360 degrees view of the aquarium tank.
Before you board this boat you need to wear the safety jackets. The ride is only for 10 minutes where the guide enlightens the tourists more about the aquarium. You can enjoy watching the sharks right under your boat.
The tank has a small hospital area with a net on the corner where they treat the sick aquatic animals.
Underwater Zoo
This is my favourite section of the tour and the largest section as well. You can meet a lot of birds and cute little creatures out here like Penguins!
This section has 2 floors and the 1st floor displays skeleton of animals and also has a small photo booth. You can get yourself clicked in different poses with various animals and buy those pictures later near the exit.
The exit of the attraction is from this official store where you can buy some souvenirs.
All in all Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo is a good tourist attraction amidst Dubai Mall. You can spend some nice time here, just make sure to choose the right ticket type for you. I would love to try the Shark encounter on my next visit.
Do leave your comments and about your experience here, if any. Don’t forget to subscribe to the blog to stay updated with the amazing travel feeds which could help you to choose the right options for you on your trips.
A video of Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo on my YouTube channel.
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