Florida Aquarium
Tampa, FL 33602
Phone: (813) 273-4000
- Hours:
- Daily 9:30am-5pm
Editorial Review for Florida Aquarium – by Citysearch Staff
Overview
Gills and thrills fill this stunning 152,000-square-foot, glass-topped structure built in 1995. It houses many of Florida's most famous fish and other waterside wildlife. Aside from the obvious aquatic animals, river otters, roseate spoonbills and a great horned owl are right at home.
The Experience
From the deep-sea dive of the Coral Reef to the top of the glass dome, the aquarium keeps current with Florida's currents. Watch divers swim with sharks at the Shark Bay exhibit, or wander through streams, marshes, rivers, swamps and mangroves in the Wetlands. Youngsters will enjoy the hands-on Explore-A-Shore coastal discovery zone. To experience Florida wildlife in its natural environment, hop on one of the aquarium's catamaran eco-tours. Adventurous visitors who want to get even closer can Swim with the Fishes--an in-water adventure that does not require SCUBA certification.
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User Reviews for Florida Aquarium
05/09/2007 Posted by twagner13
The first thing you notice when you walk into the lobby is a floor to ceiling image of a school of stingrays against a deep blue sea. That's the background for the lobby touch tank where you can pet real stingrays and little sharks! Upstairs we found the Penguin Promenade where two cute warm weather penguins come out twice a day and walk around in front of the guests -- with nothing between them and the guests! They called it a "no borders, no boundaries" encounter and that is exactly what it was. We even say one of the penguins play with a little boy's shoelaces! We saw that guests could dive with their sharks in the Shark Bay exhibit, but they were already booked for the day, so we went ahead and reserved a time to go diving with the sharks in a few weeks. Can't wait for that! You have to be a certified SCUBA diver, but for those who aren't, they can Swim with the Fishes in their massive Coral Reef exhibit. After we made our reservations we went out to the Cantina for a beverage while our nephews splashed around in their outdoor water play area. It was a fantastic day at The Florida Aquarium and we can't wait to go back!
Pros: Great interactive exhibits and a huge variety of animals.
Cons: If you don't book your Dive with the Sharks in advance you may not be able to do it as a walk up.
12/09/2002 Posted by JMor76
This was an O.K. place to visit. But, the most interesting part was the WW2 battleship out by the bay and the Dolphin Exploring boat ride offered out by the bay. The actual aquarium was very dull.
Cons: Parking
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