Visit the Veracruz Aquarium (Acuarió de Veracruz) for fascinating insight into life beneath the world’s oceans. Walk between tanks and through glass tunnels, discovering marine life from the Gulf of Mexico and much farther afield. Stand face-to-face with colourful aquatic creatures and deadly underwater predators, watch acrobatic displays and attend educational programmes.
The aquarium contains several interconnecting exhibits with live animals, artifacts and informative displays. The tour starts in a recreation of Mexico’s Los Tuxtlas rain forest, where you can see a boa constrictor, toucan, macaw and turtles. Continue to the freshwater gallery, home to 30 species of fish native to the waters of the Amazonia, Asia, Africa and North America. Observe rays and sharks gliding elegantly amid multicolored corals in the spacious reef tank.
Next up is the saltwater area, featuring 13 tanks inhabited by fish and reptiles from everywhere from the Indo-Pacific to the Red Sea. Marvel at sharks while strolling through the acrylic tunnel. Brave visitors can opt to put on a wetsuit and submerge themselves in the water with the sharks in a translucent box for an extra fee. Nearby is a tank containing curiously shaped jellyfish and interactive kiosks.
Witness slow-moving manatees moving around their tank and bottlenose dolphins performing impressive tricks at the Dolphinarium. You can also pay to swim with the trained dolphins. Don’t leave without seeing the Humboldt penguin viewing area. Enjoy a personal meeting with these adorable aquatic birds for an additional fee and learn about their habits.
Find Veracruz Aquarium at Plaza Acuario, a retail and entertainment mall about a 10-minute drive south of the city centre. Purchase an individual ticket for the aquarium or a combined ticket, which provides access to other attractions at the mall such as the Wax Museum of Veracruz and Ripley’s Believe It or Not! odditorium. The aquarium is open daily. Further information is available on the aquarium’s official website.
