Barcelona Aquarium

About the Barcelona Aquarium

The center was opened in 1995 and features 35 different enclosures that are home to over 11 thousand animals and over 450 different species.  

The Oceanarium

This is the largest enclosure at the aquarium, holding over 3,7 million letters of water and measuring 36 meters in diameter. The oceanarium famously features a subaquatic tunnel of 80 meters that guests can use to fully immerse themselves in the animal’s habitat. 

This enclosure holds some of the most emblematic species that can be found in the Mediterranean sea. From Morey eels to moonfish, to sea bream and rays all the way to bull sharks and brown sharks and other lesser-known species like the angular rough shark, the bluntnose sixgill shark, and the common guitarfish, all of which are endangered species. 

Mediterranean enclosure 

The complex features 14 aquariums dedicated exclusively to Mediterranean species and recreates some very unique habitats of the Mediterranean coast such as the Ebro estuary and the Medas Islands. 

Thematic enclosures 

There are several smaller aquariums that play host to some of the tinier residents of the complex. Here we will find sea urchins, sea horses and sea dragons, and some spectacular coral colonies. 

Tropical enclosures 

The Aquarium is also home to 7 different tanks that highlight the ecosystems of the Red Sea, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Caribbean Sea. The most poisonous animals also get there own exhibit as do the tropical sharks. ​

Planet Aqua 

Before exiting the aquarium, there is one last amazing exhibit that is organized in its own particular way. This exhibit is meant to highlight animals that have adapted and specialized to different underwater conditions and environments. In the center, you will find an enclosure that is home to shallow water dwellers such as rays. Overhead there are animals that have physically changed to adapt to their environment, like cuttlefish and octopus that can expertly camouflage themselves or Nautilus that have developed thick shells to protect themselves. 

There are also tanks dedicated to animals that have adapted to the extreme cold such as penguins, to animals from the tropics like iguanas, chameleons, and piranhas, to animals adapted to the pitch black of the deep sea like jellyfish and starfish.

Explora

There is also a section of the Aquarium dedicated to the younger guests named Explora. This interactive area allows children to enjoy a more hands-on experience.