The 34-acre waterscape that surrounds the resort of Atlantis is a unique aquarium complex with underwater passageways and observation areas, sunken statues, pillars and boulevards, and an amazing array of more than 200 species of sea life. The largest man-made marine habitat in the world, its 11 exhibit lagoons hold 11 million gallons of water and house more than 50,000 sea animals, from small jellyfish to large predator sharks.
The Ruins Lagoon alone holds 2.7 million gallons of water. Here you’ll find more than 20,000 deep reef and pelagic fish – sharks, rays, and open-water fish such as tuna, snappers, and jackfish – swimming, gliding, and hiding amongst sunken mythical Atlantean artefacts. You can also gaze upon this fantasy world as you feast on gourmet fare at Fathoms restaurant, like dining in an underwater lair on a James Bond movie set.
The Dig is an experience in itself. An elaborate underground maze of rooms and passageways transport you back 11,000 years to life in the legendary city of Atlantis. Ancient streets interspersed with peculiar religious shrines, a crystal machining workshop, a storeroom of clay jars and urns, a records chamber, submarine room, and navigation room showcase numerous smaller exhibit tanks housing piranha, jellyfish, green eels, lionfish, and more.
At the Mayan Temple Lagoon Caribbean reef sharks, silky sharks, and nurse sharks glide past as you swoosh through the middle of their exhibit tank inside the clear tunnel of the water slide. Of course you don’t have to be in their tank to see them. You can also watch them through panoramic windows or from a spectacular vantage point at the top of the temple. For another close-up view of more sharks, as well as barracudas, rays, sawfish, grouper, corals, and schools of smaller fish, walk through the clear 100-foot submerged tunnel in the Predator Lagoon.
Outside stroll along the Royal Walk while graceful black-and-white spotted eagle rays and southern stingrays glide along on either side of you in the Royal Stingray Lagoon. At the shallow and tranquil Water’s Edge Lagoon you’ll see more spotted eagle rays and stingrays, as well as cownose rays, bone fish, and bonnethead sharks, whose rounded heads look like shovels. For still more sharks, head over to the Reef Lagoon, which comes alive at night as the nurse sharks forage for food. During the day they sleep peacefully on the bottom. In the meandering Hibiscus Lagoon green and hawksbill turtles go about their timeless business.
A big hit with kids, the Estuary Lagoon houses the baby sea animals born at the aquarium. The babies, who include sharks and rays, reside here until they are big enough to join the adults in the other tanks. Through the Tiny Tots Program, five children are chosen daily for the thrilling chance to help feed the animals. For your chance to feed the animals, check out the Stingray Lagoon during feeding times when guests of all ages have the opportunity of touching and feeding them. You can also see rays being hand fed in the Seagrapes Lagoon where a kaleidoscope of colourful reef fish, including French angelfish, parrotfish, butterfly fish, and squirrelfish, as well as live soft corals and the rays, reside in 500,000 gallons of water.
Keeping this wondrous complex operating smoothly is a team of more than 60 full-time Seakeepers. They monitor water quality, the health of the animals, and keep the exhibit tanks clean.
Second in size only to Mother Nature, the aquarium complex at Atlantis adds a unique element to an already out-of-this-world vacation resort.
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