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Lisbon Oceanarium: The world's best aquarium
Elected, for the third time, the "Best Aquarium in the World' by TripAdvisor’s 2018 'Travellers' Choice, Lisbon Oceanarium is now one of the greatest and one of the most prestigious attractions of the capital. With a 4.5 out of 5 overall rating, this aquarium, already with 21 years of existence, delights both adults and children.
Lisbon Oceanarium: a powerful symbol for the city
This legendary oceanarium opened its doors in 1998 for the last world exhibition of the 20th century, whose name "The Oceans, a Heritage for the Future”, echoed all over the world that time: it was the year of Expo 98, an exhibition that changed the Lisbon, especially the area where it was built (Parque das Nações) and marked the city's history - it lasted 132 days and received about 11 million visitors.
If you had the fortune to visit Expo 98, this aquarium must sound very familiar to you. However, if you have never came to Lisbon, or if you have never heard of Lisbon Oceanarium, you will now understand why it is, deservedly, the world’s best aquarium.
What can you see in the Lisbon Oceanarium
This huge aquarium consists of two connected buildings: Edifício dos Oceanos (Oceans Building) and Edifício do Mar (Sea Building). This connection is made by a forecourt, where visitors can access the educational area and the exhibitions: one permanent - "One Planet, One Ocean”, and one temporary - "Forests Underwater” by Takashi Amano, currently on display.
The permanent exhibition takes place in a large central aquarium that holds 5 million liters of seawater and shelter four marine habitats, intending to create the illusion of one big ocean. It also presents terrestrial and marine ecosystems, which cross different types of waters from different oceans: temperate, cold and tropical waters.
In this exhibition, you can observe lovely species of birds, invertebrates, fishes, amphibians, mammals and plants & algae. Regarding temporary exhibition, at the moment is being displayed "Forests Underwater” by Takashi Amano”, that aims to inform to the importance and the relevance of tropical forests (one of the richest and diversified habitats) for the marine world and for the conservation of world’s species.
Along with the marine world that is presented in both exhibitions, the Lisbon Oceanarium has one clear mission: promote ocean sustainability, by educating and encouraging people to learn more about these species and the beauty and preciousness of life in the oceans, and by alerting them to current environmental issues.
For make this happen, many educational activities are developed for all ages, although with a special focus on children and schools: guided tours, birthday parties, concerts for babies, programs for schools, workshops for teachers, and a lot of activities with several educational tools. Lisbon Oceanarium also collaborates with many institutions and aquariums worldwide, providing consulting services through a specialized team of engineers and biologists and supporting scientific research and marine biodiversity conservation projects. Also, for all its pedagogic, cultural and scientific activity, Lisbon Oceanarium is considered as a public service since 2015. A kind of award that makes perfect sense, even more after the creation of Oceano Azul Foundation, in 2016, whose mission is to contribute to a healthy ocean for the benefit of the planet, something equally essential for human development.
With that said, there is no question that the prestigious Lisbon Oceanarium, with approximately 1 million visitors every year, and widely recognized worldwide, is one of the places you must visit in the capital - to be "inside” of this aquarium will certainly be a memorable experience!
