Malta has a lot to offer when it comes to beautiful and interesting tourist attractions. The Malta National Aquarium is one of the places that pleasantly surprised me during my visit there.
Covering an area of almost 20.000 square meters, the Malta National Aquarium is divided into 6 different zones. Malta’s western shoreline & Submarine is the first zone where you can discover Mediterranean species such as sea bass, gilt-head sea bream or scorpionfish. Valetta Harbour is the second zone of the aquarium and the place where you will have the chance to admire a variety of local fish including sea bream and mottled grouper. Called the Tropical Oceans, the third zone will delight you with shoals of pompano fish, batfish, unicorn tangs and many more.
Embellished with replicas of ancient Roman remains, the Roman Times is the zone that impressed me with its interesting design. It will be a delight to admire the shoals of damselfish, clownfish or cleaner shrimps in this ingenious setting. Gozo and Camino is another zone inside the aquarium which shows the beauty of Malta’s sister islands, Gozo and Camino. Here you can admire marine species such as grey triggerfish or black bream. Last but not least, the Reptiles and Amphibians zone gives you the chance to explore the world of invertebrates and reptiles such as stick insects, white tarantulas, snakes, dart frogs and many more.
If you visit these areas, you will discover 41 tanks that perfectly replicate the underwater environment. From reptiles and insects to amphibians and fish, a variety of species will urge you to admire them. With a diameter of almost 12 meters, the main tank shelters a lot of species from the Indo-Pacific Ocean such as blacktip sharks, leopard sharks, zebra sharks, eels and so on. Considered one of the most famous areas in the aquarium, this tank has a walk-through tunnel that allows visitors to closely admire these species.
Besides all these interesting areas, the complex also has a public viewpoint in case you want to take a breath of fresh air. The catering services, the children’s play area and the tourist information office are other facilities offered by the Malta National Aquarium.
The shape of the building is also interesting if we take into account that the curved shell structure has the form of a starfish. If you decide to visit the aquarium you should know that it is open daily between 10.00 a.m and 18.00 p.m and the ticket costs 13.90 euros. I advise you to buy the tickets online if you want to get a 10% discount.
To sum up, in case I haven’t convinced you to pay a visit to the Malta National Aquarium yet, take a look at the following pictures and maybe you will add it to your trip itinerary.
