Russian tourists have long and enjoyed visiting Thailand's largest island - Phuket. It is connected to the mainland by three bridges, so you can get here not only by plane, but also by water, as well as land transport.
The island, whose area is about 543,000 km 2 , is located in the Andaman Sea near the western coast of Thailand. The administrative center of the island is the city of the same name, with 83,000 inhabitants. It is located in the southeast of the island, on the shores of the Gulf of Phuket of the Andaman Sea.
If you plan to visit Phuket in the near future, especially if you will have children on your trip, do not miss the oceanarium in Phuket among the many attractions of the island. The photos that we posted in this article convey the special atmosphere of this place, as well as the admiration and delight in the eyes of young visitors.
A bit of history
The oceanarium in Thailand (Phuket) was opened for visits for quite some time - back in 1983. An oceanarium was created to study the environment and protect the island's natural resources.
Phuket Marine Center
The Phuket Oceanarium has become part of the Marine Biological Center, located on the island. It covers an area of eight hectares. It captures the coast in the southeast of the island. The Center provides training for students, serious studies of marine fauna and flora. Some endangered species are also collected here.
The administration of this research institution plans in the near future to develop an educational program for children, consisting of practical exercises, in which they will be able to study outlandish marine life. A hatchery, a museum of endangered species and a research laboratory will be involved in the creation of this course.
Description
The oceanarium in Phuket is located on Cape Panwa, in a very picturesque place, which, according to tourists, makes its visit even more enjoyable. Cape Panwa is the most extreme point in the southeast of the island. The aquarium is not included in the list of the largest aquariums in the world: it is much smaller than St. Petersburg, not to mention the largest aquarium in the world - Singapore.
Nevertheless, if you have never been to such complexes before, be sure that the recreated underwater world of Thailand and Phuket will make an unforgettable impression on adults and young visitors.
The territory of the aquarium in Phuket is divided into several parts. At the entrance, visitors are greeted by jellyfish, starfish and papier-mâché sharks. In the first room there are a lot of fish, which, perhaps, are not of great interest, since they are widespread among aquarists around the world.
Further, colors are added to the aquarium, it becomes brighter and more elegant: sea fish replace river fish. So, in one of the expositions called “Coral reefs” you can admire butterfly fish, clown fish, sea horses, which are well known to many young travelers for the animated film “Finding Nemo”.
You will not be able to pass by the old-timers of the aquarium in Phuket. These are the huge perches that have lived here for twenty-five years. Over this long period they have reached very impressive dimensions.
"Exotic species"
In this section you can see the famous predators - piranhas and amazing electric stingrays that are able to hit their enemies with a current of 600 volts. All aquariums are equipped with plates, however, they are written only in English and Thai. They indicate the names of the species and provide information on marine life.
Tunnel
The pride of the Phuket Aquarium (tourist reviews confirm this) is a ten-meter tunnel, a walk along which is akin to diving to the seabed. Many are delighted with the unusual show, which can be watched every Saturday and Sunday: the scuba diver enters the tunnel and feeds its inhabitants, including predatory sharks, from the hands of the diver.
Ponds
Leaving the main pavilion, you immediately find yourself on the path leading to the ponds that have inhabited numerous turtles. The large ponds frolic around the amusing Hawksbill turtles and sea green turtles.
Other interesting places
It should be noted that the aquarium is surrounded by other interesting places that you must definitely see if you happen to visit the island. Coming out of the aquarium, you will see on the shore it is important to walk herons. In addition, you will be offered to visit the center where bred ocean animals. You will see how cuttlefish, seahorse and clown fish grow.
Tsunami reminder
At the end of the exhibition, all visitors stop at a large stand, which was created in memory of the terrible tragedy - the tsunami, which in 2004 covered Southeast Asia. It became the worst in the history of observations and claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in different parts of the region.
The killer waves reached the Andaman coast of Thailand: coastal zones were almost wiped off the face of the earth, the infrastructure of the picturesque islands of Phi Phi had to be rebuilt, thousands of tourists from different countries became victims of the disaster.
Thais should be given their due: in just a few years, they managed to eliminate the terrifying consequences of the tragedy. Only on the streets today you can see signs with the inscription Tsunami evacuation route ("Tsunami evacuation path"). Yes, the oceanarium has a memory in the form of a stand with terrible photos and a description of how dangerous and destructive nature is that a person can never completely subjugate.
After a tour of the aquarium, you can stop by the cafe, which offers stunning views of the coast or visit the gift shop. The oceanarium is open daily from 8.30 to 16.30. If you want to see the feeding of the inhabitants of the tunnel, then look into the aquarium on weekends from 11.00 to 11.30.
Visiting Rules
The administration asks visitors to the oceanarium to observe simple rules of conduct:
- Do not use flash when taking photos;
- do not feed the fish without the permission of the staff;
- Do not make noise or try to enter the pool.
Phuket oceanarium: how to get there?
The exact address of the Phuket Aquarium is Muang Phuket, 8 Sakdidej road, 51. You can get here from any beach by minibus to the final stop in Phuket Town. Then you should transfer to another taxi, next to the Aquarium stop. It will take you to the terminal station next door, next to which is the entrance to the Oceanarium.
Visitors reviews
Opinions about visiting the aquarium vary: most tourists think this is a great place to visit with children. Many marine life lives in spacious and bright aquariums. The work of the staff is well organized. Although some guests, mainly those who happened to visit larger aquariums, believe that the room is not spacious enough and there are not too many representatives of the underwater kingdom.