By Lori Bosworth
Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada opened in Toronto on October 16, 2013. Expected to attract over 2 million visitors per year, the aquarium features more than 16,000 marine animals and over 450 species. Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada also features daily live dive shows, the largest shark collection in North America, an extensive jelly fish exhibit, giant lobsters, sting ray and bamboo shark touch pools.
You’ll be able to take a moving sidewalk along the Dangerous Lagoon to see sharks, sawfish, green sea turtles and moray eels, as well as Pacific sea nettle jelly fish in the kreisel tank at Planet Jellies.
Some of Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada exhibits include:
- The Canadian Waters Gallery, 17 exhibits of aquatic animals including electric blue lobsters from the Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Grayling, giant Pacific octopuses and a Pacific Kelp panel exhibit with wave-making actions that simulate the British Columbia shoreline
- The Rainbow Reef tank with 60 species from the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific regions including surgeonfish, angles, tangs, butterfly fish, chromis, damsels and clownfish
- A Discovery Centre with tsunami simulator, Great Lakes locks exhibit, horseshoe crab touch pools, yellow ‘research’ submarine, Shark Reef crawl tunnel, and bubble peekaboo pop-ups among pufferfish or the ever-popular clown fish
- Ray Bay where sting rays swim across a large viewing area
- The Gallery featuring exotic marine life such as the sea horse and sea dragons, as well as lionfish and stone fish
- More than 100 interactive exhibits including touch pools, multimedia displays and learning centres.
More than 20 marine biologists and aquarists will look after the long-term care of the animals, animal nutrition, water chemistry and animal enrichment. The Aquarium strictly adheres to the standards of animal welfare, wildlife conservation, veterinary care, scientific research, education, staffing, and safety, as regulated by Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA).
Ticket prices start at Adults $29.98, Youths $19.98 and Seniors and Children (3-5) $9.98. Children ages 2 and under are Free.
