Aquarium Finisterrae facts for kids
Aquarium entrance
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| Date opened | June 5, 1999 |
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| Location | A Coruña, Galicia, Spain |
| Coordinates | 43°23′02″N 8°24′35″W / 43.3840°N 8.4098°W |
| No. of species | >600 |
| Volume of largest tank | 4,400,000 litres (1,200,000 US gal) |
The Aquarium Finisterrae is an amazing aquarium in A Coruña, Galicia, Spain. Its name means 'Aquarium of the End of the World'! It's a fun, hands-on science center where you can learn all about marine biology and the ocean. The aquarium works hard to protect sea animals and their homes.
The city of A Coruña opened the aquarium on June 5, 1999. It is located right on the coast of A Coruña, between the Domus (museum) and the famous Tower of Hercules. What's really cool is that its outdoor pools are connected directly to the Atlantic Ocean!
Contents
Exploring the Aquarium Finisterrae
The Aquarium Finisterrae has several cool areas to explore. Each part offers a different way to learn about the ocean and its creatures.
What's Inside the Aquarium?
- Sala Maremagnum: This is an interactive room all about the Atlantic Ocean. It has more than 600 different kinds of Atlantic sea creatures!
- Sala Humboldt: Here you'll find special exhibits about different sea environments.
- Sala Nautilus: This room looks like Captain Nemo's study from the book Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. It's an underwater viewing area inside a giant tank.
- Octopus' Garden: A special place just for octopuses!
- Jardín Botánico: This garden shows off plants that grow along the coast of Galicia.
- Piscinarium: This area is home to seals from the Atlantic Ocean.
- Sala Isabel Castelo: A room with beautiful nature photos on display.
Discover the Sala Maremagnum
The Sala Maremagnum is the biggest part of the aquarium. It focuses on the amazing Atlantic Ocean. Many of the displays here have questions as their titles, which were chosen by newspaper readers before the aquarium opened.
One of the most popular spots is the Charca de las caricias, which means 'Stroking Pool'. Here, you can gently touch some of the sea animals! There are also fun displays about things like tying nautical knots, smelling different fish, and how much water a sponge can hold.
You'll also see tanks with jellyfish, a small display of ancient sea fossils, and an aquarium full of tiny sea horses. Near the entrance, there's a special round tank that features a different animal every so often.
Five very large aquariums are set apart from the rest of the room. Each one shows a different part of the Galician coast, from tall cliffs to the deep continental shelf. In these tanks, you can see creatures like morays, congers, anglerfish, groupers, and John Dory.
The Sala Humboldt's Changing Exhibits
The Sala Humboldt hosts special exhibits that change about every two years. For example, some of the first exhibits showed fish from the Caribbean Sea.
Dive into the Sala Nautilus
The Sala Nautilus is a truly unique room. It's designed to look just like Captain Nemo's study from the famous book Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. You can look through 48 windows into a huge pool that holds 4,400,000-litre (970,000 imp gal; 1,200,000 US gal) of water!
This giant tank is home to about 700 fish from 34 different species. You'll see impressive sand sharks, amberjacks, and even huge ocean sunfish. There are also different kinds of sharks like school sharks, angel sharks, and catsharks. Many fish that live off the Galician coast, like sea bass and giant turbots, also swim here.
One of the biggest stars of the Sala Nautilus is Gastón, a male sand shark who is 3 meters (10 feet) long and weighs 100 kg (220 pounds)! He arrived from another aquarium in France in 2006 and lives with a female sand shark named Hermosa.
The room itself is a tribute to Jules Verne's book. You'll find posters of different copies of the book and movie posters from film versions. The room is filled with old furniture, scientific tools, paintings, and sea shells, all from the 1800s, just like in Captain Nemo's time. There are comfy leather chairs, old maps, and even mirrors that make funny reflections. A special 20-minute symphony, with organ music, plays in the background to complete the atmosphere.
Outside the Aquarium
Outside the main building, you can find more interesting things to see.
Outdoor Terraces and Marine Paradise
On the Terraza exterior (Outdoor Terrace), you can see art about fishing. There's also the cabin of a fishing boat called María del Carmen. You can even see the anchor from the oil tanker Mar Egeo, which had an oil spill in 1992.
From here, you can go to the Paraíso Marino (Marine Paradise). This area gets its water directly from the sea and is home to three male seals: Altair, Gregor, and Hansi. If you look to the left of the aquarium, you'll spot the Jardín Botánico, which has many plants found along the Galician coast.
The Piscinarium is another outdoor area where six female seals live: Bine, Deneb, Lara, Paula, Petra, and Vega.
Finally, the Octopus' Garden is a special spot where you can watch how octopuses behave.
Images for kids
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Aquarium entrance
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One of the Aquaria of the Sala Maremágnum
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Cabinet of Captain Nemo in the Sala Nautilus of the Aquarium Finisterrae
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Angel shark in the Sala Nautilus
See also
In Spanish: Aquarium Finisterrae para niños
