Canada’s largest indoor aquarium opened to the public Wednesday, giving people a chance to get a close look at sharks, sea turtles, jellyfish and other marine life without the need for a snorkel or scuba gear.
Located at the base of the CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada was originally scheduled to open in June after two years of construction but delays pushed back the opening to October.
Owned by Ripley Entertainment, the 135,000 sq. foot aquarium features nearly 16,000 marine animals and 450 species, with dozens of exhibits, three pools where people can touch sharks, horseshoe crabs and rays, a tank dedicated to fish from Canada, and the world’s largest jellyfish tank, officials say.
The centrepiece is an exhibit called the “Dangerous Lagoon” – a 2.9-million litre tank filled with sharks, green sea turtles, sawfish and other marine life.
In the “Dangerous Lagoon,” visitors pass through a 97-metre underwater tunnel on a moving sidewalk.
Ripley officials expect more than two million visitors a year.
The demand for tickets was so high before the facility opened Wednesday morning that its ticketing website crashed due to an overwhelming amount of online traffic.
Regular tickets (with a set date and time) cost $30 for adults, $20 for youth aged six to 13, $10 for children aged three to five, and $20 for seniors (65-plus).
Visitors can buy “anytime” tickets online that are valid for one year from the date of purchase. Those tickets cost $35 for adults, $25 for youth (six to 13), $12 for children aged three to five, and $25 for seniors (65-plus).
Annual passes are also available.
Construction began in 2011 and the facility was built at a cost of $130 million.
In addition to showcasing marine life, the aquarium is promising to promote conservation and environmental awareness through research initiatives, educational presentations in schools and other means.
In a statement on its website, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada says the facility “strictly adheres” to standards for animal welfare, veterinary care, wildlife conservation, scientific research, education, expert staffing, and safety, as regulated by Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
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