Sharjah Aquarium is one of the most popular UAE attractions housing a total of 20 large aquariums spread in two separate floors containing diversified species of sea creatures. Established and opened in 2008 in Sharjah, Sharjah Aquarium is a real gem for the tourists especially who love the underwater world. These aquarium tanks have the coral reefs, the underwater mangroves, the rock pools and lagoons in additional to having some of the most beautiful and colorful fishes and sea creatures. An interior pathway allows up-close watching of the oceanic creatures in these surroundings.
Apart from this, many of Sharjah’s most distinguishing and popular landmarks are nearer to it, which include: Yacht Monument (which is only three minutes away from the Aquarium), Al Majaz (ten minutes away), Al Khan Beach (four minutes away), Safya Park (six minutes away) and many more. Check our article on Sharjah desert park as well.
Why Should You Visit Sharjah Aquarium?
After establishment in 2008, the Aquarium of Sharjah opened up the hypnotic deep sea kingdom to the public. Sharjah Aquarium will be the appropriate place for you to witness the native under-water sea life that lodges on the very shores of the mesmerizing emirate. It remains as one of the top tourist spot to visit if you are in Sharjah. But it’s not all because the aquarium is more than merely a place to witness the sea life only. You will soon find it as an astounding destination for any individual, families and even students to learn about along with discovering the local marine life.
Location Sharjah Aquarium
To be specific, Sharjah Aquarium is located in the old area of Al Khan. It is very much adjacent to the Sharjah Maritime Museum. The Aquarium is regarded as the first biggest government educational center in the whole UAE. The formal address Sharjah Aquarium remains as Al Meena Street, Al Khan Old area (adjacent to Sharjah Maritime Museum), Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
How to Reach Sharjah Aquarium
You can select among different options to reach Sharjah Aquarium. The most convenient way to reach Sharjah Aquarium is driving in your own vehicle there. If one does not have a personal transport he or she can either hire a taxi, or take an Uber, or even a Careem (a Dubai based app, operational in more than hundred cities) to get to the Aquarium. This might not be the cheapest way to reach there but it will certainly save your time than that of travelling by a bus. The Aquarium is merely five minutes away from Al Khan residents and those residing in Al Qasimia can get to the Aquarium in about 10 minutes.
In case of taking a bus, if you reside in Rolla Area you can take the bus for the route E1 from the Terminal of Al Jubail and eventually reach the Sharjah Aquarium station. From here, the Aquarium is a very short walkaway distance. For public buses, you can take bus lines E304, E303A, E307, E307A and E400 – since all of them pass by the route of Sharjah Aquarium. While travelling by the public bus, you should use the Sayer Card (electronic payment method to facilitate the travellers around Sharjah) because it is easier and cheaper than that of using cash money.
If you are travelling from Dubai city and want to have an alternative type of transport. Then, you can enjoy the Dubai to Sharjah ferry service which will drop you at the Aquarium Marine Station Sharjah city. From there, it will less than a five minutes’ walk distance to the Sharjah Aquarium itself.
If you love sightseeing then take the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour in Sharjah. It will be the best way to enjoy the other attractions of Sharjah city along with the Aquarium.
Sharjah Aquarium Timings
Fish Aquarium of Sharjah timings may vary but in a convenient way. Thus, visitors can visit and enjoy this marvelous site in their comfortable schedule. For Saturday to Thursday, one can visit this Aquarium from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm and for Friday the timing will be 8:00 PM to 4:00 PM. In addition, if visitors have any type of inquiries or need to reserve a time they can contact either by making a phone call or writing an email to the. The contact no. and email id. are as follows: +9716 528 5288 and info@sma.gov.ae.
Sharjah Aquarium Tickets
Sharjah Aquarium tickets price could be different based on number of groups or age. For example, groups could enjoy special discounts irrespective of adults or for children. Moreover, trips on educational purpose can get discounted rates in case of their entry fees.
- For Children aged in between 2 to 12 years old it will charge AED 15 for each ticket. If the numbers of children in a group are 6 or more then the charge will be AED 10 on each person.
- For Adults aged 13 years or above the charge will be AED 25 for each person. For a group of 6 or more the ticketing fee will be AED 15.
- In case of private school and private university trips the ticketing charge will be AED 5 for each person.
- The entry in Sharjah Aquarium is free of cost for kids aged under 2 years old and for seniors aged 60 years old or above along with 1 assisting companion. The entry will also be free for the people with special needs, in case of govt. school trips and govt. university trips.
- While considering the ticket prices you should remember that, Sharjah Aquarium’s entry tickets are mainly joint tickets to pay a visit to the Aquarium along with the neighboring Sharjah Maritime Museum. A visitor can enjoy both of places in a day using the same ticket. Another thing is that, to enjoy the special discounted ticket price for group trip, the group must consist of a minimum member of 6 people.
Free Entry Offers to Sharjah Aquarium
The Aquarium authority offers entry free of cost in the following days:
- 18th of the month May (To address the International Museum Day)
- 1st day of December (Since it is the Martyr’s Day)
- 2nd day of December (As it is the National Day of the UAE)
Closing Days for Sharjah Aquarium
Fish Aquarium of Sharjah remains closed on specific days of the year. These days are determined based on the lunar or Islamic calendar. The closing days include the followings:
- 29th and 30th days of the Arabic month – Ramadan
- The first day of Eid Al Fitr
- The 9th day of the Arabic month – Dhul Hijjah
- The first day of Eid Al Adha
Sharjah Aquarium’s Sea Creatures
This aquarium hosts diversified types of living marine creatures in their native environment. This is an enchanting world containing unbelievable types (almost 100 types) of aquatic species. Here, the gorgeous marine species include the beautiful clownfish, moray eels, delicate seahorses, reef sharks and sea rays. Just consider the magnificence of the different sizes of marine creatures roaming along the coral reefs and the rocky shore, and in the mangroves and around the lagoons. This will take you to the dreamy world of underwater realm.
Edutainment Programs
Sharjah Aquarium conducts different kind of edutainment programs. Among those one of the most mentionable programs is holding a rehabilitation program for the turtle. Here, the the husbandry team gathers and accepts injured or sick sea turtles, give them proper treatment. After being properly rehabilitated these sea turtles are released back into the open sea which is their regular habitat. This highlights Sharjah Aquarium’s significant role of educating the public about sea life and about the necessity of conserving marine ecosystem which includes preserving their wonderful creatures also.
Social Responsibility Initiatives
Sharjah Aquarium runs an awareness raising program as a social responsibility initiative on behalf of Sharjah Museum Authority. The program is titled as “Because We Care”. This is a yearly aquatic environment clean-up campaign that aims to promote awareness about environmental protection and educate the morals of protecting marine attractions. Another objective of this promotional campaign is to spread awareness regarding the hazards of aquatic pollution. This pollution could occur from the reckless behavior of some people including tourists.
Learning and Preserving Underwater Ecosystem
Sharjah Aquarium is not only just a recreational place rather it serves more than that. This aquarium was established to introduce the general public with the lives and ecosystem of the aquatic realm. In the year of 2009, the Authority of Sharjah Museums made a decision to extend the attraction range of Sharjah Aquarium by developing a maritime nature reserve. Since then, this initiative has been operational to safeguard a secured habitation for sea creatures to breed along with flourish throughout the past decade.
The scope of operations for the initiative of marine nature reserve includes the creation of ideal atmosphere for the coral reefs to develop and grow. Marine nature reserve also works for raising awareness regarding the danger of aquatic pollution along with its eventual environmental damage. Thus, with the assistance of professionals, experts and volunteers, the authority of Sharjah Aquarium thrives to preserve and protect the marine environment.
Paying a visit to this Aquarium of Sharjah will entertain and at the same time educate the visitors about the hazards of land reclamation, overfishing and oil spills. When you know that how human’s actions could destroy the natural habitations of marine life – you can strive towards becoming more responsible and aware for the marine ecosystem.
Facilities Offered by Sharjah Aquarium
To provide the visitors with an easy, comfortable and hassle-free visiting experience, Sharjah Aquarium authority offers different kinds of facilities. Some of these facilities include the followings:
- Elevator facility
- Mothers’ room along with changing (diaper) tables for babies
- A café for read and quick meals or snacks
- A room for prayer
- A Gift shop to buy souvenirs
- Spacious parking area
- Well-equipped restrooms
- Easy access of wheelchairs for the old and people with special needs
- Easily freely accessible Wi-Fi network
Tourists Attractions nearer to Sharjah Aquarium
The location of Sharjah Aquarium puts it nearer to most attraction sites in the area of Al Khan. These attraction sites include the the Al Khan historical area, Al Khan Monument, Sharjah Expo Centre and the Al Khan Lagoon. Apart from these sites, the other nearby tourist attraction sites include the followings:
- The Khalid Lake (6 km away from Sharjah Aquarium which will take about 11 minutes to reach by car)
- Maritime Museum of Sharjah (200 m away from the Aquarium and at a walking distance)
- Al Noor Island (6 km away from the Aquarium and will take about 10 minutes to reach by car)
After exploring the Sharjah Aquarium, if you are contemplating about passing and enjoying your time laying on beach sands, you are truly in luck. The Sea Beach of Al Khan will take merely less than a five minute drive from Sharjah Aquarium. Another amazing beach, the Lou Lou’a Beach is approximately 3 kilometer away, from the Aquarium which will take a short six minute drive.
The Nearby Restaurants to Sharjah Aquarium
Though there remains a café in the Aquarium, one could always try other nearby substitutes. Some popular nearby restaurants include the followings:
- Sanobar Restaurant (2 km away from the Aquarium and will take a four minute drive)
- Sammach (400 m away and at a walkway distance)
- Sufrat Al Mandi (2 km away and will take a four minute drive)
- Bangkok Town Restaurant (3 km away will take a five minute drive)
To conclude, Sharjah Aquarium remains as a hidden gem and it has much to offer. It not only imparts the knowledge about marine lives but also raises awareness about it. While visiting Sharjah Aquarium, one can easily explore the the opportunities to visit Sharjah’s other major landmarks and tourist attractions simultaneously.
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