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Can I transport you all back to our Vegas family vacation, you know the one that we took this past summer? Great! So imagine it’s 110 degrees out and a wee bit humid. Scratch that, very humid and we needed a fun indoor activity with really good air conditioning… just keeping it real folks!
We decided to head on over to the Shark Reef Aquarium. We’ve actually been to the aquarium at least 10 times. We try to squeeze it into out itinerary each year because it’s an experience you can’t find anywhere else. I absolutely love the way they describe the aquarium on their website. It sums it up perfectly!
“Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay is not your typical aquarium. It’s a total sensory experience designed to transport visitors to an undersea ocean of fantastic sights, sounds and encounters. Featuring dangerous and unusual aquatic animals from the world’s tropical waters, Shark Reef Aquarium takes visitors on a journey through an ancient temple slowly being claimed by the sea.
Fourteen breathtaking exhibits are devoted to dangerous aquatic predators. The largest exhibit is the 1.3 million gallon shipwreck where visitors experience an almost 360-degree view, teeming with sharks and fish, through an acrylic tunnel. The Touch Pool is a popular attraction, where guests can touch an ever-changing collection of animals including sharks, rays or horseshoe crabs. More than 2,000 animals are displayed at Shark Reef Aquarium, over 100 different species and featuring 15 species of sharks.”
The way that the aquarium is set up, there are different exhibits spread out on a walking path. With little ones in tow, you never know if their attention span will be short or long and this allows for you to tailor your visit to your needs.
Our little one loved the guy above, but really loved the animals what were in the water!
I really like that you can spend an hour breezing through or much longer really enjoying all there is to see. There are lot’s of places to sit back and relax and watch the fish and sharks go by.
This is one of the coolest things ever. You feel like you are underwater {because you pretty much are} and it is so much fun to see the HUGE sharks swim over you and interact with the other animals in this really large tank.
The touching pool is fascinating. The Bat Rays would swim by and you can reach out and gently touch them.
The Jellyfish are my favorite part. The colors that they show in the different lighting is mesmerizing.
I had to show this guy off… isn’t this totally cool? To {safely} be this close to this big guy!!!
Tip: Every time we go there is a line to buy tickets. Don’t let it scare you off… it moves very quickly. Once you are inside there is no wait and you can move at your own pace. They sell recorded self tours and we have done that a few times and the girls really enjoyed it. Once the little one is a bit older, maybe around 6 we will be doing it again. Strollers are welcome and there are lots of places to pause and sit for a bit as needed. Definitely make time for the touching pool and don’t worry, there is a place to wash your hands after! The exhibit spills out into a gift shop so your little ones can purchase a souvenir.
Thank you so much to Shark Reef for providing us with this experience! We had a blast and we will be back!