Famous Aquarium In Niagara Falls To Visit

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Do you like to learn about marine life? Are you fond of visiting aquariums and exploring the biodiversity on Earth? Not only is this city famous for the location of its waterfall, i.e., Niagara Falls, but also for its aquarium.

Niagara Falls waterfall, Canada
Image by: rickbella, source: Pixabay

1. About The City

Niagara Falls is a very famous city in Canada for its scenic beauty and small-town vibe, thus making it a highly sought-after city to live in. Therefore, the cost of living is high. Some of the major tourist attractions in Niagara are the Sky Wheel, botanical garden, museum, and aquarium.

The aquarium is an amazing place for a family outing trip, as it is educational as well as calm, making it a perfect place to go out with your whole family, friends, or even just by yourself.

2. Ripley’s Believe It or Not: Famous Aquarium In Niagara Falls

ripley's logo
image from the official website

Ripley’s Believe It or Not, located in Clifton Hill, is a little drive from the waterfall, which will help you reach this amazing place. Their main motive is to promote awareness, conservation, and research.

While making the experience as enjoyable and memorable as possible so that we learn to respect and protect the water bodies on earth from getting destroyed due to unnecessary garbage dumping, which indirectly affects aquatic creatures.

2.1 About 

Earlier, it was known as Champs and Chumps but was renamed in 1922 to what it is now, after the founder, Robert Ripley. In 1933, they established their first odditorium in Chicago, Illinois.

The Odditorium was well received, as people loved the cartoons and its museum, thus making it an enjoyable visit for the old family. To date, Ripley’s Odditorium stands as a major tourist attraction.

3. Here Are Some Must-See Attractions at Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada.

As the name suggests, the truth seems unbelievable and lives right in front of your eyes. As they have a wide variety of artifacts that will leave you so engrossed in knowing the past of humanity.

Apart from that, they make sure to keep the visit as enjoyable as possible by having famous pop culture references, interactive games, and interacting with famous people who have accomplished something in the field of the environment. Not only will they motivate you to do something, but you will also learn something from visiting the place.

canadian waters logo
image from Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

This journey takes you along the Canadian coast through local fisheries, freshwater lakes, and forests. Not only will you see around 80 aquatic species, but you will also learn about grass carp, giant octopuses rescued seals, and so on.

The wonderful flora and fauna of Canada will leave you awestruck. Some of them, for example, are-  alewives, velvety red anemones, paddlefish, sea urchins, and American lobsters.

There are dive shows too where you get to swim with their divers, ask questions to a real aquarist, get all your doubts cleared, and even be part of live feeding!

To learn more about the aquarium and dive program, visitors can visit their website: https://www.ripleyaquariums.com/canada/programs/dive-shows/.

3.2. Rainbow Reef

rainbow reef logo
image taken from Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

They successfully recreated the warm and interesting homes of the corals in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, which is home to 100 species. In this, you learn about marine mammals and their endangered lives, and we, as responsible humans, should try to get them out of this threat by giving up practices.

Because they cause harm to our oceans and the lives of animals that live in them. Some of the featured species, for example, are the Picasstriggerfish, Harlequin Tusk fish, Batfish, Blue Tag, Porcupine fish, and finally the infamous Unicorn surgeonfish.

3.3. Dangerous Lagoon

dangerous lagoon logo
image taken from Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

The spectacular view of their underwater gallery will leave you mesmerized and thrilled, as there are many wonderful species to come across. Apart from that, you can have a real-time and close-up view of the mighty sharks, green sea turtles, Queensland grouper, and many more exciting fish and vertebrates.

Some other species found in their gallery, for example, are- Grey Angelfish, known for their curiosity and usually traverse in family groups. Additionally, they are mostly found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. In addition to that, Green Moray eels can also be seen.

They are well known for hiding in the rocky crevices during the day to protect themselves from predators.

So, if you are fond of eels and other such creatures, why not check out the dangerous lagoon?

3.4. Discovery Center

discovery center
image taken from Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

In this discovery center, you can explore their pop-up research submarine, which gives you an exclusive view of the dangerous lagoon. Here, you get to know the dynamics of marine mammals’ habitats through play.

Besides, the interactive exhibition will educate you on different marine animals. In addition to that, to keep children engaged, they have fun activities like a shark slide and rock-climbing wall.

Some of the featured species that you will see here, for example, are clownfish, which are known for their spectacular relationships with sea anemones to protect themselves from predators. Another extraordinary species that you will find is the Wobbegong, well known for its ability to camouflage.

Consequently, you might have some trouble spotting them due to their exceptional skills at uniting with their surroundings. Lastly, you will find sea lionfish, reef sharks, scorpion fish, and Zebra sharks.

the gallery in aquarium
image taken from Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

The gallery showcases six freshwater and three saltwater exhibits, estimated to be around 50,000 liters. Oh, for the ones that love adventure, they have an interactive electric eel exhibit that lets you feel its shock! We are pretty sure that you will love visiting the gallery because they have a wide variety of species that some might have never come across.

3.6. Ray Bay

ray bay logo
image taken from Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

As the name suggests, you will see a large variety of stingrays and get to know how they swim through the water, making it seem as if they are flying! Apart from stingrays, you will also see one species of shark. The observation window helps us get a close look at these species, and the thrill will, for sure, keep you captivated.

Not only will you see the stingrays, but you can also pet them at the Shoreline Gallery. Some of the species that you will find are the spotted eagle ray. Well known to jump out of the water to escape predators and discard parasites off their bodies. Spotted eagle rays can be easily distinguished by the spots that cover their bodies.

In addition to that, you will find rough-tail rays, known for their largest whiptails. They are also thorny and venomous, but do not worry; they only sting to defend themselves, so make sure you do not become their enemy!

Moreover, you will find cocoa nosegays; as the name suggests, their frontal lobe is shaped like a cow’s nose, hence the name. They usually feed on snails, crabs, and other invertebrates.

Lastly, you will find bonnet-head sharks, which have round and narrow heads. This feature helps them detect smell and electroreception.

although we have not listed other species for suspense!

3.7.  Planet Jellies

planet jellies log0
image taken from Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

As the name implies, likewise, you will find an abundance of jellyfish, you might wonder- if you have entered a planet of jellyfish? They have Kreisel tanks installed to commodate jellyfish without compromising their life span, unlike other aquariums that often fail to meet this requirement. 

Jellyfish are also known as alien creatures because of their life cycle, appearance, and behavior. Although they are poor swimmers, they are known as the largest plankton on earth. In Kreisel tanks, the water column keeps rotating, thus making it easy for jellyfish to survive.

Some of the kinds that you will see here are moon jellies, cannonball jellies, Pacific Sea nettles, and lastly, upside-down jellies. If you are keen on knowing more about jellyfish, this is the perfect place to go.

3.8. Life Support Systems

life support systems logo
image taken from Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

This department shows what the backstage looks like to run an aquarium. Following the protocols to ensure the safety of all organisms. As they recycle 95 percent of water used in the premises. Although, the 5 percent loss is due to evaporation and other factors like washrooms and kitchens. They use ozone gas to kill microscopic bacteria.

Lastly, they also have a model turtle that is made of plastic and extensively prprovidesnowledge on the pollution caused by plastic and how we should minimize the use as much as possible to ensure that the aquatic life is not disturbed.

3.9. Shipwrecks

With this section, you get to see the shipwrecks across the globe and for some, you can watch the live footage. Apart from that, you will learn about Canada’s shipwrecks throughout history and the causes that led to this disaster.

Check out this video, to know what it is like to visit Ripley’s Aquarium

Ripley

4. FAQs Before Visiting The Aquarium

Q1. What are the ticket prices?

Ans: The prices keep varying, so it is important to check their website or call them to find out more. Here is the link to their website: https://www.ripleyaquariums.com/canada/faqs/

Q2. How to buy tickets?

Ans: You can book tickets online by visiting their website. Also, there is an option for onsite ticket purchase as well. 

Q3. Are these tickets refundable?

Ans: They are nonrefundable.

Q4. Are children under 2, required to book tickets?

Ans: No.

7. Conclusion

We recommend you visit Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada once as it is undoubtedly, a wonderful experience to learn about life in Besides, we all know that their life is so vast and we have only explored a tiny fraction of it, despite the level of technological advancement.

Also, check out: famous bookstores in Kingston 

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1 Comment
  • your Niagara Falls Aquarium guide effectively informs and guides readers, offering a focused overview and helpful considerations. The mentioned additions could further personalize the recommendations, provide timely information, and enhance accessibility, making your guide even more valuable for travelers planning their Niagara Falls adventure.

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