Underwater tunnel, beluga whales draw visitors to Taiwan’s foremost aquarium

2018/12/10

The National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium in the southern county of Pingtung draws more than 1 million visitors a year. Spanning 96 hectares, the facility is the largest of its kind in the country and one of 38 attractions nationwide to receive the maximum three stars in the Michelin Green Guide Taiwan.
 
 Opened to the public in February 2000, the NMMBA is an education and research center offering a host of informative displays and close-up views of sea creatures across three main exhibition areas.
 
 Waters of Taiwan spotlights the ecosystems of the country’s rivers, reservoirs and coastal regions. One of its major highlights is a touch pool where young museumgoers can gently handle a host of shallow water creatures such as crabs, sea cucumbers, sea urchins and starfish.

The Coral Kingdom Pavilion features aquariums with living coral reefs as well as an 80-meter underwater tunnel, one of the longest in Asia. Another top attraction is a 1 million gallon tank with transparent sides hosting two beluga whales.
 
 This section is also staging the special exhibition “Infinite Movements of Marine Life” through Nov. 30, 2019. The show explores how crustacean legs, fins and shellfish tongues generate propulsion.

In the Waters of the World pavilion, visitors can learn about the environments of ancient oceans, the deep sea, kelp forests and polar regions through a combination of audiovisual presentations, marine creatures, preserved specimens and virtual reality technology.
 
 Each of the three exhibition areas features daily feeding sessions of creatures like penguins, puffins and seals. The NNMBA also offers overnight stays throughout the year, providing visitors with the rare opportunity to snooze while fish swim overhead. The Sleepover at the Aquarium program has proved popular with children and adults alike, with nearly 60,000 people signing up last year.
 
 While the NMMBA is primarily a marine biology education and research institute, its diverse and awe-inspiring displays create a tourist destination that, in the words of the Michelin Green Guide Taiwan, is “fun for all ages.”

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=16&post=146701)