Palma Aquarium , Palma de Mallorca
Information
Tel: +34 971 74 61 04
Palma Aquarium is much more than an aquarium; it is a spectacular Marine Park that faithfully recreates the habitats and ecosystems of the world’s seas and oceans.
Located in the heart of Playa de Palma, on the island of Mallorca, it has become a benchmark for tourism in the Balearic Islands.
Palma Aquarium belongs to the Coral World International group (CWI), a world leader specialising in the creation of marine parks, with over 30 years of professional experience in the development of aquariums. CWI’s marine parks are renowned for being the most beautiful in the world. At present, the group comprises four aquariums: Palma Aquarium in Palma de Mallorca, Europe; Maui Ocean Center in Hawaii, United States; The Underwater Observatory in the Red Sea and The Aquarium of Western Australia in Perth, Australia.
A visit to Palma Aquarium is fun and very educational. Below you will see what a typical visit to the aquarium entails:
Mediterranean
So as to show the wealth and beauty of the flora and fauna of the Mediterranean and its inter-relationship with human life, the first stage of the voyage takes the visitor on a trip through the depths of the Mediterranean Sea in search of “another side to Mallorca”.
The Mediterranean Sea is almost landlocked and has a low rate of water renewal; this has forced different species to evolve and adapt to more difficult conditions than those found in open waters. Species characteristic of the Mediterranean depths can be seen represented in 25 tanks.
Tropical Seas
The explorers Magellan, Cook and Columbus feature in the next stage of our voyage. The exploits of these three personages guide the visitor through tropical oceanic ecosystems like those of Oceania, Asia and America, represented in 24 tanks, which display the different marine habitats of each area.
In this stage of the visit, special importance is given to corals, which is one of the main reasons why Palma Aquarium is considered to be the best Aquarium in Europe. Coral reefs provide shelter, protection, habitat, food, breeding grounds, survival and, in short, subsistence for species that are found on Earth only in these places. This is yet another of the chains that Nature has created, giving rise to a great, yet specific, variety of marine species.
The conservation and protection of these coral reefs is vital to the ocean.
Mediterranean Gardens
Half way round the aquarium, the visitor comes to a huge garden where the beauty of the Mallorquin countryside is recreated by means of a variety of water features, such as pools, waterfalls and channels.
In this area, Mediterranean vegetation is dotted with interactive aquariums (rays, turtles and hammerhead sharks) where, as well as learning about the animals, the children who want to can lend a hand at feeding times. An ideal spot to enjoy the sunshine while the while the little ones are having fun with the play leaders, or searching for treasure on board the great Pirate Ship.
The facilities in this outdoor zone are rounded off by two cafeterias, a hands-on Touch Pool and a large playground area.
The Jungle
The voyage goes on and takes the visitor into a surprising paradise: The Jungle, the largest roof garden in Spain and the second biggest in Europe. Its leafy scenery recreates the tropical rain forest of the Amazon basin.
Palma Aquarium has created a microclimate to ensure the well-being and optimum growth of the vegetation in the Jungle, so achieving a perfect replica of this land ecosystem.
Sharks
33 metres long, 25 metres wide and 8.5 metres deep, ‘The Big Blue’ is the deepest shark tank in Europe and holds 3.5 million litres of salt water. This immense aquarium tank takes us down into the depths of the Ocean to reveal a habitat with over 200 common species from coastal areas and from further out to sea.
However, the stars of the show in ‘The Big Blue’ are the sharks:
Palma Aquarium has 20 specimens of 4 different species.
What sorts of sharks are there in Palma Aquarium?
- Lesser Spotted Dogfish - Scyliorhinus canícula
- Smooth Hound - Mustelus mustelus
- Sand Tiger Shark - Carcharias taurus
- Sandbar Shark - Carcharhinus plumbeus
- Blacktip Reef Shark - Carcharhinus melanopterus
- Bonnethead Shark - Sphyrna tiburo
Feeding Times
The animals are fed every day at Palma Aquarium and in many cases visitors can watch or even take an active part in feeding them. The Ocean Guides in person give visitors all manner of details about the animals’ feeding habits in an enjoyable verbal account that adds to the visit a point of interaction between humans and the main characters of Palma Aquarium.
There are different feeding times for the following animals at Palma Aquarium:
- Corals
- Mediterranean Fish
- Tropical Fish
- Turtles
- Rays
- Hammerhead Sharks
- Japanese Carp
- The Sharks in The Big Blue.
Summertime Activities
Throughout the summer months, Palma Aquarium provides new services that represent an added value to the visit: the number of activities for children organised by Jayme Altaz are increased - there are children’s games, face painting, water fights on board the pirate ship, etc.
One of our most recent innovations enables young children to become assistants to the Ocean Guides, helping them with their duties and feeding some of the animals in the Mediterranean Gardens (turtles, rays and Koi Fish).
Pirate Ship
Palma Aquarium boasts a big Pirate Ship in the Mediterranean Gardens area. It is the central feature of the children’s play zone where the little ones will have a great time searching for hidden treasure. Children under 5 should be under the supervision of an adult at all times.
During the summer months, the play leaders use the Pirate Ship to hold fun water fights to help cool the hot summer mornings.
Touch Pools
The hands-on Touch Pools at Palma Aquarium were designed with the aim of achieving the interaction of visitors with nature: feeling the contact with the animals, learning to listen to the sounds they make and interpreting their movements. The animals take their time to let them be petted while suspended in the water, so these interactive tanks allow the visitor to get to know the texture of these animals – always under the watchful eye of the Ocean Guides. This experience, both educational and enjoyable, enables them to learn more about creatures such as the starfish, the sea urchin and the sea cucumber.
Childrens's Birthday Parties
Palma Aquarium takes us to the most exotic places in the world: choose between travelling to Hawaii, plunging down into the depths of the oceans or exploring the Amazon rainforest.
Choose where to go and get ready to have a great time with your friends.
Hawaiian Birthday Party - HAWAII AND THE SEA:
When the Polynesians reached Hawaii, they realised they had found Paradise but that this had its own set of rules. Its inhabitants had to rely completely on the resources provided by the island and the sea, as they were isolated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The Polynesians evolved a complex culture of traditions and prohibitions in order to protect their resources from contamination and exploitation. Palma Aquarium takes you to the most characteristic coral reefs of Hawaii.
Amazonian Birthday Party - THE AMAZON RAINFOREST BREATHES LIFE INTO THE PLANET:
The Amazon Rainforest, which takes its name from the River Amazon running through it, took over 22 thousand years to grow. It is the largest tropical rainforest in the world and known as the “planet’s lung”, as it helps to maintain the earth’s climatic balance. Palma Aquarium will help you to explore the jungle and learn all the secrets of the legend of the jaguar.
Oceanic themed Birthday Party THE BEST GUARDED TREASURE:
Throughout the early centuries of Spanish rule in the Americas, pirates frequented the Caribbean attempting, and very often managing, to plunder valuable cargoes of gold and other merchandise coming from the New World. Many of the ships attacked were sunk in these parts of the Caribbean, leaving thousands of treasure troves on the sea bed. Palma Aquarium shows you the most prized sea beds, where sea creatures have taken over sunken wrecks and made them their home. Request information about the options for birthday parties that the Education Department can offer; they will advise you.
Children from 3 years of age.
Possible dates:
- Summer: Every day
- Winter: Saturdays and Sundays
- Please consult us for times.
Birthday Parties at Palma Aquarium include:
- Welcome to Palma Aquarium
- Visit to the aquarium with the assigned Ocean Guide (4 hours of exclusive attention)
- Menu: birthday tea, drinks and birthday cake
- Facepainting in accordance with the party theme chosen
- Games
- Gifts
Price: 22 € per child (minimum 10 children) Price valid until 31/12/10 2 accompanying adults free*.
All other adults wishing to accompany the children at the party must pay a special price of 10.50 € per person*.
*No food and drink consumed by accompanying adults is included in the price of the party.
All food and drink they consume has to be paid for at the Mediterra Cafeteria.
* A finger food menu may be ordered in advance for accompanying adults for just 8 € per head.
Bookings: +34 664 267 441
Good Night Shark
Good Night Shark is the children’s activity par excellence at Palma Aquarium, an experience that the children will never forget. Two members of the Marine Park’s staff will be there in charge throughout the children’s stay and it will be they who guide the youngsters on their voyage through the depths of the sea. A magical night on which they set up camp with the deepest shark tank in Europe, The Big Blue, in full view. A special night full of surprises: fun-filled educational activities, games, interesting information at The Big Blue itself about its inhabitants, the screening of a film about sharks, dinner and breakfast - all this and much more awaits the family’s junior members in Palma Aquarium’s Good Night Shark programme.
- Frequency: 1 night per month - please consult for dates.
- Day and starting time: Fridays - 19:30.
- Participants leave by 10:00 the following morning - Saturday.
- For children of 6 years and over.
Good Night Shark includes:
- Welcome to Palma Aquarium
- Ice breaking session in the Nautilus Education Room
- Documentary film about sharks
- Dinner in the Mediterra Cafeteria - children’s menu (2 courses, drinks and dessert)
- Sleepover alongside The Big Blue
- A talk about the inhabitants of The Big Blue
- Bedtime stories
- Dawn in The Big Blue
- Visit to the Mediterranean Gardens and The Jungle
- Breakfast in the Nautilus Education Room
- Game: “Treasure Hunt”
- Farewell session and souvenir gift
Price : 45 € per child (includes dinner and breakfast). Price valid until 31/12/10.
Bookings: Tel +34 664 267 441 educativo@palmaaquarium.com