Within the Ciudad de Artes y Ciencias, on the southeast side of Valencia, is L’Oceanogràfíc. Indeed, it is the largest aquarium in Europe. You can see it from miles away, with its giant blue façade and sparkly, wave-like architecture that complements that of the science museum and the Hemisféric nearby. Once inside, you can decide where to go first. It usually takes about 3-4 hours to see everything in the Oceanografíc, so depending on timing, you may have plenty of time to enjoy each exhibit or you may need to prioritize some over others.

For my group, we enjoyed the area with jellyfish and other small creatures from temperate climates. We then went to see the sharks in another building close to the entrance. There is a section of a larger enclosure that is the first thing you see when you enter the underground exhibit, and within this smaller section are ‘tiburones’ only about the size of your forearm. My friends and I quickly spotted the tunnel and went immediately into it. The tunnel is a walkway surrounded by sharks, rays, sea turtles, and other sea creatures swimming around in the tank that encompasses the walkway. The view is fantastic, leaving most speechless except for the occasional, “look!”

When it was time to move on, my group passed the aviary where the tropical birds fly freely around the people inside the massive, open-air enclosure. After that, we went straight to the Arctic and Antarctic exhibits, where the Oceanografíc famously houses two beluga whales and tons of penguins. The belugas were very fun to watch as their white skin almost glowed in the low light. There were many penguins, and they seemed to love diving into the pool, splashing around, and then jumping back on land to receive food or snow from the top of the enclosure.

As we continued through the park, we saw sea lions, flamingoes, alligators, giant turtles, and more birds. We made our way to the dolphin show, arriving twenty minutes early to ensure we got good seats. Before the show, an announcer led the whole crowd in playing trivia games revolving around nature conservation and what we can do to help affect climate change for the better.

Then the show began. Though it was only about twenty minutes long, the dolphins’ stunts and acts were broken up by presentations from the employees about the lives of the dolphins and what their daily routines look like, ensuring the crowd that they had plenty of time for rest and play, while undergoing constant testing for overexertion or depleted energy levels. The dolphins performed very well, and everyone seemed to enjoy both the employees’ presentations and the acts.

At the end of the show, my friends and I stopped by the gift shop on our way out of the aquarium to pick up t-shirts to commemorate the wonderful trip.

Report by Fiona Pacious

Article copyright ’24/7 Valencia’

The Oceanografíc is located at C/ d’Eduardo Primo Yúfera, 1, Quatre Carreres, 46013 València, Valencia.

To plan your visit, learn more about the Oceanografíc, and buy tickets, go to their website at https://www.oceanografic.org/?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=googlemybusiness.