##OCEANOGRÀFIC is the place to go to be awed again by the beauty of nature.

In exhibits divided into different habitats of the ocean, visitors peer and point at eels, clownfish (“Nemo!” squeal the toddlers), giant spider crabs, jellyfish and walrus. There are two or three underwater tunnels—one of them the longest in Europe—where you can shuffle through, face tilted upward to watch the sharks glide overhead. There is a 4D auditorium (an extra 3€) and an impressive dolphin show, in which the animals gracefully flip, clap and twirl to pop music.

What is a nice touch is that the exhibits don’t focus on just the seas, but also on the history of human interaction with those seas. While the outer walls of the rooms look out on reef fish, manta rays and belugas, plaques around the inside of the room introduce you to the ships of the Phoenicians, the wide wanderings of the Polynesians, the history of surfing in Hawaii, the first submarines, etc.

There are other animals, too—giant tortoises, penguins, crocodiles and all kinds of wading birds. Their above-ground habitats are decorated with greenery from around the world. (Maybe you, like me, will get a kick out of finding a plant that, in your country, is a normal backyard plant but here is an exotic thing garnering a plaque).

Text & Photos by Rachel McClamroch (24/7 Valencia team)

Oceanogràfic
Website: https://www.oceanografic.org/en/
Facebook: @oceanograficvl
Carrer d’Eduardo Primo Yúfera, 1
Sunday-Friday 10h-20h
Saturday 10h-18h
Tickets: 29.70€ general admission; 22.30€ for children, elderly, disabled and pensioners; 15% discount for students, large families and unemployed Spanish residents
You can also buy combined tickets with L’Hemisféric (the IMAX theatre) and/or the Museu de les Ciències.