5 things you should know about Alexandria Aquarium

CAIRO – 28 August 2017: The Alexandria Aquarium, located in El Anfoushy, near the Citadel of Qaitbay, contains rare species of fish and sea plants and is considered one of the most important tourist attractions in Alexandria. It receives a large number of tourists every day. Here are five things you need to know about the Alexandria Aquarium:


Chelonia mydas at Alexandria Aquarium by Hatem Moushir - Wikimedia commons

1- It is the only museum with living sea creatures in the governorate, and it is a small museum containing several species of fish and creatures from the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. The aquarium also contains species of fish that live in sweet water, such as the Nile river and the Amazon, which makes it an entertaining and educational museum at the same time.

2- The aquarium was established in 1930 with the purpose of protecting and nurturing sea creatures, and it is located near the Citadel of Qaitbay in El Anfoushy and the National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries.


Trionyx triunguis at Alexandria Aquarium by Hatem Moushir - Wikimedia commons

3- Among the aquarium’s facilities are several laboratories, a library and water tanks for fish and sea plants that live in saltwater and fresh water. The aquarium is also considered a part of the National institute of Oceanography for what it contains of rare species of fish and sea creatures, as it studies all marine life in Egypt. This helps protect and nourish these creatures.


Cheloniidae at Alexandria Aquarium by Hatem Moushir - Wikimedia commons

4- Attached to the aquarium is a small museum containing samples of preserved sea creatures from the Mediterranean, the Red Sea and the Amazon. The museum also contains the skeleton of a very large whale and a statue of the mythical mermaid.

5- The Alexandria Aquarium receives thousands of visitors every year from all over the world, from the many foreign tourists who seek knowledge or pleasure to the hundreds of children who visit it every week to have fun and learn about the various species of sea creatures.