Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo

Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo is inside The Dubai Mall in Downtown Dubai, at the foot of the Burj Khalifa. It opened with the mall in 2008 and is operated by Emaar Entertainment. The main tank holds about 10 million litres of water.

The front of the tank faces the mall's Grand Atrium through a single acrylic panel about 32.88 metres wide and 8.3 metres high, which once held the Guinness World Record for the largest viewing panel. Shoppers can watch sharks and rays swim past for free from the mall floor.

A paid ticket opens the 48 metre walk-through tunnel at the base of the tank, where sand tiger sharks, stingrays, groupers and shoals of reef fish move overhead. The tank is home to thousands of marine animals from more than 100 species. Above it, the Underwater Zoo has themed zones on rainforests, rocky shores and living oceans, with penguins, otters, piranhas, an octopus, archer fish and crocodiles. Feeding sessions and keeper talks run through the day.

Extra experiences include a glass-bottom boat ride on top of the tank and cage snorkelling or diving with sharks for certified and non-certified guests, booked in advance.

Ticket packages are sold online and at the counter, with combined offers that include the Burj Khalifa observation decks. The aquarium is open daily from morning until late evening. Weekday mornings are the quietest time.

The aquarium is home to about 33,000 animals from more than 300 species, including some 400 sharks and rays. The tank holds about 10.5 million litres and can be seen from three floors of the mall. It holds Guinness World Records for the largest shopping mall aquarium and for the largest viewing panel of an aquarium tank. About 5 million people visit each year.

The 48 metre tunnel curves 270 degrees around visitors, so sharks pass overhead and on both sides. Upstairs, the Underwater Zoo is divided into rainforest, rocky shore and ocean zones. Its best-known resident is King Croc, a large saltwater crocodile. The aquarium has had one scare: on 25 February 2010 a leak from a small crack forced an evacuation of the area while divers inspected the tank.

Ticket bundles vary in what they include, from the tunnel and zoo to behind-the-scenes tours, penguin encounters and the glass-bottom boat, so read the inclusions before paying. Prices change with the package, so compare them on the official website. Entry tickets do not allow re-admission, so plan to see the tunnel and the zoo in one visit. The mall connects to the Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall metro station by a covered walkway.