- Introduction: First Trip to Dubai with My Son!
- Review: Emirates Airlines 777-200LR (Economy Class) – Dallas to Dubai
- Review: Sheraton Hotel – Mall of Emirates
- Review: Marriott Hotel – Al Jaddaf
- Review: Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo
- Review: Burj Khalifa 124
- Review: Dubai Speedboat Tour
- Review: Marhaba Lounge – Dubai International Airport
- Review: Emirates Airlines 777-200LR (Business Class) – Dubai to Dallas
I wanted Nicholas to experience everything he could in Dubai and then experience some more. Our stop after checking into the Marriott Hotel in Al Jaddaf, was the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo.
The Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, located on the third floor of the Dubai Mall, touts over 30,000 “aquatic animals” and one of the largest aquarium tanks in the region. I booked the excursion through the GetYourGuide app for ~$40 USD/per person. This saved me a total of ~$30 USD. The tickets were listed for $54 USD on the aquarium’s website.
We grabbed an Uber to the Dubai which was six minutes away from the hotel. The signs leading to the aquarium were so easy to follow that I did not bother taking pictures of them. Nicholas and I walked up to a decent but quick moving line. There were separate lines for those looking to purchase tickets and those who purchased them in advance.
The aquarium was massive.
We first walked through the tunnel, which unfortunately, was the highlight of this visit for me.
The views in the tunnel, while slightly better than viewing from the mall side, were not that impressive. The sheer amount of people in this area and the walkthrough of the aquarium and zoo was annoying…to say the least.
We made our way out of the aquarium but could not figure out where to go next. I thought we had access to every part of the site but were turned away here due to the massive amount of people, I think.
We then went left and down to the second level to check out the Underwater Zoo. It was wholly underwhelming. We made our way around to some cool fish tanks but if you look closely at the last picture, you can see how excited this exhibit made my kid.
The amount of people crammed into this space, especially after the COVID fiasco, made me really uncomfortable. I could not find too many positives about this experience.
The coolest part was looking at the huge crocodile through the wet, distorted plexiglass. We did not know it was real, fake, or stuffed, but it was cool to see after all of the other underwhelming attractions.
Our last mission, which we did not know about, was to check out the snack stand. Nicholas had a Pepsi, while I grabbed a Red Bull. The tour was over and we were out!
Final Word
I was happy that Nicholas was able to experience one of the “biggest” most “robust” aquariums in the world. Especially, since his mom allowed me to take him to the other side of the world for a week.
The price point of $40 USD/per person was legit because I would spend the same amount of money on something trivial.
While underwhelming, the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo provided an experience for the both of us. I would say that visitors should visit this attraction but there is something to be said about tempering your expectations.
