Acuario de Veracruz

Last updated
Acuario de Veracruz
FacadeAquariumVeracruz2.JPG
Acuario de Veracruz
19°11′13.7″N96°7′21.18″W / 19.187139°N 96.1225500°W / 19.187139; -96.1225500
Date openedNovember 13, 1992
LocationBlvd. Manuel Ávila Camacho, Ricardo Flores Magón, 91900 Veracruz, Ver.
Land area7500 m2
No. of animals3,500
No. of species250
Total volume of tanks7 million liters
Website acuariodeveracruz.com
Acuario de Veracruz

The Acuario de Veracruz (Veracruz Aquarium) is a public aquarium located in the city of Veracruz. It is the biggest aquarium in Mexico and Latin America by water volume, with 7 million liters of water. [1]

Contents

History

On the end of the 1980s, talks with the Government of the State of Veracruz were started about the creation of an aquarium that would exhibit local species and boost tourism. In November 1990, the construction of the aquarium started on the Playón de Hornos, place chosen due to its closeness to the touristic area of the city and to its closeness to a nearby source of water.

The building was led by Luis Kasuga Osaka, which is regarded as the founder of the aquarium, [2] and Hiroshi Kamio, who also designed the aquarium. The construction was finished on the final months of 1992, and the aquarium was inaugurated on November 13, 1992. The initial building had an area of 3,500 square meters.

A first phase of enlargement was held in the year 2000, which included a shark tank, a manatee tank and a terrace in the exterior part of the aquarium. In 2009, the dolphinarium was inaugurated with research and conservation purposes.

After six months of construction and an investment of 25 million Mexican pesos, in 2014 the penguinarium was opened to public. [3]

Exhibits

The Veracruz Aquarium features 9 exhibits, which in total contain more than 250 different species and 3,500 animals. [1]

Selva de los Tuxtlas

The first exhibit of the aquarium recreates the jungle zone of the Los Tuxtlas, south of the state of Veracruz, with a waterfall that falls to a pond. A trait of the Selva de los Tuxtlas exhibit are the jungle trees, in which keel-billed toucans and blue-and-yellow macaws can be seen. Among the species found on the Selva de los Tuxtlas are the boa constrictor and diverse specimens of freshwater turtles.

The gallery counts with a total volume on 562,177 liters divided in several tanks. [4] More than 30 species of freshwater fishes, reptiles and mammals with origins from the Amazon River, Asia, Africa, and several regions of North America are found on the gallery. The Veracruz Aquarium is the only aquarium that exhibits blind cave fish, in a tank that holds the shape of a typical cavern in San Luis Potosí. Other species exhibited on this gallery are pejelagartos , arowanas and koi carps.

Reef Tank

The reef tank has a cylindrical form, with 13 acrylic windows surrounding 1,250,000 liters of saltwater. [5] Approximately 20 species from the Veracruzano Coral Reef System National Park are exhibited in this tank, including nurse sharks and groupers that have lived more than 17 years, barracudas, white skates and tarpons.

The saltwater gallery contains 14 tanks with more than 60 specimens, including fishes and invertebrates from the Gulf of Mexico, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Red Sea and Australia. The aquarium also has a live food laboratory in this area, where brine shrimp is grown, used to feed the smaller fishes from the gallery. Every tank contains filtration systems with mechanical, biological filters and UV reactors that maintain the water in optimal conditions. Green morays, Caribbean spiny lobsters, remoras, lionfishes and blue tangs are some of the species that are found on the saltwater gallery.

Shark Tank

The shark tank has a volume of 919,000 liters and contains the installations to hold large specimens. Since 2004, an acrylic box became open to the public in order to dive into the tank. [6] Two main shark species are found in the shark tank: sandbar sharks and tiger sharks.

The Veracruz Aquarium has stood out worldwide for its tiger sharks, which have been kept for periods longer than 7 years. These sharks are exhibited temporarily, as after some time in captivity the tiger sharks are released and tracked by satellite.

Jellyfish Tanks

Opened in 2005, the jellyfish tanks were the first jellyfish exhibit in Latin America. There are 7 species from the coasts of Veracruz and the Gulf of Mexico on the exhibit, including the moon jellyfish, cannonball jellyfish, and the upside-down jellyfish. The gallery contains tanks specifically designed for the jellyfish, with rounded shapes that can facilitate currents and would avoid damaging the organisms. It was also needed to install sophisticated filtration systems that would guarantee the quality of the water, monitored daily.

Manatee Tank

In 1998, the aquarium started keeping West Indian manatees, as the first two orphan manatees arrived from the Alvarado Lagoon. Since then, seven manatee specimens have been rehabilitated, and in 2004 the first calf in captivity was born. As of 2020, another two manatee calves have successfully born in the installations. [7] The manatees can be observed from two points, firstly underwater and then above water, where they usually eat lettuce.

Dolphinarium

First of its kind in Mexico, the dolphinarium was opened to the public in 2009. It counts with a main tank and two holding tanks in total the dolphinarium holds 2,500,000 liters of saltwater, with filtration systems and monitoring at every time. [8] At one side of the main tank a clinical laboratory is found, with instrumentation where blood samples can be taken and analyzed from the dolphins. The species of dolphins at the aquarium are common bottlenose dolphins.

Penguinarium

The penguinarium was inaugurated on July 15, 2014, the first in Mexico. The Humboldt penguins can be observed underwater, as well as over the rocks where they can rest. The temperature of the penguinarium must be maintained between 17 and 19 degrees Celsius, and fed with the Peruvian anchoveta. [3] As of 2017, 22 penguins were born in the Veracruz Aquarium, as well as the first penguin born in Mexico. [9]

(In Spanish) Official Website of the Veracruz Aquarium

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Aquarium (Baltimore)</span> Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland, USA

The National Aquarium – also known as National Aquarium in Baltimore and formerly known as Baltimore Aquarium – is a non-profit public aquarium located at 501 East Pratt Street on Pier 3 in the Inner Harbor area of downtown Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. Constructed during a period of urban renewal in Baltimore, the aquarium opened on August 8, 1981. The aquarium has an annual attendance of 1.5 million visitors and is the largest tourism attraction in the State of Maryland. The aquarium holds more than 2,200,000 US gallons (8,300,000 L) of water, and has more than 17,000 specimens representing over 750 species. The National Aquarium's mission is to inspire conservation of the world's aquatic treasures. The aquarium's stated vision is to confront pressing issues facing global aquatic habitats through pioneering science, conservation, and educational programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shedd Aquarium</span> Aquarium in Illinois, United States

Shedd Aquarium is an indoor public aquarium in Chicago. Opened on May 30, 1930, the 5 million US gal aquarium holds about 32,000 animals and is the third largest aquarium in the Western Hemisphere, after the Georgia Aquarium and Monterey Bay Aquarium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Aquarium</span> Public aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Georgia Aquarium is a public aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It exhibits hundreds of species and thousands of animals across its seven major galleries, all of which reside in more than 11 million US gallons (42,000 m3) of water. It was the largest aquarium in the world from its opening in 2005 until 2012 when it was surpassed by the S.E.A. Aquarium in Singapore and the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in China; the Georgia Aquarium remains the largest aquarium in the United States and the fourth largest in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium</span> Aquarium in Okinawa, Japan

The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, formerly known as the Okinawa Ocean Expo Aquarium, is located within the Ocean Expo Park in Okinawa, Japan. It is a member of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA), and was the largest aquarium in the world until it was surpassed by the Georgia Aquarium in 2005. The aquarium has the exhibit, "Encounter the Okinawan Sea", which reproduces the sea of Okinawa and most of the creatures that live in it. Churaumi was selected as the name of the aquarium by public vote amongst Japanese people: chura means "beautiful" or "graceful" in the Okinawan language, and umi means "ocean" in Japanese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New England Aquarium</span> Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts

The New England Aquarium is a nonprofit organization located in Boston, Massachusetts. The species exhibited include harbor and northern fur seals, California sea lions, African and southern rockhopper penguins, giant Pacific octopuses, weedy seadragons, and thousands of saltwater and freshwater fishes. In addition to the main aquarium building, attractions at Central Wharf include the Simons Theatre and the New England Aquarium Whale Watch. More than 1.3 million guests visited the aquarium each year prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Seas with Nemo & Friends</span> Aquarium attraction at EPCOT

The Seas with Nemo & Friends is a pavilion located in the World Nature section of Epcot, a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. The pavilion is themed as an oceanic exploration base called SeaBase Alpha, with several exhibits devoted to oceanic study. The building includes an aquarium and its attached dark ride attraction, a talk show-type attraction called Turtle Talk with Crush, and the Coral Reef Restaurant. With 5.7 million US gallons of tank volume, the pavilion is also the second-largest aquarium in the U.S. and the sixth-largest in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audubon Aquarium</span> Aquarium in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Audubon Aquarium is an aquarium in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. After a $41 million dollar renovation, the aquarium reopened with new exhibits and experiences on June 8, 2023. The Audubon Nature Institute runs the aquarium, and the institute also supervises the Audubon Zoo, Audubon Louisiana Nature Center, Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center, Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species (ACRES), Coastal Wildlife Network, Audubon Wilderness Park, and Audubon Park. The aquarium is located along the banks of the Mississippi River by the edge of the historic French Quarter off Canal Street, at the upper end of Woldenberg Park and originally opened on September 1, 1990.

The Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) is Alabama's primary marine education and research center. DISL is the home site of the Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium and was founded by an act of the Alabama State Legislature in 1971. It also has a public aquarium specializing in estuarine organisms, the George F. Crozier Estuarium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ABQ BioPark Aquarium</span> Aquarium in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

The ABQ BioPark Aquarium, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States is a facility of the Albuquerque Biological Park and is located next door to the ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden. The ABQ BioPark Aquarium exhibits Gulf of Mexico and South Pacific saltwater species from a variety of habitats, including surf zone, shallow waters, coral reefs, open ocean and deep ocean. The highlight of the aquarium is a 285,000 U.S. gal (1,080,000 L) shark tank with a 38-foot (12 m)-wide, 9-foot (2.7 m)-high, 8-inch (200 mm)-thick acrylic viewing window.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Two Oceans Aquarium</span> Aquarium in Cape Town, South Africa

The Two Oceans Aquarium is an aquarium located at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. The aquarium was opened on the 13 November 1995 and comprises several exhibition galleries with large viewing windows: The aquarium is named for its location, where the Indian and Atlantic Ocean meet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dallas World Aquarium</span> Public aquarium and zoo in Dallas, Texas

The Dallas World Aquarium is a for-profit aquarium and zoo located in the West End Historic District of Dallas, Texas, USA. It aids conservation and education by housing many animals that are threatened or endangered as part of a cooperative breeding program with other zoos around the world. It has been an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums since 1997 and is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">L'Oceanogràfic</span> Aquarium in Valencia, Spain

L'Oceanogràfic is an oceanarium situated on the dry Turia River bed to the southeast of the city center of Valencia, Spain, where different marine habitats are represented. It was designed by the architect Félix Candela and the structural engineers Alberto Domingo and Carlos Lázaro. It is integrated inside the cultural complex known as the Ciutat de les Arts i de les Ciències. It was opened on 14 February 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nausicaá Centre National de la Mer</span> Public aquarium in northern France

Nausicaá Centre National de la Mer is a public aquarium located in Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France. It is the largest public aquarium of Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquarium</span> Transparent tank of water for fish and water-dwelling species

An aquarium is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aquatic reptiles, such as turtles, and aquatic plants. The term aquarium, coined by English naturalist Philip Henry Gosse, combines the Latin root aqua, meaning 'water', with the suffix -arium, meaning 'a place for relating to'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodadero Sea Aquarium and Museum</span> Zoo in Magdalena, Colombia

The Rodadero Sea Aquarium and Museum is a public aquarium and maritime museum located in the Inca Inca Cove off the Rodadero beach in Santa Marta, Colombia. It was opened in 1965 by Captain Francisco Ospina Navia. The aquarium is part of the National Network of Museums of Colombia and part of ACOPAZOA, the Colombian branch of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Accessible mainly by motorboat, the aquarium has 13 pools with direct connection to the Caribbean Sea, and 15 glass aquaria that contain over 805 animals that include sharks, sea turtles, dolphins, sea lions, crustaceans, fishes and seabirds, 98% of which are native to the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acuario Nacional de Cuba</span> Zoo in Havana, Cuba

The Acuario Nacional de Cuba is an aquarium in Havana, Cuba established in 1960 to focus on "research and environmental education". Displays include those of coral and other tropical species, as well as a dolphinarium and sea lion shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palma Aquarium</span> Aquarium in Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Palma Aquarium is a commercial aquarium and park that first opened in 2007 in Palma, Mallorca, Spain. The aquarium is the property of Coral World International. The aquarium is 500 m (1,600 ft) from Playa de Palma beach, and includes 55 tanks which are home to over 700 different species from the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. One tank, "Big Blue" is 8.5 m (28 ft) deep, the deepest shark tank in Europe, and it also contains the largest collection of live coral in Europe The park was awarded "Best Business Initiative in the Balearics 2007", awarded by Actualidad Económica magazine, and was awarded the "2007 Accessibility Prize" by the Consell de Mallorca.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ripley's Aquarium of Canada</span> Public aquarium in Toronto, Ontario

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada is a public aquarium in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The aquarium is one of three aquariums owned-and-operated by Ripley Entertainment. It is located in downtown Toronto, just southeast of the CN Tower. The aquarium has 5.7 million litres of marine and freshwater habitats from across the world. The exhibits hold more than 20,000 exotic sea and freshwater specimens from more than 450 species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malta National Aquarium</span> Aquarium in Qawra , Malta

The Malta National Aquarium is the largest aquarium in the Maltese Islands.

References

  1. 1 2 "Acuario de Veracruz". Veracruz Turismo (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  2. ↑ "Semblanza de Luis Kasuga Osaka, en su honor por ser impulsor de la pesca y acuarismo en México". issuu. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  3. 1 2 "El primer pingüinario de México abrirá en Veracruz". Excélsior (in Spanish). 2014-07-12. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  4. ↑ "Agua Dulce | Acuario de Veracruz" (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  5. ↑ "Pecera Arrecifal | Acuario de Veracruz" (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  6. ↑ "Tiburonario | Acuario de Veracruz" (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  7. ↑ "Manatiario | Acuario de Veracruz". 2020-08-18. Archived from the original on 2020-08-18. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  8. ↑ "Delfinario". 2015-03-03. Archived from the original on 2015-03-03. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  9. ↑ "Pingüinos de la especie Humbolt nacen en el Acuario de Veracruz". Noticieros Televisa (in Mexican Spanish). 2017-08-23. Retrieved 2021-06-08.

19°11′13.7″N96°7′21.18″W / 19.187139°N 96.1225500°W / 19.187139; -96.1225500

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.