The Aquarium of Western Australia
So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:21
This is only my second visit to the Aquarium here in Western Australia. The first visit was new and sweet, but this second visit seemed to give us more time to explore.
AQWA is divided into five areas that reflect the unique marine environments and life found in distinct regions of WA’s coast:
Great Southern Coast, Perth Coast, Marmion Marine Park, Shipwreck Coast and Far North.
Only seems right we were welcomed with a clown fish. Can you see it?
From the icy waters of the southern ocean to the tropical wonderland of coral reefs in the Far North, AQWA takes you on an underwater journey to discover the incredible and unique marine life of Western Australia.
Everything within the displays is living – including the incredible complex marine environments and coral!
The one fish in the tank that was STILL, I just had to get its photo!
Can’t have too many clown fish? 🙂 These fish get their ‘clown’ credit from their wobbly swimming and their vibrant colours in bold patterns- just like the face-paint worn by clowns. However their funniest trick is a transformation; they can change gender from boys to girls!
There are over 40 stunning exhibits including one of the largest living coral reef exhibits in the world and AQWA’s shipwreck coast – Australia’s largest aquarium. It is also the 10th largest in the world! In total AQWA holds over 4 million litres of water and is home to over 4,000 fish.
I was constantly reminded of God’s creation. “But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:7-10
AQWA just celebrated its 25th birthday
The pineapplefish, Cleidopus gloriamaris
Leafy Sea Dragon. Imagine if you could look left and right, or up and down at the same time? If you try you will look a bit silly- but this is no challenge for a seadragon! Their eyes move independently, so they can see in multiple directions at once- they constantly view two wide screen images! Seadragons can even see up to 20 meters away and with their amazing camouflage, they definitely spot us before we spot them.
There’s two types of seadragons; weedy and leafy, and they are both only found in Australia. This Weedy seadragon is the larger of the two but the leafy seadragons are the rarest!
AQWA’s shipwreck coast – You can surround yourself with sharks, stingrays and turtles in Australia’s largest walk through aquarium.
Travel beneath 3 million litres of Indian Ocean water as you have a close encounter with 4 metre sharks, huge stingrays, turtles and hundreds of stunning fish.
This exhibit contains 3-4 metre grey nurse sharks, 4 metre smooth stringrays, large loggerhead turtles and over 70 other species of rays, octopuses, sharks and fish.
Smooth stingrays are the largest of the ocean’s stingrays and they can reach 4m and weigh around 300kg!
Did you know stingrays are covered in a thick layer of gooey slime? It acts as a barrier to stop parasites and pests from catching a free ride on their skin. It also acts like a liquid band-aid and even has a natural sunscreen in it.
This turtle appeared friendly, so I quickly snapped a photo.
More on the Aquarium of Western Australia in the next blog…
