When it opened for the Expo ‘98, it was really difficult to get inside the Oceanarium. At that time known as the Oceans Pavilion. The lines were huge because some people thought there were babies swimming inside; you would have to wait for at least one hour to get inside and because there were so many people,  they divided the place into two, so you could only see half of it. It was the must-see of the Expo ‘98, not only because of its unique architectural design for which it became a symbol of Portugal’s future, but also because it connected with its past and what the Expo ‘98 represented:  the oceans. For those who do not know, the oceans and the maritime expansion is a recurring theme in all aspects of the Portuguese culture.

After the Expo ‘98 was over, it became the official Lisbon Oceanarium. There was another before, that still exists, but not as popular anymore – I remember it from school trips: the Aquário Vasco da Gama. I think I’ve been in the Oceanarium at least 5 times. Not that it changes much during the years, apart from temporary exhibitions, but I never get tired of going there. And every time I bring someone to Portugal and Lisbon for the first time, I have to take him/her there, and so far everyone has been happy to see it. And so am I, because not only does it represent the good part of my people’s history, but also how beautiful our planet is. Water your legs, do like Daryl Hannah, and let’s swim inside.

Lisbon Oceanarium

The Oceanarium has 5 different sections on two levels. Four of the sections represent different habitats, and then they are divided into two levels where you can see them on the surface and under water. The 5th section is the central tank, where you have… well, you have a bunch of fish. The tank is (thank you Wikipedia) an impressive 1,000 m2 and 5,000 m3 tank with four massive 49 m2 acrylic windows on its sides. As you navigate through each habitat you always get to see the tank from different angles. Actually that will be the first thing you see, and how couldn’t you? You might feel tempted to stop there and see nothing else. It’s like staring at a big blue-ish screen where you see the ocean life just like they show on Jacques Cousteau documentaries. There are sharks, manta rays, barracudas, and every other kind of fish you can or can’t name. I don’t even dare to identify them all, but look out for a weird one that I call “Picasso fish”. You’ll understand why.

Central tank

Moving on we get the 1st habitat: the North Atlantic Rocky Coast. Did I mention that the Oceanarium features birds too? Yep, there are sea parrots here which I just found out is another name for Atlantic Puffins. Don’t worry if you don’t get to see much of the fish here; when you go to the lower level you will get to see this habitat under water. I forgot to mention that you start from surface to bottom. Enjoy the birds for now.

North Atlantic Rocky Coast

The 2nd habitat features the Antarctic Coastal Line and it is quite crowded with penguins. If you want to identify them all, there is a map on the wall where you can check the penguins by their names and their relationships according to the colors of their bracelets. There is also, so far I can remember, at least one of those punk penguins. They look bad ass but, penguins can’t fly so he won’t come close to you. However there are some birds around there too, so watch out for possible butt missiles.

Happy feet

The next habitat is the Temperate Pacific and features the sea otters Amália and Eusébio, named after two important figures of Portuguese culture. They’re time stealers – you will get distracted by looking at them and how playful and active they are (did I mention cute?). Once you get to the bottom part, you will see them diving and swimming fast under water. Trying to get a good shot will be difficult. You will get better ones with the starfish just across from the sea otters. They also deserve some attention you know?!

Eusébio?

The last habitat features the Tropical Indian Coral Reefs, which also has a representation of the forest where you can walk through a path and see some birds. The path is just at your right once you enter the habitat. It will be warm and humid, and feel just like the tropics. In the corals you will find the most colorful fish in the whole place. Nemo and Dory are also there; in fact, when the movie was out they had a special exhibition dedicated to clownfish. It was quite popular among the kids and at the store you can still find a lot of related toys.

Dory is still looking for Nemo

In between habitats you get to see other species represented in smaller tanks due to special conditions. There will be also other information about the seas, navigation, preservation, etc. Just to highlight, look out for the king crabs, or the alien looking sea dragons (my favorite). If time is not a problem to you, stop to watch the documentary of the daily life at the Oceanarium. I’ve seen it before on airplanes. It depicts all the work that is put into the Oceanarium to feed and keep those animals healthy every day.

Don't know this one

Nearing the end, there is an exhibition of products that are made from the sea, (quite a lot) and some information about climate change, ecology, and sustainable vs. non-sustainable commercial fishing practices around the world. Once you’re out of the main building, there is another part next to the ticket booth for temporary exhibitions. The admission ticket also includes access to this. Last time I was around, they had one about sea monsters and legends. It was quite interactive, but disappointing due to the fact that they had no actual monsters there.

Rejected character for a Disney/Pixar movie

Sometimes there are “specials” inside the Oceanarium. A thing they have that I would love to have done but it is only for children, is the sleeping with the sharks. They had a good slogan: If you don’t behave you will sleep with the sharks, if you do behave…you will sleep with them too! For those who might be wondering what sleeping with the sharks consists of, it is not inside a cage in the tank, it’s just next to tank. Must be awesome to sleep next to that giant blue tank with all the fishes around it. Hell, I don’t think I would get any sleep at all. My niece got to do it, and I’m so jealous of her.

You can sleep next to one of these

The admission price is €11 for adults, and for all the work that is put into that place and money it requires, I wouldn’t even mind if it cost more. There are reductions – children (€5.5), +65 (€6) and groups with reservation. Their website is quite complete in terms of information, so you can check all the prices there. You can also take an audio guide for the cost of €2, or hire a tour guide for groups. As for the time it takes to visit it, I usually spend 2 hours inside, not much less. I think 1 hour is not enough to fully appreciate and immerse yourself in all the information that is given.

I would suggest going to the Oceanarium on a rainy afternoon, since it’s an indoors activity, but depending on which time of the year you go to Lisbon, it might happen that every afternoon is sunny. Even if that’s the case, don’t hesitate to go.

There are so many analogies to make about going to the Oceanarium. For example: it’s like going to 5 places around the world within the same place! Or: it’s like scuba diving without getting wet! I’m sure you will also have your own after you go there…don’t forget to post it here.

Oceanário de Lisboa, S.A.
Esplanada D. Carlos I – Doca dos Olivais
1990-005 Lisboa
Portugal
Phone: +351 21 891 7002 /06

Official Website

Lisbon Oceanarium – Wikipedia

Map of Location – Google Maps

Lisbon Oceanarium – Flickr

Lisbon Oceanarium – YouTube