Curaçao Sea Aquarium

Curaçao Sea Aquarium

Curaçao Sea Aquarium
4
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The Curaçao Sea Aquarium belongs to one of the most unique aquaria in the world. The reason being that, from the very beginning of the aquarium in 1984, the Sea Aquarium managed to create natural habitats for all its marine creatures without using sophisticated technical equipment. Due to an open-watersystem all the aquaria are in immediate contact with the open sea. It is this advanced pump system that continuously pumps fresh seawater directly in all the aquaria. Openings in the roof allow natural sunlight to fall directly on the aquaria, so there is no need to use artificial light sources. The combination of the open-watersystem and the natural sunlight create the natural circumstances that are needed to replicate the underwater world outside the aquarium. Everything in the aquaria, from the fish and corals to the sand on the bottom of the exhibition tanks, originates from the seas surrounding the island of Curaçao. Nothing in the displays is artificial, everything is 100% real. The same conditions apply to the lagoons in which the dolphins, sealions, sharks, rays and turtles are kept. The only thing that separates these lagoons from the open ocean are breakwaters built out of big rock boulders and an occasional fence, allowing fresh seawater to freely flow through all the lagoons. The Curaçao Sea Aquarium operates according to the principle that all animals need to be kept in circumstances that as much as possible mimic their natural living conditions. This goal is accomplished by employing all the available natural sources and resources surrounding the aquarium.
Duration: 2-3 hours
Does not meet animal welfare guidelines
Tripadvisor does not provide bookings for this experience because it does not meet our animal welfare guidelines.
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  • Phil M
    15 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    One in a life time experience
    Today we went to the curacao sea aquarium and did the animal encounter … Wow , Felipa was our guide , he was funny, knew his stuff and really made our encounter one to remember, joking , telling us about all the different marine animals what we could and would encounter. We really enjoyed it all from swimming between the snappers , to cuddling with the manta ray and feeding the nursing sharks !!!!! If u want a once in a lifetime experience this is the one to do when in curacao!!!
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written October 10, 2023
  • Helen S
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Once in a lifetime!
    Curacao Sea Aquarium was one of the highlights of our trip!! I thought we'd spend an hour or two, and we ended up there most of the day. So many opportunities for our kids to be up close to the animals - feeding, touching, so much more than they're used to back home. The BEST PART was Zeric and the Animal Encounter! Zeric is AMAZING - highly recommend booking the encounter!! So detailed, he answered all of our questions and my son is raving about this best part of his trip - feeding the sharks. We bought the picture package which was so well worth it with memories to last. And, Zeric was wondering in letting those of us that couldn't go (my younger child wasn't old enough) stick around the entire time and learn as well. We got to see everything and he made my younger son's day by letting him feed the shark from above. Thank you, Zeric, for an unforgettable day!!!!
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written October 20, 2023
  • Alissa I
    Woodbury, Minnesota7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Ocean lens experience
    We did the ocean lens tour. The ocean lens was cool, however what made the tour amazing is the behind the scenes private tour with a tour guide. We learned so much! Totally worth it to do the ocean lens
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written October 23, 2023
  • Kristian
    Peace River, Canada164 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Satisfactory experience
    Descent aquarium with lots of hands on experiences. Flamingoes dolphins and sharks were the highlights with lobster and rays as well. Dolphins like everywhere have extra charges if you wish to do them but it didn’t feel forced. Only thing I missed was the turtles
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written November 17, 2023
  • Samuel T
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Once in an lifetime
    I did the animal encounter tour and it was truly amazing, it surely was worth the money. The employees were really kind and explained it all very well. Especially Ray was kind and did an amazing job. Thanks Ray.
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written December 27, 2023
  • Josephine H
    37 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Curacao Dolphins
    we enjoyed it alot, cute place and excellent guide. Nice to see the animals are well taken care of. I loved the dolphin explnation on how they get trained and feeding the sharks was amazing.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written January 4, 2024
  • Heather T
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic Family Fun & Experience
    We had a fantastic experience with Ray and Alex when doing the Shark Feeding Encounter on Dec 28th. Alex got amazing pictures and videos for us and Ray taught us lots of really neat information about the sharks and other sea life in the open water aquarium. This was a highlight of our trip and we would HIGHLY recommend this animal encounter. Paying for the photos was absolutely worth it as Alex's photos were so much better than the ones we took.
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written January 6, 2024
  • Holly T
    McKeesport, Pennsylvania7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Love love loved swimming with dolphins
    Swimming with dolphins has been on my bucket list since high school and I'm in my forties. Just last week, my husband helped me check it off my bucket list because he bought me the experience as a Christmas gift. All of the staff was very helpful and informative. The staff that led the actual dolphin swim made us all feel very comfortable...I was anxious at first, but the way they led quickly got me smiling and having a great time! If you book the dolphin swim, get there a few hours early to check out the rest of the aquarium and watch the shows.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 10, 2024
  • Cheryl S
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful experience—highly recommend!
    Wonderful experience—highly recommend! Zerick lead our group in a thoughtful, safe, enjoyable, educational, and engaging way. Alexandra provided incredible photos and videos to capture our snorkeling adventure, including each of us feeding the sharks.
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written January 15, 2024
  • Pam S
    Lethbridge, Canada67 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fun Afternoon
    Not a big aquarium but interesting. Learned about aquatic conservation, watched them feed the sharks, watched marine life from an under water and watched the dolphin show. We had lunch which was adequate and good value.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 16, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles1,997 reviews
Excellent
892
Very good
540
Average
342
Poor
136
Terrible
87

Sabria M
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
When buying the tickets for Sea Aquarium nothing was mentioned as to if everything were to go through as normal. When getting to the location it was said that there would not be a dolphin show as there were constructions going on further away and the dolphins were annoyed.
We brought tourists because they wanted to see dolphins. When bringing this up at the reception, the solution provided was a complementary ticket for another day. This had to be split for the group with whom we came as not everyone was able to switch to the same day. After having seen the other items we had left to come back on the other day.

When the first group came back the complimentary tickets all of a sudden were not available as we were faulted because we had left the park the other day. Apparently the last dolphin show did go through on the day we had originally visited. As the tourists wanted to see the dolphins we were forced to pay entrance one more time.

The second group didn't go back for the complimentary tickets as they did not want to pay entrance again.

In what world can a complimentary ticket be retracted? If you had wanted to retract the complimentary tickets because of this reason, you should have mentioned that to us before we left.

I will never again buy tickets in advance or even recommend the park. You were not even able to mention beforehand to us entering what was going on that day.
Written April 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

André U
Isle of Wight, UK74 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
We visited Curacao on a cruise ship and decided to visit the sea aquarium. It was a great choice and we had a super time watching the sea lion show, the dolphin training and show, feeding the big fish and the sharks. The staff were super helpful and a delight to talk to. The aquarium is on the coast and fed by the sea - we even saw a couple of dolphins they took out to the sea (they came back in with them).
We took a taxi from the cruise terminal ($25US) and got the local bus back ($2US!).
This is a small facility but well worth a few hours of your time - there is also the option of a dolphin experience and snorkelling and feeding the fish (at extra cost of course!).
I would recommend this to anyone who visits Curacao.
Written February 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

txwanderer
Tyler, TX236 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
We took our family of 5 to this incredible aquarium and had a wonderful time! This Aquarium has so much to look at and do. the shows are included in the price and they are amazing! We saw a dolphin show that rivaled Sea Worlds and we would have had to pay 100's to get into that show. We loved this place. A must see when you are in Curacao.
Written July 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

KathyinCostaRica
San Jose, Costa Rica280 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
Don't miss this fun and educational experience. A real bargain at only $15 for adults and $7 for kids. Many hands-on activities included like feeding flamingos, rays, and even lobsters via a little fishing pole. Staff is very friendly and happy to answer any questions. Many tanks with other sea creatures and big open pools with sharks and dolphins who put on an entertaining show. Get there as soon as it opens to avoid mid-day crowds. For an extra fee you can swim with the dolphins, but this activity is booked solid for weeks in advance so sign up early.
Written November 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gregory M
Atlanta, GA32 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
We recently visited the Curacao Sea Aquarium in Willemstad, Curacao while on a cruise. It was wonderful. The care of the animals is exceptional. They are all healthy and well-loved. We saw sea lions, dolphin, many aquariums stocked with all types of fish, turtles, flamingoes, and sharks. They offered shows on the different animals which educated us on their habitats and lives. Each show lasted about 30 - 45 minutes, and they don't overlap. One of the highlights was the Sea Lion Encounter show, which was very intimate with only 8 of us from the ship. Pictures attached. I highly recommend it for all ages.
Written March 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Wander276653
Curaçao8 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
I do say that this a great place for families especially with young children. As someone who has travelled it was a little disappointing, it was small with limited stations. But don't miss the underwater viewing boat. They have good interactive shows for kids. The up side we found a wonderful restaurant just down from the sea lion exhibit
Written February 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Marty D
Winnipeg, Canada23 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
We enjoyed several hours at the Sea Aquarium. We fed lobsters, fed flamingos and enjoyed the Sea Lion and Dolphin shows. Lots of interesting fish in the aquariums. We liked the underwater viewing area and were surprised by how much was included in the low admission price (only $11USD for 60+)
Written February 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Waheed Ahmad
Nuenen, The Netherlands2 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Family
Dolphin show was very good. Dolphin kiss was also very remarkable. Good facilities inside the premises.
Finding parking was horrible. There is a paid parking outside (5 Guilders) but it was duly booked and maneuvering inside the parking was a nightmare.
Written September 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rogel S
Palm - Eagle Beach4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
If you haven't seen dolphins, sting rays, pink flamingos and sharks in captivity then this is your place to be. i do recommend that you also try the ocean lens, you will go down a ladder 17 feet below and will be on tube enclosure, you will have to lie down on the floor to see the different fishes swimming on their natural habitat, a pre-recorded voice over will be heard from the background guiding you on the fishes that you will be seeing.
Staffs on this place are very polite and knowledgeable, you will learn a lot of facts on how the above-mentioned creatures behave and live their lives. Our most memorable moment was getting a picture with the dolphin kissing our cheek. Don't leave without it.
Written March 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MauraRawnTravels
Lancaster, OH35 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
We spent maybe 1 hour at the aquarium ahead of spending the afternoon at Mambo beach and it was a great combo experience for the day. We were happy to support the aquarium and hope our dollars help the scientific efforts of the facility. Travel ideas from Willemstad - the large bus wasn't available so we flagged down one of the smaller "van" buses and spent only two US dollars per person each way. What a deal!
Written February 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Curaçao Sea Aquarium - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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