One of Valencia’s best attractions has reopened its doors following a large remodelling.
The Oceanographic in the City of Arts and Sciences reopened in March with the aim of becoming the new home to many emblematic species like the hammerhead shark. This species will be the tenant of a new 80,000 litre tank, one of the great additions in the reopening of Valencia’s aquarium, that will also have neighbours like Morla and Darwin, two turtles originating from the Aldabra Atoll, in the outer islands of the Indian Ocean, the largest in the world after those originating from the Galapagos Islands which can reach over 250 kilograms in weight.
Other habitats that have benefited from the reopening is that of the penguins. The Oceanographic will have three species: the gentoo or papua penguin, (easily identifiable by the white patch next to their eyes and being the fastest in water, reaching speeds of 36km per hour), the Humboldt penguin (in danger of extinction) and the king penguin, the second largest in the world after the emperor penguin.
Other innovations include a new butterfly house, where you can observe the life cycle of the butterflies, as well as a new aquarium intended to house the friendly clown fish. Moreover, other new species that will inhabit the Valencian aquarium will be the Steller sea lions, that can exceed three metres in length and a ton in weight, as well as the so-called African slender-snouted crocodile, that lives in areas of Central Africa and whose size ranges between 2.5 and 4 metres in length.
The success of the renovation was proven during Easter, with the Oceanographic beating its record of visitors, with 80,000 people coming through its doors, 20% of those being tourists from other countries.
