Alesund Aquarium Atlantic Sea-Park

Historie

The Atlantic Sea-Park is an aquarium in Ålesund, Norway. It was founded in 1951 as a limited company. The current facility was officially opened 15 June 1998.The Atlantic Sea-Park is one of Scandinavia's largest saltwater aquariums and one of the leading tourist attractions in the area.HistoryFounded in 1951 as a limited company, the Aquarium moved in 1967 into more permanent premises in the basement of the "Fishermen House" near Brosundet. In 1976 the aquarium was turned into a foundation, and planning was started for a new facility. The current facility was finally opened on 15 June 1998 during the 150th anniversary of the city of Ålesund.FacilityThe facility is built into the coastline of Tueneset, about 3.5km west of Ålesund, and offers nearly 4,000m2 of public and exhibition space, plus 6,000m2 of outdoor space. The aquarium is located in scenic recreational area that includes a view of the coastal islands and the ocean, as well as hiking trails, fishing, and beaches for swimming and diving.The exhibition area includes 11 larger landscape aquariums, including 2 open touch pools and 2 activity pools, plus several smaller aquariums. Together the aquariums provide a representative view of life under water along the Norwegian coast and in the northern Atlantic ocean. Daily dive shows in the 4000000l Great Atlantic tank let visitors watch the fish being fed. Some of the species in this tank are cod, halibut, conger and salmon. On weekends, visitors can help feed the fish in the open pools. In 2014, the 15,000,000l "Selbukta" opened, which is one of the largest seal exhibits in the world. This outside exhibit houses harbor seals.