Sydney Aquarium, on the eastern edge of Darling Harbour and closer to the heart of the city, is one of Sydney's most accessible popular attractions.
More than 1.2 million people visit it yearly, at least half of whom are visitors from overseas.
Sydney Aquarium distinguishes itself with the large variety of Australian aquatic life assembled under one roof: more than 650 species comprising more than 11,000 individual fish and other sea and water creatures.
From open sea to rocky shores
Walk through its see-through tunnels to where three-metre sharks glide silently above you, almost close enough to touch. See the colorful fish and corals of the Great Barrier Reef. The variety is astounding.
Almost every Australian sea and major waterway is represented at Sydney Aquarium: from the open sea to the Great Barrier Reef, to the Australian Bight and Sydney Harbour, to the Murray-Darling river system, the rivers of the Far North, mangrove habitats, rocky shores.
Opened in 1988, Sydney Aquarium is one of the largest aquariums in the world.
Some of its displays are contained in the main exhibit hall, others in one of the three large floating oceanariums.
Getting there is easy
Sydney Aquarium is open from 9am to 10pm every day. (The Seal Sanctuary, one of its popular sections, closes at sunset.)
On foot, you can reach Sydney Aquarium in about 10 minutes from the central business district by walking west on Market St.
If taking the monorial, alight at the Darling Park station. By water (ferry, charter boat or water taxi), disembark at Aquarium Pier.
Alight at Stop 21 if taking the red Sydney Explorer Bus.
If going by train from other parts of Sydney, alight at Town Hall Station and walk west toward Darling Harbour.
