Curaçao Sea Aquarium

The Sea Aquarium sits on the shore at Bapor Kibra and differs from most aquariums in drawing seawater directly through its tanks rather than filtering a closed system, which lets it keep coral and reef species that are difficult otherwise. Alongside the display tanks it runs encounter programmes with dolphins, sharks and turtles, and an animal encounter lagoon where visitors can snorkel. A shore reef and beach adjoin the site.

What you'll find

• The open seawater system - tanks fed directly from the sea rather than filtered.
• The reef tanks - coral and reef species kept in the flow-through system.
• The encounter programmes - the dolphin, shark and turtle sessions.
• The adjoining shore - the beach and reef beside the aquarium.

When to go

Year round on daily hours. Encounter programmes run to a schedule and book out. Cruise days are busiest.

What to expect

The encounter and dolphin programmes attract criticism from people opposed to keeping marine mammals, and that is worth knowing before booking. Programmes cost substantially more than entry. Cruise days make it very crowded.

Nearby

Jan Thiel Beach is east, and Willemstad is west.

Key facts