Aquaria KLCC

Aquaria occupies two floors under the convention centre in the KLCC park, which makes it the standard wet-weather option in central Kuala Lumpur. The route starts with freshwater and highland habitats, works through mangrove and coastal tanks, and finishes in the oceanarium, where a moving walkway carries you through a long acrylic tunnel with sand tiger sharks, rays and a large green turtle passing overhead. There are touch pools, an electric eel and a tank of arapaima among the freshwater oddities. Divers feed the main tank on a set schedule several times a week, which is worth timing a visit around, because the tank is otherwise fairly calm.

History

Building began in 2003 and the aquarium officially opened in August 2005 (Wikipedia, Aquaria KLCC).

The main sights

• The tunnel - a long acrylic walkway under sharks, rays and a green turtle.
• Shark feeding - scheduled dives in the main tank on set days.
• The touch pool - shallow tanks with starfish and small rays under supervision.
• The freshwater galleries - arapaima, electric eel and highland stream tanks.

When to go

Open daily, and busiest at weekends, on rainy afternoons and through school holidays, when the tunnel walkway becomes a slow queue. Weekday mornings are calmest. Feeding dives run only on certain days at fixed times and are posted at the desk, so check before choosing a slot.

Things to know

It is expensive for its size, and a steady walk covers everything in about ninety minutes. Foreign visitors pay a higher rate than residents. Lighting is dim, some glass is scratched, and photographs are difficult. Several of the smaller tanks feel cramped. The entrance is inside a convention centre and is genuinely hard to find on a first visit.

Nearby

The Petronas Towers and KLCC park are directly above; Bukit Bintang is a short ride away.

Key facts