Welcome to Galway Atlantaquaria

Engage, Educate And Inspire

Ireland’s largest native species aquarium. Visit us and discover the diversity of life in our oceans, rivers, lakes and canals.

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Learn about the wonderful and varied species
and their habitats. Be inspired to play your
part in protecting our shared planet.
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OUR VENUE

VISIT GALWAY
ATLANTAQUARIA

A visit to Atlantaquaria is a great day out for visitors of all ages and guarantees a great day out for all the family. Find out more about all you need to plan your visit.

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Ticket Prices
Animals & Exhibits
Events
EXPLORE

From the sharks that swim in our seas to freshwater fish that glide along our rivers and under the surface of our tranquil lakes, not to mention the colourful and exotic creatures from warmer climates – there is so much for you to encounter on a visit with us.

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Ocean Zone

Get up close with the aquarium’s largest predators in the Ocean Zone, a deepwater exhibit that is home to Bream, Wreckfish, Bass, and Smoothhound, a common species of shark found in Irish waters. Wreckfish are often found in caves and shipwrecks and can live for over 70 years and reach almost 100 kilos! While Wreckfish and Sharks enjoy deeper waters and colder temperatures, Bream prefer warmer, shallower waters. 

Did you know?

With the current increase in ocean temperatures species like Bream have become more common in Irish waters.

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Octopus

The Octopus is an incredible animal, considered to be the most intelligent of all invertebrates – animals with no backbone – capable of exploring, understanding and remembering its environment. A master at camouflage, the octopus can hide in very small spaces which means that sometimes it can be difficult to spot! The Octopus is part of the Cephalopod family, which includes Squid and Cuttlefish.

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Waterfall

Our freshwater exhibit is home to Perch and Rudd. Perch live in slow-flowing rivers and deep lakes and use the stripes on their bodies to camouflage themselves in the weeds. They ambush unsuspecting prey by unleashing a burst of speed. As a smaller species, Rudd prefers safety in numbers and is often part of a large shoal. A Rudd’s mouth points upwards which is how they like to feed, often taking its food from the surface of the water.

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Clown Fish

Clownfish get their name from their bright orange colouring and white stripes. These colourful fish come from warmer, tropical ocean regions. They live near coral reefs which provide them with food, such as shrimp, shellfish and seaweed, and protection. To make them feel at home, we heat their seawater all year round. Clownfish can change from male to female. If the chief female in a family unit dies, the chief male will turn into a female to take her place!

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Tropical Zone

Our Tropical Zone has Stingrays, Cichlids and Red-Bellied Piranhas. Piranhas are native to the Amazon Basin in South America. They prey on aquatic and land animals and have razor-sharp teeth that cut into their prey with ease. Piranhas have a ravenous appetite when hungry, so we make sure to feed ours every day to keep them calm and relaxed.

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Ray Pool

The Ray Pool is home to our Rays, small species of shark including Dogfish and large flatfish such as Turbot. The most common Ray in Galway Bay is the Thornback. The Ray’s skeleton is made of cartilage, not bone, and they lay eggs known as Mermaid’s Purses. Rays spend much of their time buried in the sand to hide from predators and to hunt for their prey. To allow them to breathe under the sand, they have a small hole – called a spiracle – behind each eye that helps give them oxygen.

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EMBARK ON A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY AND
LEARNING WITH THE ATLANTAQUARIA TEAM.

DISCOVERY & LEARNING

WE WANT TO ENGAGE,
EDUCATE & INSPIRE.

Educating our visitors about marine and freshwater life by sharing our passion, knowledge and expertise. Our comprehensive discovery, investigation and learning programme offers formal and informal learning opportunities – both online and in-person – in a fun and engaging way.

From school tours to virtual classrooms to community events and corporate team building, there is something for visitors of all ages and abilities.

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Aquarium Education
Educate and inspire
Marine and Freshwater
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VIRTUAL TOUR

RENT OUR VIRTUAL TOUR
TO ENJOY ATLANTAQUARIA AT HOME.

Sit back and enjoy virtual guided tours through our galleries and behind-the-scenes

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Testimonials

What people are
saying about Our aquarium

“Great aquarium. Didn’t even know it was there. Parked up and see it. Boy am I glad me and my family did. For two adults and 2 children it was £40. 90% of viewing tanks were open which made viewing super easy and great experience. The children were overwhelmed with all the different types of see creatures and fish there was. Grate little place to go with the family and a fairly priced gift shop.  and free parking.”

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Detroit Wain – Aug 2022

“Nice place for a weekend trip. There are plenty of native marine species here. Highly educational. Kids and adults both will love this place.”

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Bency Kottoor – June 2022

“Great for a visit especially with kids. Loads of tanks with salt and freshwater creatures. Great way to spend some time in Salthill”

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Bart Kanclerz – July 2022

“It was a beautiful experience to go there. A different atmosphere and something different.”

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Theresa Pereira – Sept 2022

“Nice place for a weekend trip. There are plenty of native marine species here. Highly educational. Kids and adults both will love this place.”

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Bency Kottoor – June 2022

“Great for a visit especially with kids. Loads of tanks with salt and freshwater creatures. Great way to spend some time in Salthill”

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Bart Kanclerz – July 2022

“Absolutely brilliant. Ireland’s waters are extremely rich in life and the displays here are top-notch. I learned a *lot*. Thanks to very helpful staff member Laura, I learned that the lumpsuckers – beautiful fish — need to be “burped” occasionally, in their tank! The variety of wrasses was amazing, as were the anglerfish and the seahorse. I plan to dive on Monday if the weather cooperates, but I am sure I saw more here than I will in the wild!”

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Robert M. Corless – June 2022

“Nice place for a weekend trip. There are plenty of native marine species here. Highly educational. Kids and adults both will love this place.”

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Bency Kottoor – June 2022

“Great for a visit especially with kids. Loads of tanks with salt and freshwater creatures. Great way to spend some time in Salthill”

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Bart Kanclerz – July 2022

DAILY EVENTS

What’s on today

We have experiences and events on the hour every hour from 11 am. Experiences include feeding, talks, and tours. Please ask at reception for a more detailed explanation of what’s on today.

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Talks and Experiences –
From 11am until 4pm

Join a member of our engagement team on one of our interactive talks and experiences, which are held at 11am, 2pm and 4pm. Topics include Native Jellyfish, The Microscopic Ocean, Whales and Dolphin of Ireland, and Rockpool Stories. Information on talks can be found daily on our notice board at reception, and our team is happy to stop and chat and answer questions throughout the day, we’re here to Kelp you!

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FEEDING Experiences –
From 11am until 4pm

Join our aquarists as they as they carryout feeding tours in the aquarium at 12pm, 1pm and 3pm. Tours include the freshwater area, the Ocean Tank and Ray Pool. Information on tours can be found daily on our notice board at reception, and our team is happy to stop and chat and answer questions throughout the day, we’re here to Kelp you!

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INSIGHTS

Whats new at Galway Atlantaquaria

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