What to see at the Aquarium of Genoa

How many animals are there at the Aquarium of Genoa?

About 10,000 specimens of 400 species, according to the operator, from all the seas of the world.

The listings of some online tickets give different figures: here we use those of the operator. Inside you will find marine mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. They range from manatees to dolphins, from sharks to jellyfish, to the iguanas of the tropical forest.

You do not need to see everything at the same pace. If you have little time, first choose the rooms that interest you most on the official route map, which can be downloaded in PDF.

What are the rooms at the Aquarium of Genoa?

Ten main environments, from Pianeta Blu to the dance of jellyfish, along a route marked in light blue.

The table follows the order of the official page. Pianeta Blu is the most recent room: a video mapping projected onto a large planisphere of the ocean floors, which tells the importance of water for life.

What species of sharks are there at the Aquarium of Genoa?

The operator names the zebra shark (Stegostoma fasciatum) and the grey shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus); in the shark bay there are also two sawfish.

The shark bay has a large tank dedicated to sea predators, with «various species of shark» from various marine environments. Near the bottom, two sawfish (Pristis zijsron) swim, recognisable by their long serrated rostrum: they come from the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific.

You can also look for the zebra shark elsewhere. According to the room descriptions, it lives in the Indo-Pacific coral lagoon of the Biodiversity Pavilion, with the pufferfish and the Napoleon fish. The name comes from the light and dark stripes of the young, which in adults become small black spots.

Are there manatees at the Aquarium of Genoa?

Yes, in the mermaid lagoon: they are Antillean manatees, and the operator states that it is the only facility in Italy and one of 10 in Europe to host them.

The manatee is a herbivorous aquatic mammal. According to the Aquarium, these animals may have given rise to the myth of mermaids, «half woman and half fish», perhaps because of the way they nurse their young. The species is at serious risk of extinction.

Their presence is part of a breeding programme coordinated by EAZA, the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria. In September 2015, a calf was born in this tank.

Where can you see dolphins, seals and penguins?

Dolphins in the Padiglione Cetacei, seals on the seal island, penguins in the kingdom of ice.

The Cetacean Pavilion, designed by Renzo Piano and opened in 2013, has four outdoor tanks on two levels. You watch the bottlenose dolphins from the surface and from below, also from a «spectacular underwater half-tunnel», as described by Wikipedia.

The seal island hosts common seals, and the tank can also be seen from the second floor, from a walkway. In the kingdom of ice live Papua and Magellanic penguins. Everything about dolphins, and the experiences to see them up close, is in the dolphins and experiences guide.

What is in the Padiglione Biodiversità, in the Nave Blu?

The touch pool with rays, sturgeons, the coral lagoon, the tropical forest and the tropical routes.

The Nave Blu is the hull added in 1998. The route starts from Blue Safari, with the touch pool and sturgeons, and continues in the tropical environments. In the tropical forest there is the first plant wall made in Italy, designed by Patrick Blanc with over 150 plants. The last section, the tropical routes, pays homage to explorers and naturalists such as Columbus, Humboldt and Darwin.

On the pages about tropical forests and fresh water, the operator names iguana, boa, Cuvier’s dwarf caiman, red piranha, European pond turtle and golden mantella, a small orange-coloured frog.

After the Aquarium, the Galata Museo del Mare and the submarine S518 Nazario Sauro, in the same Porto Antico and with a single ticket.

★ 4.6 · 2.5 hours in Aquarium + museum · from $52

Discover Aquarium, Galata and submarine → Tour details

What are the world of corals and the dance of jellyfish?

Two rooms dedicated to ancient and simple organisms: one shows the fluorescence of corals, the other nine jellyfish tanks.

In the world of corals, the main tank uses lamps that reproduce light similar to that of a full moon night, and the corals become fluorescent. The other two tanks host tropical species and the young of clownfish and cardinalfish born in the Aquarium.

The dance of jellyfish has nine tanks with species from different seas and the main phases of their life cycle, accompanied by dedicated music and lights. Here the temptation to take photos is strong: remember that flash is prohibited.

Can you touch the animals?

Only rays in the touch pool, following the panel instructions; you do not enter the tanks and there are no shows.

The touch pool is in the Blue Safari of the Nave Blu. Physical contact with the dolphins is prohibited by Italian law, even during paid experiences. The operator also states that no type of show is held inside the Aquarium.

Otherwise, the regulations apply: do not tap on the glass, do not throw objects into the tanks, do not feed the animals. The other rules are in the rules and services guide.

Frequently asked questions