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Ripley’s Indoor Aquarium of Canada
Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada is a public aquarium operated by Ripley Entertainment. It is located southeast of the CN Tower which is just south of downtown Toronto. In 2004, plans were made to build a Ripley’s Aquarium in Niagara Falls, Ontario, next to the Great Wolf Lodge. However, those plans fell through, and Ripley’s moved to Toronto in 2007. The aquarium opened in October 2013 after starting construction in August 2011. Our family visited the aquarium in December 2022 while COVID-19 restrictions where still in place which included social distancing, limited capacity, and mandatory masks. However, these restrictions did not detract from our visit to Canada’s largest indoor aquarium!
Did you know?
Over 20,000 exotic sea and freshwater specimens representing more than 450 species are displayed within the aquarium’s 5.7 million litres of water and containing habitats from around the world! This gigantic indoor aquarium is divided into ten different exhibits including:
- Canadian Waters
- Rainbow Reef
- Dangerous Lagoon
- Discovery Centre
- The Gallery
- Ray Bay
- Swarm: Nature by Numbers
- Planet Jellies
- Life Support Systems
- Shoreline Gallery
The Canadian Waters exhibit is a must see
We had to pay tribute to our Canadian roots by visiting the Canadian Waters Exhibit. This gallery takes you on a trip from coast to coast. You will see freshwater wilderness, fisheries, and kelp forests which are some of the most spectacular wild landscapes in Canada, including those found in the Great Lakes! The Great Lakes are one of Canada’s most important habitats because they represent 20 percent of the world’s fresh water. Moreover, Canada is surrounded by three oceans with a variety of marine habitats that support different and unique plants and animals! As such, many species can be found in the Canadian Waters exhibit, which is spread out across 17 habitats. It is so easy to get immersed in the exhibits that it was easy to forget we were visiting an indoor aquarium!
American Lobster
The American lobster is usually a reddish-brown colour, however, you can find them in a variety of colours at Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada. These different colours are rare and are caused by genetic anomalies. It is estimated that 1 in every 2 million are blue like this one!
Brighten your day at the Rainbow Reef!
The animals from the Indo-Pacific water regions are displayed in the Rainbow Reef gallery. Reefs have the ability to create thousands of microhabitats which allows them to support a variety of animals. This is the most colourful part of the indoor aquarium. For instance, some of the colourful animals you might see in this exhibit include the Picasso triggerfish, Harlequin tuskfish, Sailfin tang and starfish!
The Dangerous Lagoon is our favourite exhibit
The largest exhibit at Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada is the Dangerous Lagoon. This is our favourite part of the experience. Not only does the exhibit house a wide array of amazing creatures, but we get to enjoy them while riding the longest moving sidewalk in North America! We love watching the green sea turtles, sand tiger sharks and green sawfish!
An amazing interactive indoor aquarium experience
Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada has multiple interactive exhibits geared towards families and children of all ages. As such, there are lots of opportunities to get up close and personal with some of the amazing creatures that call the aquarium their home!
An indoor aquarium with lots of photo opportunities
Don’t forget to pack your camera. That is to say, there are a multitude of photo opportunities and you won’t want to miss your chance to document this great family adventure! Remember that this is an indoor aquarium so the weather will never ruin your pictures!
Find out more
To find out more visit the official website of Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada.
Shopping for aquariums?
You can own your own salt or freshwater habitat! Check out the following link for some great ideas: Aquarium Shopping! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases #CommissionsEarned.
