During my stay in Auckland, apart from the Sky Tower, I also got the chance to visit Kelly Tarlton’s Antartic Encounter & Underwater World. I’ve been to a few aquariums before including the ones in Langkawi, Singapore and Western Australia. I would say this aquarium is smaller than the places I’ve mentioned earlier.

Actually the main thing that brought me to the place is that I got attracted by the “Shark” looked shuttle bus which I saw when I was at the Sky Tower area. They provide the free shuttle bus to transfer visitors to their location.

the Shark bus

the entrance

some exhibitions

a giant squid

Main attraction at Kelly Tarlton would be the penguin encounters where u would be riding a snowcat or snowmobile to tour around and watch the Antarctic penguins. It allows u to view the penguins up close and if you’re there during their feeding time, you’ll get to see them being fed.

inside the snowcat ride

penguins feeding session

Extreme activity lovers could try out their Xtreme Shark Dive where you will be diving in the tank together with the fishes and sharks. Non certified divers would have to pay a bit more than certified divers, maybe because of the training or they can also opt for the shark cage package where you will only be doing snorkeling inside the cage.

one of the sharks there

I also witnessed the giant stingray feeding session. The female trainer gets into the tanks with the food and the rays started to surround her for the food. Honestly the underwater tunnel and other activities are pretty much the same compared to other aquariums I’ve been to.

the trainer feeding the stingray

underwater tunnel

Below are mong the other sea inhabitants that can be found at Kelly Tarlton’s :

should we still call it a beetle?

a great view of Auckland city can be seen from Kelly Tarlton’s

Overall I think Kelly Tarlton is a great place to visit if you’re bringing kids with you. Check out their website http://kellytarltons.co.nz for more info. Do buy the tickets online because walk up rates tend to be higher.

Location Map

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