We LOVE aquariums. I think it is the latent mermaid in us. We were lucky enough to explore Underwater Adventures® Aquarium at the Mall of America.

Just this week on Wandering Educators, we've reviewed Nickelodeon Universe, too - GREAT family fun!

I can't wait to share our time at Underwater Adventures® Aquarium at the Mall of America with you!

At Underwater Adventures® Aquarium at the Mall of America, you can come nose to nose with 5,000 sea creatures including sea turtles, sharks, stingrays, seahorses, an octopus, pufferfish, and crabs. Also see why Discovery Channel calls Underwater Adventures® Aquarium, under the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, the World's Best Shark Encounter!   

The aquarium is very unique, in that you walk through a 300-foot long curved tunnel! You feel like you are underwater, watching the marine life swim by. You are 14 feet underwater, and feel that you are right in the middle of the ocean.

There are other fun things - a Wild Amazon exhibit, Fisherman's Hollow, the Rainbow Reef, a Touch of the Wild Woods (northern Minnesota Forest Adventure), SeaCrits of Hollywood, the Circle of Life touching pool, and Starfish beach (where you can play on a pirate ship!).

There's also a new Seahorse exhibit!
Hundreds of Seahorses stampeded their way to Mall of America for the newest adventure, Seahorse Kingdom, officially opening at Underwater Adventures Aquarium Saturday, March 14th.

Seahorse Kingdom Aquarium staff prepared well for this new exhibit, from the initial concept to the state-of-the-art life support systems to acquiring the animals. This is a highly immersive and first-of-a-kind adventure at the Aquarium, now owned by Merlin Entertainments Group, the world's second largest and fastest growing family entertainment company.

This heavily themed adventure provides guests the opportunity to view seahorses from around the world along with others that have been born at the Aquarium. Also learn more about their breeding program and discover new ways to help these fragile sea creatures.

DID YOU KNOW?
    * Believe it or not, male Seahorses typically give birth to an average of 80-100 baby Sea Ponies. Female Seahorses place fertilized eggs into the male's pouch where they are kept until the male gives birth.
    * Seahorses are very picky eaters and use their long snout to eat. This would be like us eating our meals through a straw!

baby seahorses

Underwater Adventures® Aquarium is devoted to the conservation of water and the animals that live in it. From Shark and Sea Turtle conservation to water recycling, Underwater Adventures is working to make a difference in the world around us.

Underwater Adventures® Aquarium also has a great deal of outreach and education - field trips, interactive classes, behind the scenes tours, overnight programs, snorkeling, hands-on activity rooms, and more.

We had such fun here. I felt like I could spend all day at the Aquarium. It was so interesting to see the marine life interact with each other, and to also see the undersides of the fish and rays - VERY cool!

We highly recommend  Underwater Adventures® Aquarium for anyone visiting Minnesota - it is one of the best aquariums we've ever explored!

For More information, please see http://www.underwaterworld.com/

or http://www.sharky.tv/

Be sure to check on their homepage for discount coupons and activities.

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This photo essay is part of Photo Fridays at DeliciousBaby. Want to see more travel photos from around the world? Head to DeliciousBaby.com and explore!

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Interested in Exploring Minnesota? It's easy - head to ExploreMinnesota and you'll find a plethora of activities, ideas, places to stay, and more.  We thank ExploreMinnesota for their great help on our recent trip.