Mallorca's big blue

The vast oceans have always held a deep attraction to mankind. Adventurers who tried to tame the seas to discover new lands, were soon followed by scientists and then divers, all fascinated by the wealth and diversity of life that dwells within them. Every day tens of thousands of people stand at the water’s edge somewhere on the planet, facing the horizon and contemplating the wonders of the oceans that hold the key to all life.

When Palma Aquarium set out to create its own ocean experience it was always going to be big. Imagine a huge sea tank built on land that allows visitors to stand on the seabed level and watch the marine world go by. The scale of this ocean space has to be seen to be believed. In fact, if you can visualize a total of 78 Routemaster buses stacked two high by thirteen wide and by three long, then you can begin to understand the enormity of the picture, that of the deepest aquarium in Europe.

The underwater vista at Palma Aquarium changes every second. No two moments can ever be the same so your trip there is bound to be unique and very memorable. There are more than 8,000 marine life specimens living in perfect harmony in this man-made environment that has been so carefully recreated that even coral is growing there at this very moment.

What is even more amazing is that this is just one of the 55 underwater environments full of marine life for you to see. As you stroll through Palma Aquarium you take a trip around the oceans and seas of the world stepping comfortably from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific and from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean – and all without getting your feet wet.

However if you do happen to be a qualified diver and brave of heart, you can don your scuba gear and dive with the sharks and become part of the underwater vista, and get a fish eye view of people watching you, watching them, watching you!

If you would like to get up close and personal with 700 species of marine life including manta rays, seahorses, moon fish, guitar sharks, sand tigers and an extraordinary collection of live corals (which contrary to a common misconception are not plants, but animals), Palma Aquarium is located in its namesake on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca.

For more information, log on to Palmaaquarium.com.