Malta National Aquarium

The Malta National Aquarium (Akkwarju Nazzjonali ta' Malta in Maltese) is the largest aquarium in the Maltese Islands.

Malta National Aquarium
Main entrance of the Aquarium
Date opened2013
Location, Triq it-Trunciera, Qawra (San Pawl il-Baħar), Malta
Coordinates
Floor space20,000 m2 (220,000 sq ft)
No. of speciesMore than 175[1]
Major exhibitsDifferent species of fishes, molluscs, reptiles and insects
DirectorDaniel de Castro
ManagementMalta Tourism Authority
Public transit accessBen bus stop
Websitewww.aquarium.com.mt

It is located in Qawra, in the northern part of the island of Malta, and it hosts more than 175 different species of various animals, including fishes, molluscs, reptiles and insects.

History

The project for the creation of a National Aquarium site in Malta dates back to 1993. The town of Qawra was eventually preferred to the original idea of building it near Marsascala, being more easily accessible by tourists and closer to Bugibba and San Pawl il-Baħar, at the time lacking in tourist accommodation facilities.[2]

The building of the site has been financed with from the European Union[3] (about 49%[2]:26) and it was inaugurated in October 2013, two years after the works started.[4]

Description

The building, whose shape resembles a stylized starfish,[5] is located on the Qawra seafront and it is equipped with some recreational facilities for children and a restaurant.[6]

The Aquarium houses more than 175 different animal species, divided into tanks that reproduce some of the typical underwater scenarios of the Maltese islands.[7] The main tank, 12 meters in diameter,[8] allows the visitor to walk under a special gallery and to see the marine species inside from below.[9]

In addition to fishes and molluscs, the site also hosts a terrarium with several tanks containing reptiles, amphibians (frogs, chameleons and snakes among others) and exotic invertebrates.[10]

The Aquarium is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Malta,[11] and it has contributed to the increase in visitors from abroad in recent years.[2]:20–22 Among the species housed in the Aquarium there are, among others, specimens of cat sharks,[12] clown fish,[13] octopuses and different types of jellyfish,[14] housed in special thematic tanks.

In 2020, due to the temporary closure of the site caused by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malta, maintenance and expansion works were undertaken on the site.[15]

References
  1. "Malta National Aquarium". Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  2. "Performance Audit: An evaluation of Government's deal to design, build and operate the Malta National Aquarium" (PDF). National Audit Office (NAO). 2018. p. 13. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  3. Camilleri, Ivan (2013-02-26). "National Aquarium to open in summer". Times of Malta. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  4. "National Aquarium officially opened in Qawra". Times of Malta. 2013-10-03. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  5. "Malta National Aquarium". Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  6. "Dining at the Malta National Aquarium, Qawra". Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  7. "Discover the Aquarium". Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  8. "The Malta National Aquarium: Explore the Underwater World". Malta Uncovered. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  9. "Malta National Aquarium". Quality Assured Malta. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  10. "Reptiles and amphibian area". Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  11. Marotta, Mariateresa (2020-02-15). "Alla scoperta dell'Acquario Nazionale di Malta" [Discovering Malta National Aquarium] (in Italian). Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  12. "[WATCH] Nine sharks join the Malta National Aquarium". Malta Today. 2014-12-19. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  13. "Malta Aquarium". Discovering Malta. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  14. Cassar, Daphne (2017-12-13). "WATCH: Three jellyfish species at Malta aquarium". TVM. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  15. "€600,000 invested in National Aquarium". Times of Malta. 2020-05-03. Retrieved 2021-01-18.

See also
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