Toronto’s newest attraction, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada has been on our family’s list to visit, but we have never had the time to take the children there. When we do have the time on hand to visit it there has always been some crisis to see too. After working very hard we decided this week to surprise the children with a visit to the aquarium. And as it would be their first visit there they were so surprised that morning when we took the trip!
My children were so excited all the way to the Ripley’s Aquarium that opened their doors in October last year. For us it was a treat to see their faces light up when walking through the many places inside that they have to offer. Even my 20 month old son got all excited when we walked through all the aquariums with different types of marine animals.
As we entered the Canadian Water gallery they ran and pressed their little faces up against the fish tanks and with many ooh and ah at the colorful lobsters and octopus making their way across the tanks.
Ripley’s Aquarium has many highlights to offer for families visiting daily ranging from the Dangerous Lagoon, Pacific Sea Nettles, Kelp Forest and many more attractions. The aquarium is children friendly and almost every exhibit has some sort of interactive element around it for your children to learn more about these marine species. Most tanks are low to the ground, providing even my son to get great views of the fishes.
They provide the children with remarkable play areas. My children crawled through tunnels and into bubbles that make them showing that they are in the aquarium with the fish. They enjoyed this very much!
The moving floor in certain parts of the aquarium is very beneficial and provided us to stand still while turning around and looking at all the marine life available to see and even makes taking snap shots easier without trying to get around people at the aquariums.
Throughout the aquarium, you find many signs that identify the fish you are looking at and also tell us if these species are endangered. The glass floor is a great feature for all to enjoy. You can stand on the floor and watch sharks swimming round and round beneath you. It was so magical to see the children’s faces while looking down at them while pointing with their fingers at the sharks swimming beneath them.
And for the hungry tummies there is Ripley’s Café. Featuring a menu of quick and delicious food the entire family is sure to enjoy. The perfect conclusion to our remarkable adventure, we stopped at the amazing gift shop as we did not want to leave there without buying some souvenirs for the children. The shop offers you with a wide variety of stuffed animals and toys for your children to choose from. And do not forget the adults providing them with great home décor, mostly made in Canada. Even clothing made with quality material is available to choose from and many books not just for children but mommy and daddy too.
The whole aquarium is safe and clean, making this a big plus in my books when it comes to my family. Constant cleaning is being done while you are strolling through the different places they have to offer to see. Even the tank glass is kept clean throughout the day helping us to see all the species in the tanks. The aquarium offers many extras from birthday parties to corporate events, behind the scene tours and sleepover program for children.
We covered a lot of ground with our visit that day and by the time we reached home the children were exhausted with all the fun they had and a nice warm bath and bed made it even better for mom and dad to just sit down and relax!
Overall the aquarium is a must visit for families from near and far the exhibits are beautiful, with a great variety of marine life to see and even a perfect spot to take the children for an afternoon visit while learning about these magnificent species.