Thursday 13 September 2012

BUSAN AQUARIUM, BUSAN, KOREA

부산아쿠아리움 . プサンアクアリウム . 釜山水族馆


Having visited the COEX Aquarium in Seoul some years back, the Busan Aquarium, in comparison, was not very exciting although there was one part which I liked a lot. I had asked Mom to bring me to visit this aquarium because I like fishes.

One of my favourites - sharks!
Getting In

Mom bought both the admission tickets and the Glass Bottom Boat tickets at the entrance. She said the Glass Bottom Boat experience seemed very interesting.

Entrance
3D Rider has another entrance
Our ticket for the Glass Bottom Boat - it's not for keeps :-(

Once we've entered, we headed straight to the Glass Bottom Boat counter to make a booking. Our time slot was at 5pm, so we had about 40 mins of time available to explore the aquarium.


The Different Zones


Tropical Rainforest


Jackass Penguins

7m Coral Tank (Upper)
7m Coral Tank (Lower)
Touch Pool









Otherwise known as Sunfish
We have this in Underwater World Singapore too!



Glass Bottom Boat

Basically, we were circling around the main tank in a small boat, and a guide gave commentary on the fishes / sharks / turtles that we could see through the glass bottom of the boat. I enjoyed this experience although I was scared that I would drop into the tank!



First, we have to put on our life jackets. Then the guide explained about the safety measures - like if we were to fall into the tank, we should not swim because that would get the shark's attention (so we should remain still and wait for help). The guide was speaking in Korean, and I could only understand what she said based on the pictures that she showed me (lucky that Mom can speak some Korean too!).




Off we go! The guide pulled the rope to move the boat along (so no paddles), and she also had us touch a real shark's teeth (not from a live shark)! And we saw many fishes, a shark and a turtle.




 
We even got to feed shrimps to the fishes below. Wow, when I threw the shrimps in, all the fishes were splashing and fighting for the food!



 
Notes from Mom
  • A relatively good option for kids if there is time to spare (about 1 hour)
  • To make the visit more interesting, good to include the Glass Bottom Boat experience. Do make a reservation immediately after entering as there are scheduled timings and seat capacity limitations. Note that the commentary is in Korean only.
  • Not all exhibits come with an English writeup
  • What's great about the City of Busan is that there is free wifi in most of the tourist areas, including Haeundae Beach where this aquarium is located
  • Visit can be coupled together with a stroll along Haeundae Beach or some time-out at one of the dozens cafes along the beach

 
  • We chose to take a break at Angel-in-us Coffee across the road from Haeundae Beach (and near the aquarium), which offered a great view of the sea



 
 
About the Aquarium

Opening Hours:

Ticketing:
  Adult - 19,000 won
  Child - 15,000 won
Free entry for kids below 3 years old
20% discount on admission tickets with the Korea Rail (KR) pass

The Glass Bottom Boat experience costs an additional 6000 won per person.
The 3D Rider costs an additional 5000 won per person (with admission ticket). Just taking the ride alone will cost 6000 won per person.


Getting There

Take Subway Line 2 to Haeundae Station (해운대역), and from Exit 3 or 5, we took a 10 mins walk towards Haeundae Beach. To pinpoint the right direction towards Haeundae Beach, look out for Seacloud Hotel, and head towards it.

 
Along the way, we passed by the Haeundae Market and lots of cafes and restaurants.

Haeundae Market
Haeundae Beach T-Junction

Once you reach Haeundae Beach (at a T-junction), turn right and you can see the 3D shark (see image at the start of this page). The aquarium is along the Haeundae Beach.
 
 
 
We visited Haedong Yonggungsa in the morning of this day. Read about our visit to the temple here.
 


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