Located in downtown Toronto adjacent to the CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada is one of three public aquariums owned by Ripley Entertainment.
The aquarium was originally intended for Niagara Falls, where it would undoubtedly fit in on the kitschy Clifton Hill, but plans fell through and it opened in Toronto in 2013. It houses 5.7 million litres of marine and freshwater habitats from around the world, with more than 20,000 exotic sea and freshwater specimens making up over 450 species. A particular highlight is the Dangerous Lagoon, an underwater tunnel with a moving conveyor belt that takes you beneath a tank featuring sharks, stingrays, sawfish, and sea turtles.
Unsurprisingly, Ripley’s Aquarium has been the target of animal liberation groups and the site of several protests and demonstrations. The attraction also made national news in 2018 when an inebriated visitor from British Columbia jumped into the shark tank, naked.
I came across a collection of photos from when I visited back in 2017, and thought I would share. Enjoy!
I visited the aquarium last winter (perfect activity for winter) and what you describe was still in place. Beyond the live species in the giant aquariums, there are also many explanations, including the role of fishing in the early settlement of Canada and its weight in the current economy of the Maritime Provinces. This is an interesting visit on several levels.
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The Ripley’s attractions can be quite gimmicky but this is one of their better ones.
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Beautiful captures Jess, you sure had a good time!
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Thank you! It’s always fun to look back on old photos. I had forgotten about these ones.
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I’ve been meaning to go here since ages, never been. It looks magical 🙂
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Ah, maybe after this lockdown is finally over!
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Fingers crossed!
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looks like a pretty cool aquarium. your photos are great!
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Thank you!
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People like that drunkard who jumped in the shark tank are why the Darwin Awards were created. Idiot.
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Yeah, what a weirdo…
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