We went the first time in 2001 when our daughter was a few months old and loved her reactions to the fish. We took her again a few months later and noticed how, as an older baby, she paid more attention to the marine life. As she got older, different things fascinated her, and once she could start asking questions, well then Dad the Diver could start explaining all kinds of interesting fishy facts! It’s been the same with our son who is now 7 years old. They always have new questions and it’s always fun to visit the aquarium with them.
Phuket Aquarium is located at the end of Cape Panwa, to the SE of Phuket Town. I like the area a lot, one of our favourite restaurants is in the Panwa area, and there’s some lovely scenery, particularly if you turn off the main road down to the aquarium and take the smaller road along the west side of the cape with views across Chalong Bay. On the way you also pass the turn off to Khao Kad viewpoint.
The entry fee is not high, just B100 for adults, B50 for kids. It’s not a huge aquarium, but has expanded little by little over the years and there are plans for more. In the first room by the entrance are many small tanks, with all kind of fish.
There’s all kinds of species from moray eels to lionfish to angelfish, batfish, lobsters, razor shrimpfish – most are local species found in Thailand, and also some oddities like electric eels. The walkthrough tunnel was not there when we first visited, it only opened in 2005. Not a huge tunnel to be sure, but still, there are some little sharks in there – blacktip and leopard sharks, jacks, a big Napoleon wrasse, stingrays and more. Always a hit with the kids, and with me!
There’s another pretty big tank that contains several huge groupers. And plenty of small tanks containing such little beauties as shrimps or seahorses.
When you exit the indoor section of Phuket Aquarium, you’ll find a little snack and drink shop and a souvenir shop – some of the items for sale are tacky, some are pretty nice.
The aquarium and attached marine biological center do good work, and with the entry fee being low, a small purchase is helpful. Further round is a nature trail, a small kids playground, and the there is also a marine biological center with an endangered species unit.
Here at the aquarium turtles are bred/reared and also injured turtles are looked after. We sometimes see big turtles with bits of flipper missing or chunks missing from their shells, no doubt as a result of contact with a boat.
Jamie Monk works at liveaboard dive specialists Sunrise Divers. For more information call: 084 626 4646 or visit: sunrise-divers.com
You can read more about Phuket on Jamie’s Phuket Blog or follow Jamie on , Twitter, Instagram or Flickr.