Pleasure for everyone...
I didn’t think that I would “sing praises” to the oceanarium. Well, firstly, I thought that this “entertainment” was more for children than for adults. Secondly, I am convinced that everyone should live in their native environment. And thirdly, so much has been filmed and told about the underwater world by various professionals that I can hardly tell something interesting.
But, looking at the photographs of my trip to Portugal, I remembered with what pleasure we looked at the floating and jumping living creatures, clinging to the glasses of numerous aquariums.
Initially, visiting the Lisbon Oceanarium was not part of our plans, the idea arose spontaneously. The fact that this is the largest oceanarium in Europe and one of the best in the world, and the coast of Portugal is surrounded by the ocean, and therefore such an “attraction” is fully justified, became weighty arguments.
Where once there was a port and shipyards that fell into decay over time, in 1998, a huge modern complex (shopping center, exhibition pavilions, theater, casino, hotels) was built for the international exhibition "Expo-98", called " Nations Park. And the main "symbol" of the park (and the modern attraction of Lisbon) was the Oceanario de Lisboa, home to about 8.000 fish and animals and more than 500 plant species.
The oceanarium consists of two buildings, erected right in the water, and interconnected by a glazed corridor-tunnel. This is a whole complex of various themed aquariums located at different levels - a unique underwater world.
Having bought tickets at the box office, we immediately follow the signs to the second floor and find ourselves in a dark room, illuminated only by a small illumination of individual elements.
On the threshold I freeze in confusion - I need to step over a glass strip in the floor, about a meter wide, through which turtles swimming below can be seen. And, as if, with your mind, you understand that the glass is thick and durable, and will not crack under you, but some underlying fear still makes you step over quickly - “what if? » : )
And then - the "world" of turtles and some species of fish, which can be viewed through the "windows" in the wall, in the floor or "diving" into a niche, where, sitting on a sofa, slowly watch Tortila resting among the corals.
The exposition is small, quickly ends, and in an attempt to find a "continuation", several times we return "to square one". And here the thought creeps in: “Is this all? ? It can't be like that! ! ! ".
Of course it can't! !
: ) A glass corridor-tunnel leads to the main asset of the oceanarium - a huge aquarium with a volume of 5000 cubic meters, occupying two tiers in height, and personifying the "global ocean".
About a hundred species from all over the underwater world coexist in this aquarium at the same time - tuna, perch, moray eels, barracuda, wrasse, groupers, stingrays ...And here it is, the shark that instills fear in everyone - swims detachedly before my eyes. And in my head floats “Here the Shark-Karakula opened its evil mouth. Do you want to go straight to the mouth of the Karakul Shark? …” : ))
And, looking at the various flocks of fish passing by, I conclude that she is well and on time fed here, forestalling bloodthirsty impulses. : )
But a black-and-white manta ray gracefully “floats” in the water column, forcing you to watch its movements in fascination ...It seems that they are called “sea devils”?
Oh, and what kind of "wonderfully created" is approaching the glass? ? ?
Mola-mola, or it is also called the moon fish. It is said that it can reach three or more meters in diameter. But here is a monster on the outside! : ) It turns out that few aquariums in the world can boast that they have it.
Around the huge central aquarium there are 4 smaller aquarium pavilions with the inhabitants of the Pacific Ocean, the coral reefs of the Indian Ocean, the North Atlantic and Antarctic coasts.
In one, Magellanic penguins “scattered” along the slopes of the rocks. Quite small, not much larger than the puffins located here or - the more well-known name - puffins.
The penguins are funny, one after another jump out of the water, waddling funny, defile along the ice block.
Enthusiastic voices and laughter can be heard from the neighboring pavilion aquarium.
These are two sea otters (sea otters) entertain visitors - splashing in the water, lying on their backs, chasing each other in a circle, licking, snorting and even sneezing. : ))
Here is what Jacques-Yves Cousteau tells about sea otters, which they studied on one of the expeditions:
“...Infrequently, a sea otter swims belly down: only when looking for food, playing, taking part in amorous pastimes or fleeing. The rest of the time it spends stretched out on its back, gently swaying by the waves of the Pacific Ocean ...The animal eats lying down, cleans its fur lying down, raises children on its belly and sleeps in this comfortable position. ...The sea otter does not dive each time for one shell, one sea urchin or for the fish that he noticed: he folds his prey under water, as he collects it, into a fold of skin that is located under his left paw - he fills it only after how full the pocket under the right paw is.
Once, when one male came to the surface loaded with supplies, he was attacked by hunters. They pursued him for two hours, but in the end the animal eluded the chase; then it lay down on its back and calmly took lunch from its left pocket: it did not even think of getting rid of it! »
Incredibly charming animals with hilarious faces! You can watch them with delight and tenderness for hours.
We move on to the pavilion with the humid tropics - colorful bright fish gliding among the algae, starfish “glued” to the stones, swaying with tentacles of araucaria ...It seems that nature has painted the inhabitants of the Indian Ocean with all the colors of the rainbow.
Following the "stream" of tourists like us, we descend to the lower tier - here, at the bottom of the central aquarium, the deep-sea life of the oceans is seething. And around in small aquariums, a variety of living creatures from the warm seas are collected.
Frogs of different colors, sometimes so tiny that it is not immediately possible to notice them among the snags and foliage. Salamanders and newts. Colorful fish swim among the coral reefs, sea dragons hide in the algae, miniature stingrays rest on the sandy bottom, and colorful jellyfish reminded me of a flowerbed with asters. : )
Moving between expositions, we find ourselves in a small cinema - a film about the "backstage" life of the oceanarium is broadcast on the screen non-stop.
Two and a half hours of rapturous emotions. : ) Slightly crazy from overflowing impressions, we leave the oceanarium...through a huge souvenir shop...It's just not worth going here with children - they will ruin it completely. : ))
You can also lie down in hammocks in the square in front of the oceanarium or take a ride on a cable car that runs along the coast.
The cable car offers stunning views of the park and the Vasco da Gama Bridge - the longest bridge in Europe (17 km).
You can get to the aquarium by metro to Oriente station.
Official site - http://www. oceanario. pt/
