Whilst we were in Monaco, we were advised to visit the Oceanographic museum of Monaco. The museum was built in 1910 and is home to some fascinating creatures that I have never witnessed before. This included multiple varieties of jellyfish, seahorses, sharks, an octopus and a large variety of unique fish. The museum is also home to a sea turtle, Sammy, who has been rescued from the ocean and is currently in a rehabilitation tank until he is fit enough to be returned to his natural habitat.
The Oceanographic museum of Monaco prides itself in alowing visitors the opportunity to learn about the wonders of the ocean and all the incredible marine life that can be found there, including the beautiful reefs and the living plants that call the reefs home. There is plenty to see within the oceanarium with the beautiful architecture being split between the aquarium and a museum teaching visitors about the various expeditions that have taken place over the years. A particular highlight, is the museum's exhibition which allows visitors to immerse themselves in different areas of the ocean, ranging from their 'Polar Mission' which includes an immersion room where you can witness the incredible environments within the Arctic and Antarctic oceans, to the interactive experience of visiting the Great Barrer Reef and seeing all the stunning and colourful marine life that lives there. These interactive exhibitions are sure to be a favourite with both children and adults, taking place in a large, isolated room which includes a whale skeleton as the ceiling's decor.
Once you feel like you have seen all of the incredible sea life (both in the flesh and virtually), you will notice that the fun is not over yet with the immersive room leading out to a museum of artefacts that have been located within the ocean, alongside a replica of the first ever submarine. In a seperate room you will find a large boat where there are many interactive activities such as releasing the boat's nets to catch some fish from the ocean and videos explaining how we can continue to preserve our marine life.
Overall, I found the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco extremely informative and educational whilst also allowing me the opportunity to witness some marine life that I have never seen before. I have placed a video below to give you a sneak peek of some of the amazing sealife you can expect to see on a visit to one of the oldest aquariams in the world.