Rainy day? No problem! Visit Busan's Sea Life Aquarium

Address: 1411-4, Jung-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan

Most of us look forward to summer and dream of sun, sea and relaxation. Korea's summer however, is a little different. Summer is hot in most parts of the world, but if you're from the UK like me, Korea's summer takes a lot of getting used to! Temperatures here start to tip over 30 degrees Celcius in mid-to late June and go up close to around 38 degrees in July and August. If the temperature isn't enough to scare you, the humidity will. Humidity reaches its highest in July, reaching 80-90%. Combine that with Korea's annual monsoon season, which generally lasts between 4 and 6 weeks, and you'll see that we're in for a pretty tough time.

With that being said, it doesn't mean that you can't have some fun in the summer in Korea! But how will you do that when the weather is against you? Well, I recently took a trip to Busan, and the weather was far from what I imagined it would be. As it's mid-June, I expected dry sunny weather, but instead I experienced heat, humidity and monsoon-like rain. So I was wandering around near Haeundae beach feeling a little sorry for myself, when I remembered that there is an aquarium right next to the beach. I'd never visited before so I thought this would be a great time to give it a try.

The aquarium is located right beside Busan's popular Haeundae Beach, about a 15 minute walk from Haeundae station. Priced at 31,000 won for an adult ticket, the admission fee seemed quite expensive compared to other aquariums I've visited in Korea. I was a little surprised as from the outside it looks like a very small, simple aquarium, but you definitely shouldn't judge a book by its cover! Aside from the entrance and ticketing area, the entire aquarium is underground in the basement. Like all aquariums, there are a variety of different zones. You take a linear route through each of the four zones: Shark Zone, Turtle Rescue Zone, Seahorse Kingdom, and Sea at Night Zone.

After going down the escalator, you arrive in the first zone which has freshwater creatures and is decorated with a tropical rainforest theme. In this zone there are a range of animals, from fish and frogs, to penguins and even otters. I was lucky because I had arrived just in time to watch some of the otter feed which happens twice a day. I recommend that you get there a little ahead of feeding time because this space is quite narrow so it fills up with spectators quickly, making it really hard to see anything. There are also opportunities to watch the penguins and sharks get fed twice a day, and you can find the feeding times on the website or on the leaflet you're given when you buy your tickets. 

The shark zone is next, where you can take a look at some of the smaller sharks, as well as small fish and corals. There's also a great rockpool activity where anyone can take a look at (and touch after washing your hands) an empty shark's egg and some cute starfish.

Heading down another escalator you'll enter a luminescent room filled with models of corals, as well as some real ones. This is the 'Sea at Night' zone, and they have some goggles dotted around which you can look through to see the corals glowing. Pretty cool! You'll also see some jellyfish and the octopus here. Keep walking, and you'll reach the stingrays. This was a fun area because the stingrays are very energetic and they like to interact with spectators in their own way. 

​There are two large tanks in the aquarium. You'll pass one where you can see large fish, stingrays and sharks, before walking through the first part of the ocean tunnel. Then you'll arrive at the 'Ocean Theatre' where the shark feeding takes place. The seating is kind of in the style of theatre seating, but you don't get the best view of the actual tank the further back you are. If possible, try to come a little earlier and get a seat nearer the front! Don't worry though, there are two screens to the left and right of the tank so that you can easily see everything that's happening from wherever you are. The shark feeding does feel a little bit like a show as there is a presenter who asks spectators questions and commentates on what is happening inside the tank! It's quite fun and is a good opportunity to see some of the sharks up close. This is the finale, so to speak, of your aquarium visit, so after the show you can walk through the last part of the ocean tunnel and head up an escalator to the souvenir shop.

My trip to Sea Life Aquarium Busan was a spur of the moment decision, but I'm happy that I finally had a chance to visit, and I was pleasantly surprised. It's worth a visit whatever the weather, but it's definitely a great option if you are trying to escape from the rain. I guess sometimes a rainy day isn't as bad as it seems.

Visit the Sea Life Busan Aquarium website here to find out more information and to book tickets. If you'd like more information about the aquarium and other things to do in Busan, take a look at my Busan page.