Sea Life Busan Aquarium
How to get there
By subway: From Busan station (subway station), you can take line 1 and ride it for 6 stops, which takes about 10 minutes. Transfer to line 2 at Seomyeon station and ride for another 16 stops, which takes about 30 mins, and then get off at Haeundae Station. From there, take exit 5 and walk for about 10 minutes to the aquarium.
By bus: There are few different buses that run between the station and the aquarium, but the quickest and easiest route is if you take the #1003 bus from Busan station and ride it for 20 stops, which takes about 50 mins, and get off at Haeundae Beach bus stop. From here you only have to walk for about to minutes to the aquarium.
Address: 1411-4, Jung-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan
The Aquarium
So I was really looking forward to spending a sunny weekend in Busan, but the weather had other plans! My travel list was filled with outdoor activities from beach walks to mountain hikes, and whilst I could have done those things, I think the weather would have made it a lot harder to enjoy. So I was about to search for some indoor activities to do when I remembered there was a place I had been meaning to visit but never had the chance to. Located right next to the beautiful Haeundae Beach, you can see how the Sea Life Aquarium Busan can be overlooked. However, thanks to the rain it was the perfect day to finally visit.
From outside the aquarium looks tiny. Having visited the huge aquariums in Seoul, I guess I assumed that I would have seen everything I needed to when it comes to aquariums. Once inside I took a look at the ticket prices and noticed that they are significantly more expensive than in Seoul, with an adult ticket costing 31,000 won. There is an option to book in advance online and I think that is the cheapest option. Still, with 8 themed zones and over 10,000 marine creatures from over 250 species, I decided to go ahead and buy a ticket.
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 next zone is the shark zone 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. This is where you can see the first of several large tanks, which from this section you get a view of the top followed by a view from the bottom when you head downstairs.
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 goggle dotted around which you can look through to see the corals glowing. Pretty cool! You'll then pass through some jellyfish and the octopus tanks until you 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.
Next you'll pass one of the large tanks where you can see large fish, stingrays and sharks. After this, you'll walk through the first part of the ocean tunnel and arrive at the 'Ocean Theatre'. It's here that the shark feeding takes place. The seating is kind of in the style of a theatre because it is tiered, with the seats at the back being a little higher than the ones in front. Honestly, you don't get the best view of the actual tank the further back you are because a lot of the action seems to happen in the lower part of the tank on a platform, so it's best to come a little earlier and get a seat nearer the front. But, 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. After watching the show, you'll pass through the last 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.
