| Marine Kingdom | |
|---|---|
 | |
.jpg) .jpg) .jpg) .jpg) Various exhibits at Marine Kingdom | |
 | |
| 12°54′44″N80°15′03″E / 12.9123°N 80.2508°E /12.9123; 80.2508 | |
| Date opened | 2019 |
| Location | Chennai,Tamil Nadu, India |
| Land area | 7,500 m2 (81,000 sq ft) |
| No. of species | 200 |
| Major exhibits | 35 |
| Website | vgpmarinekingdom |
Marine Kingdom is anaquarium located along theEast Coast Road inChennai, India. It was opened for public in 2019. It is owned and operated by theVGP Group. The aquarium hosts the largest underwater walk-through tunnel in India.
Marine Kingdom is anaquarium located along theEast Coast Road inChennai, India. Spread over an area of 7,500 m2 (81,000 sq ft), it was built at a cost of₹1.15 billion (US$13 million).[1][2][3] It is owned and operated by theVGP Group.[1] It was opened to public in 2019.[4]
The aquarium showcases 35 exhibit organised across five zones: rainforest, gorge, mangrove, coastal, and deep ocean.[1][2][4] There are more than 200 species including variousfishes, and otheraquatic animals such aslobsters.[5] Fishes on display includestingray,cichlids,blue tang,neon tetra,discus fish,marble angel fish,scat,razorfish,black ghost knifefish,butterfly fish,batfish,trevally,lemon shark, and other Indianfreshwater fish.[6][7] Apart from India, the fishes were sourced from other countries like Indonesia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.[8] Some of the exhibits are displayed in 360 degree viewable tanks.[6]
The aquarium has a 70 m (230 ft) long and 6.5 m (21 ft) deep underwater walk-through tunnel, which was the first of its kind in India.[2][3][8] It was constructed byTurkish firm Polin aquariums usingacrylic glass imported from Germany.[1][7] There is an underwatermermaid show operational in the aquarium since 2019.[5] The aquarium also unveiled a 7 ft (2.1 m) high underwatergolu consisting of 50 dolls forNavaratri in 2022.[9][10]
The aquarium has a food court and a souvenir shop adjacent to it.[2][3] There is an educational lab, aimed at creating awareness onwildlife conservation to students.[1] A virtual tour was introduced in late 2019.[4]
The aquarium has unveiled plans to add more exhibits such asdolphins,[7] and other facilities such asscuba diving, an underwaterrestaurant, andluxury suites.[2] It faced issues with funds for further expansion due toCovid-19 induced closure in 2020.[11]
