In the centre of the city, facing the Old Port, the La Rochelle aquarium is one of the largest private aquariums in Europe.
For 1h30, you can visit the heart of the oceans and meet more than 12,000 marine animals, representing 600 species, in 82 aquariums, on 8,445m2 and in 3 million litres of seawater.
René Coutant, who died in 1984, an aquarium manufacturer, exhibited his collection publicly for the first time in 1972. He was followed by his children Roselyne and Pascal who opened in 1988 the largest Aquarium in France on the port of Les Minimes. Then, in 2001, in response to the company's success, the aquarium moved to a location near the Old Port, where it has welcomed 800,000 visitors every year since it opened.
It offers in particular an Atlantic room, a Mediterranean room, an oceanic area, another reserved for jellyfish, a Caribbean room, another Indo-Pacific room, an aquarium dedicated to sharks, the Amphitheatre aquarium, a tropical greenhouse...
In 2017, the Aquarium de La Rochelle will offer a new journey to the great depths. In the darkness, the marine species are illuminated with bright colours... The immersion in the Gallery of Lights is a real wonder.
The secrets of color in the ocean
This year, the Aquarium La Rochelle's scientific mediators invite the whole family to explore the mysteries behind the colors of many marine species, from silvery reflections to brightly colored sparkles.
Through fifteen illustrated themes, combining scientific information and games, we discover that all these nuances enable marine animals to develop incredible faculties to protect themselves, warn others and even seduce others!
All in all, the 800,000 visitors each year help fund numerous scientific research projects and raise public awareness of the need to preserve biodiversity.
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Open 365 days a year
Aquarium of La Rochelle
Quai Louis Prunier,
17000 La Rochelle
Tel: 05 46 34 00 00
http://www.aquarium-larochelle.com/
