The 100 foot “undersea” acrylic tunnel featured in the Ocean Voyager exhibit.

A Pacific coral reef in one of the worlds largest living tropical reef exhibits.

The expansive Georgia Aquarium is worth a visit – with or without kids.

We visited (without children), and were able to take advantage of the one-hour behind-the-scenes “Sea Keeper Tour” for ages 10+. We saw the veterinary areas, labs, filtration system, coral reef mechanism, and the top of the 6.3 million gallon Ocean Voyager exhibit the Whale Sharks call home. A 20-minute “Quick Dip Tour” is available for families with kids 5+ and also gets you to the top of the Whale Shark exhibit. You can also arrange to swim or dive with the Whale Sharks.

The Aquarium covers everything from cold water environments, featuring Beluga Whales and a shy giant Pacific octopus, to the river habitats of Africa, South America and Asia. Local coastal and river settings are not ignored and there are plenty of hands-on, interactive activities for kids of all ages.

The four Whale Sharks were amazing and I could’ve watched them as well as their companion sharks, mantas and thousands of fish for hours!

You can easily spend a day. Be sure to avoid lines and get your tickets on-line in advance. Many local hotels have overnight/Aquarium packages and, if you stay downtown, you can walk through Centennial Park to the Aquarium. If you drive in, parking at the Aquarium is $10, or $9 if purchased on-line.

Tip: Be sure to book any behind-the-scenes tour and your time for the “Dolphin Tales” show in advance. Popular times book up quickly. If you get tickets through a hotel you may need your ticket numbers because you will need to book these times directly with the Aquarium. I say “may” because after being told I had to have the ticket numbers, once I got them, no one ever asked for them . . . .

Surface view of a Whale Shark from the vantage point of a behind-the-scenes tour.

One of the four Whale Sharks at the Georgia Aquarium.

Pacific Sea Nettles, each with their lacy oral arms and 24 stinging tentacles.

Tale fluke of a beautiful Beluga Whale in the Cold Water Quest exhibit.