Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies – Gatlinburg, Tennessee
The Aquarium of the Smokies teams with life with 10,000 exotic sea creatures made of more than 350 individual species. It is a fabulous opportunity to see the wonders of the water in a beautiful environment. Gatlinburg is a great home for an aquarium of this quality allowing you to spend quality time learning about the different species on display.
Have you ever wanted to visit the Rainforest to see the wildlife that live there? How about the species of fish that add to the lure and beauty of the Rainforest? Here you can go to the Rainforest exhibit and see these Freshwater Stingrays, Cardinal Tetras, Four-eyed Fish, Oscars, Poison Dart Frogs, Zebra Cichlids, Armored Catfish, Arapaimas, Piranhas, Green Iguanas and Mudskippers. They will make you believe you are in a wonder world of beauty.
When you enter the area of the Ocean Realm you will be exposed to a few common fish and a few not so common species. With over 25,000 species of living fish representing 50% of all vertebrates species, outnumbering all mammals (that includes people), birds, reptiles and amphibians you can spend a lifetime studying them and still not see them all!
You have probably read about the importance of maintaining the coral reefs of the world to sustain the aquatic life that depends on them. When you enter the Coral Reef exhibit you will see hundreds of the world’s most colorful fish. There are blues, pinks, yellows, oranges, and every other imaginable color. These fish come from the waters of the Indo-Pacific and include parrots, damsels, angels and butterflies, fish whose very names are almost as exotic and colorful as they are.
Be sure to see the fascinating dive shows that occur regularly in Coral
Reef.
Make sure you visit the Shark Lagoon. This is the most popular and largest exhibit of the aquarium. You will be taken on your visit on the 340 foot long glide path. You will wind your way though the acrylic tunnel which gives you the opportunity to come face to face with snappers, tarpons, grunts, squirrelfish, a green sea turtle, giant stingrays, sawfish and some truly large sharks.
The Discovery center gives you the opportunity to use the interactive displays to learn about nature. You will even be able to touch a live horseshoe crab!
There are educators available in the building to answer your questions as well as special class times and topics for group discussions. What a great way to learn about the different species.
Visit the Gallery of the Seas and meet the octopus, seahorses, corals and jellies. These animals are bright colors, strange shapes and move in manners that are just outstanding.
When you are finished with the Gallery of the Seas you will want to go on Stingray Bay and watch these magnificent creatures glide through the water. Did you know that in the wild they spend most of their lives buried in the sand? At the aquarium they seem to relish the spotlight and even eat out of the hands of the divers!
See Atlantic Stingrays, Southern Stingrays, Cownose Rays, Spotted Eagle Rays, Bonnethead Sharks, Leopard Sharks, Epaulette Sharks, Arabian Sharks, Brownbanded Sharks and White-Spotted Sharks.
At the Touch-A-Ray Bay you can touch a ray. Be sure to touch just the dark top-side since they have really strong teeth. There are aquarists on hand to assure the safety of both the rays and you!
Directions
The Aquarium is located at Traffic Light #5 in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Ripley Entertainment, Inc
88 River Road
Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738
Phone: 865-430-8808
Hours
Memorial Day through
Labor Day
Sunday – Thursday:
9:00 am to 11:00 pm
Friday – Saturday:
9:00 am to 11:00 pm
Rest of the Year
Sunday – Thursday:
9:00am to 9:00pm
Friday – Saturday:
9:00am to 11:00pm
OPEN 365 DAYS A YEAR
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