Sevastopol Marine Aquarium Museum is one of the oldest public aquariums in Europe and is the very first marine aquarium in Ukraine and the entire Russian Empire. It was founded in 1897 at the Sevastopol Biological Station, which is not only the oldest Russian biological station, but also the fifth in the world in terms of the time of its creation.
Sevastopol Aquarium Museum is a widely known cultural and educational institution. Every year it is visited by more than 100000 people. The exposition of the Aquarium Museum occupies five halls with a total area of about 750 square meters.
The aquariums have artificial scenery reproducing the landscape of the coral reef.
The decorations are made according to original sketches from acrylic plastic. The applied material is durable, non-toxic and absolutely safe for living inhabitants of aquariums. Fastidious tropical fish and invertebrates feel themselves perfectly among artificial rocks and corals.
In 1999 the premises of the old Aquarium were reconstructed. It houses a new exhibit of exotic freshwater fish from South America and Africa. Luxurious 1.5-meter arapaima, huge pacu and Orinoc catfish, arowanas and freshwater rays are the main inhabitants of this hall. Here, the aquariums are also equipped with closed-circuit water purification systems and acrylic plastic decorations. The decorations reproduce the characteristic appearance of the habitats of the fish represented.
In 2013, on Navy Day, a new Hall 5 was opened, specially designed to contain dangerous marine and freshwater inhabitants. This room houses a large 40-ton marine aquarium for sharks, a 15-ton aquarium for moray eels, and other tanks for smaller fish and invertebrates.
Comfortable heated terrariums have been built for exotic reptiles. The decorations here are made according to original sketches from reinforced concrete. This material allows creating perfect imitations of rock, wood, etc. of almost any size. Concrete structures are protected and waterproofed with modern materials. After final coloring, the decorations acquire the appearance of natural corners. All works on creation of water treatment systems, lighting and decoration of the exposition were performed by the Sevastopol Aquarium staff.
The Aquarium currently has 5 halls:
The first hall shows characteristic representatives of coral reefs. Small sizes of aquariums exhibited here, allow visitors to examine in detail small fish, shrimps and invertebrates.
The second hall represents 2 independent sections: Black Sea and tropical. There are 12 wall pools with a volume of up to 7 cubic meters each and a circular pool with a diameter of 9 meters and a depth of 2.5 meters. Each aquarium of the tropical section has an independent (separate) closed system for water preparation and purification. Such systems allow even tropical sharks to be kept in artificial conditions.
In the third hall of the museum there is a large collection of tropical reptiles: sea and freshwater turtles — inhabitants of the Indian and Atlantic oceans. In the same hall «lives» children’s favorite — the spectacled caiman.
The fourth hall is inhabited by representatives of freshwater and reptiles. There is also a very interesting aquarium with a greenhouse imitating the ruins of an ancient Cambodian temple.
The fifth hall is inhabited by representatives of the World Ocean, which are often deadly. Blacktip sharks, electric fish (stingrays and eels), rock or warthog fish, poisonous fugu fish and many other no less «famous» inhabitants of seas and rivers.