Acuario Michin Guadalajara is an aquarium in

Guadalajara Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the list of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Me ...

, in the Mexican state of

Jalisco Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal En ...

History

Acuario Michin Guadalajara was built in order to attract tourists to the area. Almost 300 million pesos (over 14 million US dollars) were invested in the aquarium, which is located near

Parque Alcalde Parque Alcalde is a park in Guadalajara, in the Mexican state of Jalisco. References

Guadalajara, Jalisco Parks in Jalisco {{Jalisco-geo-stub ...

. Construction began in 2015, and it opened during March of 2017. Originally, there were plans for an aquarium to be built in nearby

Puerto Vallarta Puerto Vallarta ( or simply Vallarta) is a Mexican beach resort city situated on the Pacific Ocean's Bahía de Banderas in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Puerto Vallarta is the second largest urban agglomeration in the state after the Guadala ...

, but there were concerns that it would not get enough visitors with the aquarium in Guadalajara being built. Eventually, plans for an aquarium in Puerto Vallarta were scrapped. In 2018, the aquarium became the first in the country to successfully breed neotropical river otters.

Exhibits

The aquarium is divided into five sections, each named after a pre-Hispanic Mexican civilization: Wixárika, Maya, Mixtec, Konkaak, and Olmeca. * Wixárika Pavilion: Features freshwater species, reptiles, and amphibians, including

axolotls The axolotl (; from nci, āxōlōtl ), ''Ambystoma mexicanum'', is a paedomorphic salamander closely related to the tiger salamander. Axolotls are unusual among amphibians in that they reach adulthood without undergoing metamorphosis. Instea ...

. * Maya Pavilion: Features species native to coral reefs, including clownfish. * Mixtec Pavilion: Features some semiaquatic species such as crocodiles and neotropical otters. This pavilion also contains an aviary where visitors can feed budgerigars, opportunities to feed tilapia and

carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...

, and a petting zoo called Achcalli Farm. that was added in 2019. The petting zoo received an expansion in 2021 that added several new species, including flamingos,

ducks Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...

, turtles, capybaras, and miniature pigs. Visitors can pay extra for a crocodile feeding experience, as well as a giant rabbit interaction. * Konkaak Pavilion: Features colder water species from the Pacific, including jellyfish. * Olmeca Pavilion: Features species from the Gulf of Mexico, including several species of shark, such as

bull sharks The bull shark (''Carcharhinus leucas''), also known as the Zambezi shark (informally zambi) in Africa and Lake Nicaragua shark in Nicaragua, is a species of requiem shark commonly found worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in riv ...

, nurse sharks, and blacktip reef sharks. Other species in the pavilion include

yellowfin surgeonfish The yellowfin surgeonfish or Cuvier's surgeonfish (''Acanthurus xanthopterus'') is one of several marine fish that change color as they get older. This characteristic confused fish identification, and originally put the young and adults in differe ...

and the Northern red snapper. The aquarium allows guests to dive in the shark tank for an additional cost. There is a sixth section in the aquarium called Marine Challenges, which consists of various games and physical activities, including laser tag, rock-climbing, trampolines, an obstacle course, and an arcade.

Conservation

Acuario Michin Guadalajara participates in several conservation programs, including breeding programs for axolotls and neotropical otters. They work closely with several environmental organizations, including Tapitas Bank, Pelagios Kakunjá, and local indigenous-lead groups. The aquarium has also served as a home for nonreleasable neotropical otters.

References

External links

* {{Official website, https://acuariomichin.com/guadalajara/ Aquaria in Mexico Tourist attractions in Guadalajara, Jalisco