The Atlantic Sea-Park ( no, Atlanterhavsparken) is an aquarium in

Ålesund Ålesund () sometimes spelled Aalesund in English, is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal County, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sunnmøre and the centre of the Ålesund Region. The town of Ålesund is the administrativ ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

. It was founded in 1951 as a limited company. The current facility was officially opened 15 June 1998. The Atlantic Sea-Park is one of Scandinavia's largest saltwater aquariums and one of the leading tourist attractions in the area.

History

Founded in 1951 as a limited company, the Aquarium moved in 1967 into more permanent premises in the basement of the "Fishermen House" near Brosundet. In 1976 the aquarium was turned into a foundation, and planning was started for a new facility. The current facility was finally opened on 15 June 1998 during the 150th anniversary of the city of

Facility

The facility is built into the coastline of Tueneset, about west of Ålesund, and offers nearly of public and exhibition space, plus of outdoor space. The aquarium is located in scenic recreational area that includes a view of the coastal islands and the ocean, as well as hiking trails, fishing, and beaches for swimming and diving. The exhibition area includes 11 larger landscape aquariums, including 2 open touch pools and 2 activity pools, plus several smaller aquariums. Together the aquariums provide a representative view of life under water along the Norwegian coast and in the northern Atlantic ocean. Daily dive shows in the Great Atlantic tank let visitors watch the fish being fed.Atlanterhavsparken:
Mating av fisker og dyr
'' Retrieved 12 February 2015. Some of the species in this tank are

cod Cod is the common name for the demersal fish genus '' Gadus'', belonging to the family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gadus'' is commonly not call ...

halibut Halibut is the common name for three flatfish in the genera '' Hippoglossus'' and '' Reinhardtius'' from the family of right-eye flounders and, in some regions, and less commonly, other species of large flatfish. The word is derived from ''h ...

conger ''Conger'' ( ) is a genus of marine congrid eels. It includes some of the largest types of eels, ranging up to 2 m (6 ft) or more in length, in the case of the European conger. Large congers have often been observed by divers during t ...

and

salmon Salmon () is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus ''Salmo'') and North Pacific (genus '' Oncorhy ...

. On weekends, visitors can help feed the fish in the open pools. In 2014, the "Selbukta" opened, which is one of the largest seal exhibits in the world. This outside exhibit houses

harbor seal The harbor (or harbour) seal (''Phoca vitulina''), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared se ...

s. The exhibition area showcases marine life from all coasts of the Atlantic Ocean, particularly in the waters surrounding Norway. Species from various ocean depths are on display, including marine life from deep water habitats. In order to withstand the pressure in the deep water tanks, the panels needed to be cast thick. The nearly seamless bonds required for this mean that visitors to the park get a nearly unimpeded view of the underwater world beyond. The Aquarium includes a Cafe and gift shop.

Notes

External links

* * {{Authority control Buildings and structures in Ålesund Aquaria in Norway Companies based in Ålesund