Hanwha Aqua Planet 63 (Korean: 아쿠아플라넷 63) is an aquarium that opened in 1985 in the 63 Building, Yeouido, Seoul, South Korea. It was the first public aquarium in the country. The 63 Building was the tallest building in Korea when it was built, and is still an iconic building in Seoul. The aquarium hosts about 1,000,000 visitors each year.
| Aqua Planet 63 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 37°31′11.24″N 126°56′25.11″E / 37.5197889°N 126.9403083°E | |
| Date opened | 1985[2] |
| Location | Yeouido, Seoul, South Korea |
| Floor space | 5,630 m2 (60,600 sq ft)[1] |
| No. of animals | 20,000+[1] |
| No. of species | 400+[1] |
| Annual visitors | 1,000,000 |
| Management | Hanwha Group |
| Website | 63 Seaworld Home |
History
editThe aquarium was opened in 1985, occupying 5,630 square metres (60,600 sq ft) of the three basement levels in the 63 Building (the third basement is an equipment level and not open to the public).[1] Its mission was to "be a center of education for those interested in learning more about marine life," and it reproduced ocean habitats from around the world.[3] The harbor seal show opened in 1990, and is still showing daily. In 2016, Seaworld 63 was renovated and re-opened, and named as Aquaplanet 63.
Animals
editAqua Planet 63 is currently home to 20,000+ animals representing 400+ species, including king penguin, jackass penguin, pirarucu, piranha, Oriental small-clawed otter, harbor seal, and sea lion.
Exhibits
editThe aquarium includes 80 tanks, 54 of which are available for public viewing, with the rest being used for breeding rare sea creatures.[3]
- Migratory Tank
This track shape tank contains 200 m2 (2,200 sq ft) of water, and is home to migratory species that are constantly circling the tank. The tank is 2.1 metres (6 ft 11 in) high and 42 metres (138 ft) around, and is made with 11-centimetre (4.3 in) thick acrylic.[1]
Shows
edit- Harbor seal
There are four harbor seals and two of them are playing show four times a day. Quite similar to the sea lion show from many other aquariums.
- Sea lion
A South American sea lion and a California sea lion are playing shows three times a day. The show is like a musical where most of the performance is done by trainers.
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ a b c d e "Welcome to Seaworld". 63.co.kr. 63 City. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
- ^ "63 Sea World - Have Fun Watching Diverse shows at the Aquarium". VisitKorea.or.kr. Korea Tourism Organization. Archived from the original on 26 May 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
- ^ a b "About". visitseoul.net. Seoul Metropolitan Government. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2011.