South Carolina’s most popular attraction is home to thousands of sea creatures both large and small.
Situated in the Broadway at the Beach entertainment complex, this fantastic aquarium is the perfect place to come to marvel at the incredible array of marine life that lives here. It is also the perfect way to spend an overcast or rainy day.
This is a pretty spectacular aquarium with one of the highlights being the Dangerous Reef, an underwater glass tunnel with moving walk way that allows you to come scarily close to 4 metre long Tiger Sharks and other fearsome looking creatures such as the Moray Eel. The tunnel shaped tank makes you feel at times as though you are actually in the water yourself!
At the other end of the scale, but equally popular is the Ray Bay where you can watch a large number of friendly Stingrays glide by through the water. At the shallow end of the tank, you can actually get the chance to stroke these gentle creatures whilst learning more about them from the guides supervising the area.
There are some great features for kids here too. The keepers feeding the rays and other fish is a real highlight, as is the mysterious appearance of the odd mermaid!
Behind the scenes, this organisation is much more than a tourist attraction. The aquarium is dedicated to a whole programme of conservation work with a particular focus on endangered sea turtles and other species under threat. You can find out more about the aquarium’s good work at the Discovery Centre. This centre offers plenty of interactive features and multimedia exhibits, as well as an extensive educational programme. The aquarium organises lectures and one-off events throughout the year. Most of these are included in the price of the admission ticket.
Situated a short drive east from downtown Myrtle Beach, Ripley’s Aquarium is open every day of the year and there is free parking on site. If you’re coming by public transport, it’s best to take the Myrtle Beach Connector bus service, which stops at the aquarium and other attractions at Broadway on the Beach.
