A tourist takes photos of fish at Hurghada Grand Aquarium in Hurghada, Egypt, on Oct. 16, 2021.(Photo: Xinhua)

 

A shark is seen at Hurghada Grand Aquarium in Hurghada, Egypt, on Oct. 16, 2021.(Photo: Xinhua)

 

A tourist takes a selfie at Hurghada Grand Aquarium in Hurghada, Egypt, on Oct. 16, 2021.(Photo: Xinhua)

 

People feed fish as they visit Hurghada Grand Aquarium in Hurghada, Egypt, on Oct. 16, 2021.(Photo: Xinhua)

 
With more than 20 fish tanks featuring various species of the Red Sea fish including sharks, as well as a 24-meter-long underwater glass tunnel, Egypt's Hurghada Grand Aquarium has gained popularity over the past six years and become a major tourist destination.

Located in the Red Sea resort city of Hurghada, the huge aquarium was opened to visitors in 2015, enabling them to enjoy live aquatic scenes, see different types and colors of fish and coral reefs, and have the opportunity to dive with sharks.

"The idea of the aquarium came to us as we had been working in Hurghada's diving centers and wanted to exhibit what we saw underwater in a museum outside the sea to attract more tourists," Magdy Fayek, CEO of the aquarium, told Xinhua.

"We have 22 exhibit fish tanks in addition to a large one and we have more than 650 types of fish besides sharks and turtles, as well as a mini-zoo that combines swans, monkeys, ostriches, American iguanas, Pharaonic geese, eagles, snakes, turtles, peacocks, and others," Fayek added.

Several companies from different countries, including China, Malaysia, Germany and France, worked with the Egyptian side to build the aquarium, he said, noting that the acrylic of the tanks came from a Chinese factory.

Hurghada Grand Aquarium is the seventh largest worldwide, the second in the Middle East after Dubai Aquarium and the first in North Africa, said Bahaa Fathy, head of the IT department who is also in charge of protocols of the aquarium.

"The aquarium contains 1 million U.S. gallons (more than 3,500 cubic meters) of water and it hosts over one dozen rare types of sharks, which are the most attractive to the visitors, including sandbar, whitetip and blacktip sharks," he added.

He noted that two baby sharks were bred at the aquarium and would join the exhibits in a couple of months.

Built on an area of about 20,000 square meters with plans for future expansions, Hurghada Grand Aquarium includes the marine aquarium, a mini-zoo and a rainforest that hosts eight large crocodiles.

Groups of Egyptian visitors and foreign tourists have been enjoying the experience with its aquatic treasures and breathtaking views of the Red Sea marine habitat.

Asmaa Abdullah, a housewife from the capital Cairo, visited the aquarium with her husband and two little girls.

"This is the second time for us to visit the aquarium. The place is beautiful and the marine organisms are so attractive. The children are also very happy," she told Xinhua.

Meanwhile, Catherina Boldt, a 22-year-old visitor from Germany, said that "it's not only the aquarium, but also something like a jungle with monkeys and a lot of animals."

"It also allows diving with the sharks, which is a good opportunity for people who are scared to dive in the open sea," the German young woman told Xinhua, noting that she is in Egypt on a two-week vacation.

Nadeschda Khanin, a Russian tour leader at a company in Hurghada, said that "many of the customers ask us for trips to the aquarium to see the sharks and the marine life."

"The visitors are impressed by the aquarium and its design, and it has become the tourists' number one destination in Hurghada," said Yehya Abde-Hakim, manager of the aquarium.