Top 10 Largest Aquariums in the World (2026 Guide)
Published: 14 Mar 2026
For marine life lovers and adventure seekers, some aquariums are more than just exhibits, they’re massive underwater worlds filled with thousands of fascinating creatures.
We’ve explored aquariums across the globe to highlight the 10 biggest in terms of total water capacity. Meet iconic giants like Chimelong Ocean Kingdom and Georgia Aquarium, plus other notable spots such as Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo perfect inspiration for your next marine adventure.
Whether you’re planning a visit or just love learning about marine life, this list shows which aquariums truly stand out for their sheer size and spectacle.
Top 10 Largest Aquariums in the World by Total Water Volume
| Rank | Aquarium | Location | Total Water Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chimelong Spaceship | Zhuhai, China | ~75.3 million liters |
| 2 | SeaWorld Abu Dhabi | Abu Dhabi, UAE | ~58 million liters |
| 3 | Chimelong Ocean Kingdom | Zhuhai, China | ~48.75 million liters |
| 4 | S.E.A. Aquarium | Singapore | ~45.2 million liters |
| 5 | L’Oceanogràfic | Valencia, Spain | ~41.6 million liters |
| 6 | Georgia Aquarium | Atlanta, USA | ~41.6 million liters |
| 7 | Moskvarium | Moscow, Russia | ~25 million liters |
| 8 | The Seas with Nemo & Friends | Florida, USA | ~21.6 million liters |
| 9 | Aqua Planet Jeju | Jeju, South Korea | ~20 million liters |
| 10 | Shedd Aquarium | Chicago, USA | ~18.9 million liters |
NOTE: This ranking is based on total water volume across all tanks, which is the most consistent way experts compare the largest aquariums in the world.
1. Chimelong Spaceship
Located in China, Chimelong Spaceship is home to one of the largest single aquarium tanks in the world, holding approximately 75.3 million liters (~20 million gallons) of water. The tank houses whale sharks, manta rays, groupers, and tropical fish, all viewable through its 360-degree underwater tunnel, offering an immersive “open-ocean” experience that few aquariums can match. Visitors especially love seeing whale sharks and manta rays together a rare sight anywhere and enjoy the feeding shows and special lighting displays that make each visit unforgettable.
Fun fact: The tunnel is so long that it’s often compared to walking through an underwater spaceship!
2. Sea World Abu Dhabi
Located in the UAE, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi features a massive main tank holding approximately 58 million liters (~15.3 million gallons) of water, making it one of the largest aquarium tanks in the world. The tank houses sharks, rays, tropical fish, and penguins, all visible through expansive viewing panels and underwater decks. Visitors especially enjoy the ocean-to-land exhibit transitions, where icy penguin habitats blend seamlessly with deep-water shark environments, creating a fully immersive experience.
Fun fact: SeaWorld Abu Dhabi main tank is so enormous that it takes over 50 hours to completely drain and clean, giving a glimpse of the incredible scale and engineering behind this remarkable aquarium.
3. Chimelong Ocean Kingdom
Located in China, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom features a massive 12.87-million-gallon (~48.75 million liters) main tank, making it one of the largest aquarium tanks in the world. The tank is home to whale sharks, manta rays and a vibrant variety of tropical fish, all viewable through impressive transparent tunnels and dome-shaped viewing areas. Visitors especially enjoy the unique mix of aquarium exhibits and theme park attractions, where thrilling roller coasters and water rides sit alongside enormous marine habitats, creating an experience unlike any other aquarium.
Fun fact: Chimelong Ocean Kingdom was the first aquarium in the world to successfully keep multiple whale sharks, attracting worldwide attention.
4. S.E.A. Aquarium
Located in Singapore, S.E.A. Aquarium holds around 11.9 million gallons (~45.2 million liters) of water and is home to more than 100,000 marine animals from over 1,000 species, including sharks, rays, jellyfish, and colorful coral reef fish. Visitors can explore the massive Open Ocean habitat through one of the largest viewing panels in the world, offering an unforgettable panoramic view of marine life.
Fun fact: The aquarium’s main viewing panel is so wide that it would take over 20 people holding hands to span its length, giving visitors a real sense of the incredible scale of this underwater world.
5. L’Oceanogràfic
Located in Spain, L’Oceanogràfic holds about 11 million gallons (~41.6 million liters) of water and features dolphins, beluga whales, penguins, sharks, and tropical fish across multiple themed habitats. Visitors enjoy walkthrough tunnels, underwater viewing areas, and educational shows that highlight marine conservation and the diversity of ocean life.
Fun fact: L’Oceanogràfic is designed to replicate the world’s major ocean ecosystems, making it one of the few aquariums in Europe where visitors can experience Arctic, Antarctic, Mediterranean, and tropical habitats all in one place.
6. Georgia Aquarium
Located in the USA, the Georgia Aquarium holds about 11 million gallons (~41.6 million liters) of water, making it one of the largest aquariums in the world. It’s home to whale sharks, manta rays, beluga whales, and a wide range of tropical fish, all visible through the impressive Ocean Voyager viewing area and tunnel. Visitors especially enjoy the feeding shows, interactive exhibits, and immersive underwater views that make them feel surrounded by marine life.
Fun Fact: Georgia Aquarium’s Ocean Voyager tunnel is one of the longest in the world, letting visitors feel like they’re walking through the open ocean.
7. Moscow Oceanarium
Located in Russia, the Moscow Oceanarium (also known as Moskvarium) contains around 6.6 million gallons (~25 million liters) of water and showcases sharks, rays, dolphins, beluga whales, and thousands of tropical fish. Visitors can explore large viewing halls, underwater tunnels, and live marine shows, making it one of the most popular marine attractions in Eastern Europe.
Fun fact: Moskvarium hosts one of Europe’s largest marine performance halls, where dolphins and sea lions perform in a theater-style arena designed to seat thousands of visitors.
6. The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Located in the USA, The Seas with Nemo & Friends features a 5.7-million-gallon (~21.6 million liters) tank filled with tropical fish, sea turtles, rays, and clownfish inspired by the beloved Disney film. Visitors explore the underwater pavilion and ride experience, which blends immersive storytelling with real marine life, creating a unique mix of entertainment and education.
Fun fact: The Seas with Nemo & Friends was designed so that over 5,000 fish can swim in the main tank at once, giving visitors a miniature “ocean experience.”
7. Aqua Planet Jeju
Located in South Korea, Aqua Planet Jeju features approximately 5.3 million gallons (~20 million liters) of water and is home to sharks, rays, penguins, and tropical fish, showcasing diverse marine ecosystems. Visitors can walk through underwater tunnels and explore interactive exhibits, offering a close-up view of marine life in a naturalistic environment.
Fun fact: Aqua Planet Jeju is the largest aquarium in South Korea and features a massive main tank designed to simulate a complete ocean habitat, including coral reefs and deeper marine zones.
If you enjoy visiting massive attractions like aquariums, you might also like exploring the Largest Malls in the World.
10. Shedd Aquarium
Located in the United States, Shedd Aquarium holds about 5 million gallons (~18.9 million liters) of water across its marine exhibits and is home to beluga whales, sea otters, sharks, rays, and colorful reef fish. Visitors enjoy the Abbott Oceanarium and Caribbean Reef exhibit, where large viewing windows provide clear views of marine animals swimming in open-water habitats.
Fun fact: When it opened in 1930, Shedd Aquarium was considered the largest indoor aquarium in the world, a title it held for many years.
Other notable aquariums worth visiting include Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo (~10 million liters), which is famous for its giant viewing panel and central location in Dubai Mall.
Animal lovers who visit large aquariums may also enjoy exploring the Largest Zoos in the World, where thousands of species live in huge wildlife parks.
How These Aquariums Compare: Size, Animals and Experiences
Not all aquariums are built the same even among the world’s largest, each offers something unique. Some are giants in total water volume, like Chimelong Ocean Kingdom and Georgia Aquarium, while others shine for the variety of marine life or immersive experiences, like The Seas with Nemo & Friends.
When it comes to size, Chimelong Spaceship takes the crown with its 20 million-gallon tank, providing enormous open-water habitats for whale sharks and manta rays. Georgia Aquarium isn’t far behind, with its massive Ocean Voyager tank giving visitors the feeling of walking through the open ocean. Meanwhile, Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo impresses with dense populations of thousands of fish swimming together in a single tank, making it one of the most lively aquariums in the world.
In terms of animal diversity, S.E.A. Aquarium and L’Oceanogràfic lead the pack, featuring hundreds of species from tropical fish to belugas and penguins. Shedd Aquarium and Aqua Planet Jeju stand out for their carefully curated habitats that mimic natural ecosystems, offering close-up views of animals in realistic surroundings.
Finally, the visitor experience varies widely. Some aquariums focus on thrilling rides and interactive storytelling, like The Seas with Nemo & Friends, while others combine educational shows, feeding demonstrations, and underwater tunnels for immersive exploration, such as SeaWorld Abu Dhabi and Moskvarium. Whether you’re after size, species variety, or hands-on fun, each of these aquariums has something special to offer.
| Rank | Aquarium | Total Water Volume | Number of Species | Unique Experience |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chimelong Spaceship | ~75.3 million liters | 20,000+ | 360° underwater tunnel with whale sharks and manta rays |
| 2 | SeaWorld Abu Dhabi | ~58 million liters | 15,000+ | Ocean-to-land exhibits; penguins and sharks in one view |
| 3 | Chimelong Ocean Kingdom | ~48.75 million liters | 10,000+ | Combination of theme park rides and massive marine habitats |
| 4 | S.E.A. Aquarium | ~45.2 million liters | 100,000+ | Panoramic Open Ocean viewing panel |
| 5 | L’Oceanogràfic | ~41.6 million liters | 500+ | Multiple habitats: Arctic, Antarctic, Mediterranean, tropics |
| 6 | Georgia Aquarium | ~41.6 million liters | 120,000+ | Ocean Voyager tunnel with whale sharks |
| 7 | Moskvarium | ~25 million liters | 7,000+ | Marine shows in spacious naturalistic habitats |
| 8 | The Seas with Nemo & Friends | ~21.6 million liters | 6,000+ | Ride through tank with tropical fish and rays |
| 9 | Aqua Planet Jeju | ~20 million liters | 3,000+ | Simulated ocean habitats including coral reefs |
| 10 | Shedd Aquarium | ~18.9 million liters | 32,000+ | Abbott Oceanarium with Caribbean and Pacific habitats |
FAQs About the Largest Aquariums in the World
The biggest aquarium in the world is Chimelong Spaceship in China. It holds an enormous tank with roughly 20 million gallons (about 75 million liters) of water, making it one of the largest marine habitats ever built inside an aquarium complex.
The aquarium with the largest aquarium tank in the world is Chimelong Spaceship. Its enormous central habitat holds around 20 million gallons of seawater and was built to mimic a natural ocean environment. Visitors can walk through long transparent tunnels and viewing galleries, where sharks, rays, and other large marine species swim overhead.
The second largest aquarium in the world is SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, which contains a massive ~19.8 million-gallon marine habitat. It features multiple ocean zones and thousands of marine animals in one of the newest mega-aquariums ever built.
The third largest aquarium in the world is Chimelong Ocean Kingdom. Its famous Ocean Kingdom tank holds around 12.87 million gallons of water and is known for housing whale sharks and manta rays in a giant viewing dome.
Modern aquariums use extremely large tanks to replicate natural marine habitats more accurately. Bigger tanks allow animals to swim longer distances, live in larger groups, and experience more stable water conditions, which improves both animal welfare and the visitor experience.
Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo is amazing, but its 10 million liters of water is smaller than the massive tanks in our Top 10 list, some of which hold over 70 million liters. It’s still a must-visit for marine life fans, but it just misses the largest-aquarium ranking globally.
