GA Aquarium Behind The Seas Tour

We were invited to take a “Behind the Seas” tour at Georgia Aquarium. For $15 you can get an exclusive look backstage at some of the most popular exhibits!

We went on a Tuesday since my husband was off work, and it turned out to be the perfect day to go! It wasn’t overly crowded which is always nice.

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The Behind the Seas tour begins on the second floor next to the 4-D Funbelievable Theater and will take you to multiple areas like the topside decks of Ocean Voyager and Tropical Diver.

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The image above is the topside of the Tropical Diver. Those buckets dump 6,000 gallons of filtered water every 2 minutes to simulate waves crashing and help keep the tank clean! It was designed after a reef in Indonesia with a deep side and a shallow side for little guys like stingray pups.

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The viewing window curves over your head so the fish have more room, and the vertical reef wall allows visitors to get up close to see the different types of coral. The tank functions just like a reef ecosystem in nature.

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Top 5 Don’t Miss Moments

1. Coral Reef Restoration: In the Tropical Diver exhibit, Georgia Aquarium is actively working to stop the decline of coral reefs. Chemicals in sunscreen such as DEET, avobenzone, parabens, or artificial fragrances are highly toxic to corals.

Consider using reef-safe, coral-safe, and biodegradable sunscreen while swimming in the ocean. Sunscreen is part of a long list of threats to coral reefs that includes pollution, overfishing and climate change.

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2. Look for Trixie: She is the largest whale shark in the 6.3 million gallon tank in the Ocean Voyager exhibit. The Georgia Aquarium is the only institution outside of Asia to house whale sharks.

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And if you’re lucky, Tank the sea turtle might even make an appearance.

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3. African penguins: Posing for the image below are Charlie and Lizzie. Both are around 30 years old and have been a couple for 19 years. Since the males and females look exactly the same, they use bracelets to tell them apart. The first bead on their bracelet tells you their gender, and the corresponding colors are a name.

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4. Veterinary Surgical Suite: Mainly used for preventive medicine and routine check-ups like teeth cleanings and blood samples.

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5. Ocean Voyager filtration room: The Ocean Voyager exhibit uses 225 pumps on the 6.3 million gallon habitat. The image below shows you just how large they are. This is only one-third of the pumps!

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Book your tour today and bring your camera! All ages are welcomed on this tour. Save time and money by pre-paying for parking and cafe vouchers.

  • Tour Times: Daily, every half hour from 10:30am – 4pm and every hour from 4pm – 7pm.
  • Pricing: $13.50 for Members, $15 for Nonmembers, plus General Admission
  • Tour Length: 45 minutes

I am a Georgia Aquarium Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts reporting my opinion, my family and I are provided complimentary tickets and compensation by the company or agency representing the company. All views and opinions are my own.